Yorkeys Knob, Queensland

Yorkeys Knob is one of the beach suburbs of Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of the centre of Cairns, and is the third beach suburb after Machans Beach and Holloways Beach. At the 2011 census, the population of Yorkeys Knob was 2,766.

History

Yorkeys Knob got its name from George Lawson, a Yorkshire-born, Cairns-based beche-de-mer fisherman. On 10 June 1886 Yorkey Lawson reported the loss of a man and his wife from Green Island. They had left to visit the wreck of the Upolu, intending to return the same day. Lawson made a search for them, but was unable to find any trace of them, not even an accident. The pilot cutter was sent to search for the couple.

Lawson built a homestead adjoining the Mount Buchan estate near what is now Yorkeys Knob. During the off-fishing season he and his sons farmed pumpkins, sweet potatoes and paddy melons, but not successfully. Whatever the bandicots and pigs didn't eat, the crocodiles did. Lawson used the mangroves near his homestead for the firewood and water needed for his beche-de-mer smoking station on Green Island.