The Saga Of Cardwell: 1920 - 1940

The Gill family, who had long lived on Goold Island, were forced to relocate after a cyclone in 1918 blew their house over; they then moved the house to the Haven on Hinchinbrook Island. Macushla Point on Hinchinbrook Island was named after the boat owned by Emily Lyon from Herbert River, and in 1929 the Cardwell Shire Council offices moved to Tully. During the 1930s the Lyons family constructed two cottages and laid concrete foundations for tents at Macushla Point. In 1932, most of Hinchinbrook Island was declared a National Park, further cementing the area’s environmental significance, and the Girramay people have long been recognised as the Traditional Owners of the Cardwell area. In 1933, the population within the Cardwell Shire Council area surged by 1,200 per cent to 4,416 due to the growth of the sugar industry and the establishment of a mill in Tully.

The early 1930s also saw the construction of four small cabins with thatched roofs at the Haven on the western side of Hinchinbrook Island, and in 1937 work began on constructing the Kirrama Range road to provide access to the timbers in the Kirrama Range area. This road opened in 1941; however, it was later closed following Cyclone Larry. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Frank Lewis ran cattle and operated a small casual resort at the Haven on Hinchinbrook Island. In 1944, experiments in gas warfare using Australian Army personnel were carried out on the Brook Islands.