Daintree Rainforest Discussion

Lataya · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 1 Location: Brisbane, QLD

I'm doing a school project on the Daintree, and it has to be in the format of a journal in the perspective of the first exploratry team to go to the rainforest. If anyone can help me answer the next couple of questions, I would be very much obliged.

1. Where does the name, 'Daintree' come from?
2. Who were the very first team to explore the Daintree? (I'd like to know the team who actually went into the forest in the early 1800's, not Sir Joseph Banks.)
:lol: Thanks! :lol:

Synna · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2003 5:15 pm Post subject:

Hey Lataya...

"The Daintree River was only discovered by Europeans in 1873 when Scottish geologist and explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple named the river and the first settlement, Daintree Village, after Queensland’s Agent-General in London, Richard Daintree. "

Hope this helps :)

"The area between Mossman and Bloomfield is the original home of the Kuku Yalanji tribe who used to live in small kinship groups of 8 to 12 in camps spread along the banks of the rivers and creeks. These camps were semi-permanent and included dome thatched huts.

The tribes were hunter/gatherers and depended greatly upon toxic rainforest vegetation which had to be carefully prepared before being eaten. Their distinct and unique rainforest culture is probably about 9000 years old.

The 1870's saw the arrival of the first European settlers following the discovery of gold, tin and other minerals, plus the lure of the magnificent red cedar, and there were frequent violent conflicts between the tribes and the new settlers with many fatalities on both sides. In fact, reports indicated that by the mid 1890's the original Aboriginal population had been decimated.

The coming of the Europeans saw the start of changes to the traditional tribal way of life and, for a period, many of the local tribes lived in church missions. "