Bartle Frere

About Bartle Frere

Bartle Frere is a small rural locality in the Cairns Region of Far North Queensland, nestled between Babinda (13 km to the north-east) and Innisfail (24 km to the south-east), around 71 km south of Cairns CBD. Covering approximately 16.6 square kilometres of flat, low-lying coastal plain at 10–20 metres above sea level, the locality recorded a population of 169 people in the 2021 census. The area is part of the Wet Tropics region and takes its name from nearby Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest peak at 1,622 metres, which was named in honour of Sir Henry Bartle Frere, president of the Royal Geographical Society. The locality shares its postcode (4861) with Innisfail.

The economic heart of Bartle Frere is sugarcane farming, with the locality's flat fertile floodplains producing cane that feeds the Innisfail mills. The Russell River forms the southern and eastern boundary, adding to the rich agricultural landscape. Bartle Frere State School serves the local primary-aged children, while secondary students travel to Babinda or Innisfail. The Bruce Highway skirts the northern edge of the locality, and the North Coast railway line runs parallel just outside the northern boundary in neighbouring Eubenangee, making connections to Cairns and Townsville accessible. The Wet Tropics World Heritage-listed rainforest on the slopes of Mount Bartle Frere attracts hikers and ecotourists.

Bartle Frere falls under postcode 4861 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Hill electorate.

Nearby Suburbs

• Babinda, QLD 4861
• East Russell, QLD 4861
• Bamboo Creek, QLD 4860
• Belvedere, QLD 4860
• Coconuts, QLD 4860
• Cooroo Lands, QLD 4860