Ayr, Queensland: Travel guide and things to do

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Ayr, Queensland: Travel guide and things to do

Ayr, QLD

Ayr, QLD

Located 1287 km north of Brisbane, 88 km south of Townsville and 10 m above sea-level, Ayr is a typical thriving Central Coast town. It is a much more substantial centre than Home Hill which is effectively its twin town, lying just across the Burdekin River.

The Burdekin was first explored in the 1840s and by the 1860s Europeans had moved into the upper reaches of the valley. The coast, being marshy and difficult, was ignored and it wasn't until the 1870s that R. W. Graham of Lilliesmere and A. C. Macmillan of Airdmillan settled on the lower Burdekin and started growing sugarcane. In 1879 they decided to pool their resources to form the Burdekin Delta Sugar Company and this was sufficient for a small settlement to be formed on the northern side of the river. The town was named after the Scottish town of Ayr, the birthplace of the Queensland Premier, Thomas McIlwraith.

Today Ayr lies at the heart of one of the most productive sugarcane-growing areas in Australia. Three mills crush and process the local harvest.

The town is notable for its absence of interesting historical artifacts.

The bridge to the south of Ayr, known as the 'Silver Link', is over a kilometre long and since its construction in 1958 has ensured that the town has not been cut off by the floods which occur on the Burdekin most wet seasons.

Things to see

Buildings
On the main street of Ayr is a clock tower built in 1928 in honour of John Drysdale, an important local citizen who helped to provide the town and surrounding area with a reliable fresh water supply.

There is also a National Bank, which has some strikingly ostentatious columns, and a rather beautiful and substantial courthouse in the main street with a wide brick verandah.

Brandon
Just 5 km to the north of Ayr is the tiny settlement of Brandon. It is the kind of sugar-cane town which is easily driven through without so much as a sideways glance. However, at the northern end of town there is a superb wooden Catholic church which is listed on the National Trust.

Tourist information

Ayr/Burdekin Tourism Association
Plantation Park
Ayr QLD 4807
Telephone: (07) 4783 5988

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