In early June 125 guests attended a commemoration of the establishment of the Cairns Municipal Council in 1885, just 9 years after European settlement in this area. All former Councillors and Mayors were invited and were joined by business and community leaders. Thanks to the excellent work of Pat Zalewski , who has written a thesis on the early years of the new Council, we know that the first agenda items to be explored were the clearing of Abbott, Lake, Sachs and McLeod Streets and problems with drainage. As well, the new Council considered a petition to set aside 71 acres for a Botanical Garden at Edge Hill and started fundraising to build a School of Arts for which they raised 154 pounds in the first six months.

It's interesting to see what visionaries the early leaders were. They didn't just concentrate on "roads, rates and rubbish" but knew the importance of the natural environment being protected, and also how critical it was to have arts and culture at the heart of the fledgling settlement. 125 years later, in a very changed city and region, we continue to provide the same sorts of services.