Lucinda, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucinda Queensland
Sugar-loading jetty, 2007
Lucinda Location in Queensland
Population	435 (2021 census)
• Density	5.591/km2 (14.48/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4850
Elevation	10 m (33 ft)
Area	77.8 km2 (30.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	27.0 km (17 mi) NE of Ingham 139 km (86 mi) NNW of Townsville 1,470 km (913 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Hinchinbrook
State electorate(s)	Hinchinbrook
Federal Division(s)	Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 27.2 °C 81 °F 22.3 °C 72 °F 949.5 mm 37.4 in
Localities around Lucinda: Hinchinbrook Channel Hinchinbrook Channel Coral Sea Macknade Lucinda Coral Sea Halifax Halifax Halifax

Lucinda is a small coastal town in Queensland, Australia. It's located in the Shire of Hinchinbrook. In 2021, about 435 people lived in Lucinda. This town is famous for its very long sugar jetty, which helps export sugar around the world.

Where is Lucinda?

Lucinda is on the coast, right next to the Coral Sea. To the north, you'll find the Hinchinbrook Channel. This channel separates the mainland from Hinchinbrook Island.

The Herbert River flows into the sea near Lucinda. It has a few different paths it can take. One main path goes north into the Seaforth Channel. Another smaller path, called the Enterprise Channel, goes through Lucinda and into the Coral Sea. There's also a small creek, Gentle Annie Creek, further south.

Lucinda Point and Dungeness

Lucinda Point is the north-eastern tip of the area. The town of Lucinda grew along the coast from this point.

Close by is the town of Dungeness. It's about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north-west of Lucinda. Dungeness is named after Dungeness Creek. Unlike Lucinda, Dungeness faces west towards the Enterprise Channel.

Lucinda's Past

Jetty at Lucinda Point with Hinchinbrook Island in the background, around 1905

The land where Lucinda is located traditionally belongs to the Biyaygiri people.

The town of Lucinda was named a long time ago. It might have been named after Lady Lucinda Musgrave. She was the wife of the Governor of Queensland from 1883 to 1888. Another idea is that it was named after a Queensland Government steam yacht called the Lucinda, which was also named after her.

The Sugar Jetty

In 1896, a company called the Colonial Sugar Refining Company built a special railway. This railway went from their Victoria sugar mill to Lucinda Point. The Queensland Government then built a storage shed and a jetty there. The old harbor at Dungeness wasn't good enough because of shifting sand.

The current, very long jetty was built in 1979. In 2011, a big storm called Tropical Cyclone Yasi damaged the jetty. But don't worry, it was repaired!

Post Office and School

Lucinda Post Office first opened its doors on October 6, 1896.

There was also a school called Dungeness Provisional School, which opened in 1896. Because of flooding problems, the school moved to Lucinda Point in 1897. It was then renamed Lucinda Point Provisional School. Later, in 1909, it became Lucinda Point State School. The school closed down at the end of 2008.

What Lucinda Does

The long sugar jetty near the shore, 2007

Lucinda is a town that helps export sugar. It's famous for its huge sugar jetty, which is 5.76 kilometers (about 3.5 miles) long! This makes it the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere. It's also the biggest place in the world for loading bulk sugar onto ships.

Because the jetty is so long, it can't be perfectly flat. It actually follows the curve of the Earth! This means one end of the jetty is about 2 meters higher than the other. Big ships can dock here. It takes about 22 minutes for sugar to travel the whole length of the jetty on a conveyor belt. The sugar comes from the Victoria and Macnade sugar mills.

Lucinda is also a port where supplies are sent by barge to Palm Island.

Learning and Services

There aren't any schools right in Lucinda. Kids usually go to primary school in nearby Halifax. For high school, students travel to Ingham.

Local Amenities

Lucinda has a convenience store where you can buy things. There are also a couple of resorts and a hotel if you want to stay overnight. The town also gets services from Ingham and Halifax. Australia Post delivers mail to Lucinda five days a week.

The Ingham Coast Guard has a marine rescue facility in Lucinda. This helps keep people safe on the water.

There are also two boat ramps in Lucinda. These ramps make it easy for people to launch their boats and explore the Herbert River.