Place Type
Population - Town
Location
113.9kms South of Daintree - Driving 143 km (1 hour 58 mins)
Address & Contact
3B Robert St
Atherton QLD 4883
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: https://www.athertontablelands.com.au
Information
Atherton is in the lovely Tropical Tablelands, with beautiful lakes, waterfalls, rich red soil and tropical rainforest.
The Tableland area is famous for producing peanuts, maize and potatoes. Don't miss the Curtain Fig Tree, Millaa Millaa Falls, crater lakes and amazing rock formations.
Atherton is ideally situated as a base to explore most places of interest in the Tablelands area. Accommodation varies from old Queensland style hotels to bed and breakfast's (B&B's), rainforest retreats, caravan parks and backpacker hostels.
Atherton began as a camp for cedar getters.
It was known as Priors Pocket, after Thomas Prior who pastured his bullocks here. The town was to eventually take its name from John Atherton, one of the first European settlers on the Tablelands. His station Cashmere introduced horse and cattle to the area. He was instrumental in the discovery of tin in the district which led to a rapid population increase and the subsequent growth of the area.
