Land explorations first began in the area in 1845 when Leichhardt discovered the Valley of Lagoons on the upper Burdekin River. A pastoral holding was later established in the area by George Dalrymple and the Scott Brothers - a group of men whose explorations led to the development of the port of Cardwell. It wasn't until 1853, when the party was looking for a suitable route from the Valley of Lagoons to Cardwell, that the Herbert River Valley was actually discovered. Henry Stone could be considered the Valley's first settler as he established the "Vale of Herbert Station" at Herbert Vale in 1865. He later became the first settler in the Ingham District and the first Chairman of the Hinchinbrook Shire. Soon, other pastoralists claimed land in the area, though it was the sugar industry that eventually settled the district in the early 1870s. 
Early cane loading onto horse-drawn carts
| The district's first sugar cane was produced at Gairloch Mill in 1872, however the continual expansion of the industry soon led to the development of a second and third mill at Bemerside and Macknade. The town of Ingham (originally named Sligo) came into existence as a result of the growing sugar and pastoral industries within the region. A road to the coast was constructed by 1873 due to the pressures and demands of Ingham's increasing population and continually expanding industries. This road proved highly valuable to bullock teams, heavy drays and carts that wished to avoid the steep grade through Dalrymple's Track as they travelled from the Lower Herbert Valley to the port of Cardwell. Even so, the Herbert River remained the Valley's main source of communication and supplies. |
The Hinchinbrook Divisional Board was established in 1879 as a result of Ingham's growing community. At this stage in Ingham's development, prices were high and the worst of the rust outbreak of 1875 was over. Capital was being poured into plantations and many shared in the boom by providing crops such as dairy foods, maize, potatoes and timber. Three new sugar plantations - Victoria, Ripple Creek and Hamleigh - were established in 1881 - a reflection of the Valley's rich progress in the industry. It was at this time that the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (now known as CSR Limited) established Victoria Mill, bringing standards and cane growing activities to the district on a scale not previously seen in the North. Cane was first crushed at Victoria Mill in 1883. Although cane cutting has always been physically demanding, the conditions at this time in Ingham's history were appalling when compared to any of today's standards. Every stalk was cut and loaded to the requirements of the cane inspectors and these physical demands were compounded by ridiculous standards of topping in early years. A number of Kanakas, Chinese and Malays were employed to work in the cane fields as a source of cheap labour. This ceased however with the introduction of the "White Australia Policy". From approximately the 1890s, the focus was directed at European countries, and immigrants from Italy, Spain, Finland and Yugoslavia supplied much of the next generation of canecutters. Conditions soon improved and workers' salaries increased to a rate much higher than that which the indentured Kanakas had experienced. | 
Kanakas working in fields - late 1800's
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The first group of Italian migrants arrived in Townsville in 1891 and, after having settled in the Ingham district, most sent home for family and friends. The pattern of Italian immigration was now established and, to this day, more than half the population of Ingham are of Italian descent. This stream of immigration proved beneficial to the district as Europeans demanded clothes, food and entertainment of a kind the Kanakas had never been interested in. More money was put into circulation and, as a result, the town of Ingham began to thrive. The growing population led to the establishment of a new hotel, and a number of new shops were built to cope with the pressures of growth. In 1892, Ingham was described as a postal township, with a population of two hundred people. Due to concerns of the continual silting of Dungeness, a new port was constructed at Lucinda and a tramline established, thus bringing an end to river traffic. This tramline - when completed - ran from Lucinda, through Halifax and on to Ingham's Lannercost Street. New industries were always evolving and fruit growing, tobacco, grapes, dairying, cattle, horses, timber, mining and fishing all played a part in the wealth of the district. Mining began in 1885 at Kangaroo Hills and ore was packed into Ingham. Activity was increased in 1909 by the Running River Silver and Lead Mines, and the Stone River Tramway was finally completed. In 1929 however, most of the district's mines were closed or no longer operational. By 1910, eight sugar plantations and six mills had been established in the Ingham area, although Macknade and Victoria Mill were the only two that remained under the control of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR). It was also in this year that CSR purchased the Ripple Creek Plantation. In 1931, the population of the Hinchinbrook Shire was recorded as approximately 8500. The sugar industry - much like the community - was still expanding and in 1931, the modern, efficient mills at Victoria and Macknade were capable of treating around 10,000 tons of cane per week. In this year, the record for the quantity of cane crushed in one season was held by Victoria Mill. Following World War II, major expansions occurred in the industry, particularly between the years of 1951 and 1953 and between 1963 and 1965. The combined crushing figure for both Victoria and Macknade Mill for the 1970 season stands in excess of 2,000,000 tons. To this day, the population of the Hinchinbrook Shire has grown to such an extent that now more than 5000 people live in Ingham alone and more than 13,400 in the Shire. Similarly, the sugar industry has continued to develop and progress rapidly. As a result, pastoral activity has been moved back in some areas of the district in more recent years. | 
Victoria Mill in its earliest days, on the banks of Palm Creek
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And Victoria Mill as it is today
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