Cairns Wharf Complex

The Cairns Cruise Terminal on Trinity Inlet now operates as an events venue. It was built in 1913 as No. 3 Wharf Cargo Shed. Cairns had been declared a Port of Entry in 1876 and Trinity Inlet provided a safe harbour. Timber public wharves were built initially, and commercial shipping companies built private wharves and cargo sheds. After the 1906 establishment of the Cairns Harbour Board, it began acquiring the private wharf facilities and replacing old timber wharves with reinforced concrete ones. No 3 Wharf was the first to be replaced in 1912 and a new shed built. A clock tower was added in 1948. The large complex of wharf structures was heritage-listed in 1998. In 2010-11 the Ports Corporation initiated a major redevelopment of No. 3 Wharf Shed. A new steel superstructure was built, bracing and preserving the original walls. The original corrugated iron roof and timber roof trusses were retained, covered by a new insulated roof structure. This award-winning adaptive reuse project includes interpretive panels in the building and landscaping. Since it opened in 1910, the Cairns Wharf Complex has created a vibrant foreshore precinct; the foundation for Cairns’ status as a premier tourist destination.