Lakefield, Queensland

Lakefield is a coastal rural locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Lakefield had a population of 21 people.^[1]

Lakefield Queensland
Lakefield, 2010
Lakefield
Coordinates	14.775°S 144.2288°E / -14.775; 144.2288 (Lakefield (centre of locality))
Population	21 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.00250/km2 (0.00649/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4892
Area	8,386.2 km2 (3,237.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	101 km (63 mi) N of Laura 169 km (105 mi) NW of Cooktown 394 km (245 mi) NNW of Cairns 2,066 km (1,284 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Cook
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal division(s)	Leichhardt
Suburbs around Lakefield: Yarraden Coral Sea Starcke Yarraden Lakefield Starcke Laura Laura Cooktown

Geography

Lakefield is on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula. Lakefield Road runs through the locality from the south-east to the north-west with connections via the Endeavour Battle Camp Road to Laura and the Peninsula Developmental Road to the south-west and to Cooktown to the south-east.^[3]

The Normanby River, North Kennedy River, Hann River, Annie River, and many other creeks and rivers join as they flow to the northern coast of Lakefield to the Coral Sea, creating many lakes.^[4]

Islands

The northern boundary of the locality extends offshore to include a number of islands (from north to south):^[5]

• Clack Island (14.0766°S 144.2561°E / -14.0766; 144.2561 (Clack Island))^[6]
• King Island (14.0955°S 144.3332°E / -14.0955; 144.3332 (King Island))^[7]
• the Flinders Group (14.1986°S 144.2430°E / -14.1986; 144.2430 (Flinders Group)), consisting of:^[8]
  • Stanley Island (14.1527°S 144.2350°E / -14.1527; 144.2350 (Stanley Island))^[9]
  • Flinders Island (14.1802°S 144.2598°E / -14.1802; 144.2598 (Flinders Island))^[10]
  • Blackwood Island (14.2134°S 144.2229°E / -14.2134; 144.2229 (Blackwood Island))^[11]
  • Maclear Island (14.2100°S 144.2504°E / -14.2100; 144.2504 (Maclear Island))^[12]
  • Denham Island (14.2278°S 144.2657°E / -14.2278; 144.2657 (Denham Island))^[13]
  • Rocky Islets (island group, 14.2591°S 144.3547°E / -14.2591; 144.3547 (Rocky Islets))^[14]

Bays and passages

The locality includes the following bays and passages:

• Stokes Bay on the west coast of Stanley Island (14.1543°S 144.2241°E / -14.1543; 144.2241 (Stokes Bay))^[15]
• Owen Channel between Stanley and Flinders Islands (14.1666°S 144.2333°E / -14.1666; 144.2333 (Owen Channel))^[16]
• Fly Channel between Flinders Island and Mclear Island (14.2047°S 144.2577°E / -14.2047; 144.2577 (Fly Channel))^[17]
• Rattlesnake Channel between Denham Island and the mainland (14.25°S 144.25°E / -14.25; 144.25 (Rattlesnake Channel))^[18]
• Princess Charlotte Bay off the north-west coast of the locality (14.2168°S 143.9680°E / -14.2168; 143.9680 (Princess Charlotte Bay))^[19]
• Bathurst Bay off the north coast of the locality (14.2359°S 144.3677°E / -14.2359; 144.3677 (Bathurst Bay))^[20]

Coastal features

Lakefield has the following coastal headlands (from north to south):

• Cape Flinders on Stanley Island (14.1312°S 144.2384°E / -14.1312; 144.2384 (Cape Flinders))^[21][22]
• Nares Point on Stanley Island (14.1495°S 144.2676°E / -14.1495; 144.2676 (Nares Point))^[21][23]
• Richards Point on Flinders Island (14.1589°S 144.2725°E / -14.1589; 144.2725 (Richards Point))^[21]
• Heming Point on Stanley Island (14.1840°S 144.2100°E / -14.1840; 144.2100 (Heming Point))^[21][24]
• Pirie Head on Flinders Island (14.1941°S 144.2817°E / -14.1941; 144.2817 (Pirie Head))^[21][25]
• Howard Bluff on Denham Island (14.2178°S 144.2769°E / -14.2178; 144.2769 (Howard Bluff))^[21][26]
• Pullen Point on Blackwood Island (14.2305°S 144.2022°E / -14.2305; 144.2022 (Pullen Point))^[21][27]
• Combe Point on the mainland (14.2551°S 144.2158°E / -14.2551; 144.2158 (Combe Point))^[21][28]
• Bathurst Head on the mainland (14.2622°S 144.1962°E / -14.2622; 144.1962 (Bathurst Head))^[21][29]

Mountains

Lakefield has the following mountains (from north to south):

• Castle Peaks on Stanley Island (14.1476°S 144.2581°E / -14.1476; 144.2581 (Castle Peaks)) 206 metres (676 ft)^[21][30][31]
• Flinders Peak on Flinders Island (14.1887°S 144.2668°E / -14.1887; 144.2668 (Flinders Peak)) 318 metres (1,043 ft)^[21][32]
• Bay Hill (14.2957°S 144.3962°E / -14.2957; 144.3962 (Bay Hill)) 430 metres (1,410 ft)^[21][33]
• Conspicuous Peak (14.3925°S 144.2563°E / -14.3925; 144.2563 (Conspicuous Peak)) 267 metres (876 ft)^[21][34]
• Alkaline Hill (14.4228°S 144.2148°E / -14.4228; 144.2148 (Alkaline Hill)) 114 metres (374 ft)^[21]
• Jane Table Hill (14.5030°S 144.1310°E / -14.5030; 144.1310 (Jane Table Hill)) 145 metres (476 ft)^[21][35]
• Jeannette Hill (14.5149°S 144.1421°E / -14.5149; 144.1421 (Jeannette Hill)) 76 metres (249 ft)^[21][36]
• Walkers Hill (14.6593°S 144.1534°E / -14.6593; 144.1534 (Walkers Hill)) 58 metres (190 ft)^[21][37]
• Wards Hill (14.6635°S 144.1538°E / -14.6635; 144.1538 (Wards Hill))^[21][38]
• Balsers Knob (14.6651°S 144.2217°E / -14.6651; 144.2217 (Balsers Knob)) 126 metres (413 ft)^[21][39]
• Flat Top Hill (14.7271°S 144.2283°E / -14.7271; 144.2283 (Flat Top Hill)) 113 metres (371 ft)^[21][40]
• Black Hill (14.8590°S 144.3522°E / -14.8590; 144.3522 (Black Hill)) 105 metres (344 ft)^[21][41]
• Mount Jack (15.1761°S 144.6728°E / -15.1761; 144.6728 (Mount Jack)) 171 metres (561 ft)^[21][42]

Land use

The Rinyirru National Park (formerly Lakefield National Park) occupies the south and west of the locality. The Cape Melville National Park is in the north-east of the locality extending into neighbouring Starcke to the east.^[43] Apart from the Rocky Islets, all of the islands in the locality are either fully or partially within the Flinders Group National Park.^[43]

Most of the locality is within these protected areas, while the remaining land is mostly undeveloped. There is a small area used for grazing on native vegetation east of the mouth of Normanby River along the coast.^[43]

History

Flinders Island and the Flinders Group were named by Lieutenant Charles Jeffreys, a naval officer on HM Armed Brig Kangaroo on 30 May 1815, after Captain Matthew Flinders.^[8][10] Clack Island was also named by Jeffreys, but the origin of the name is unknown.^[6]

The other islands are all believed to be named after naval officers who commanded survey vessels operating around the northern Queensland coast:

• King Island named after Lieutenant (later Rear Admiral) Phillip Parker King, commander of HM Colonial Cutter Mermaid from 1818 to 1820^[7]
• Blackwood Island named after Captain Francis Price Blackwood, who commanded HMS Fly from 1843 to 1845^[11]

• Stanley Island named after Captain Owen Stanley, who commanded HMS Rattlesnake from 1847 to 1848^[9]

• Denham Island named after Captain Henry Mangles Denham, who commanded HMS Herald from 1853 to 1861^[13]

• Maclear Island named after Lieutenant John Maclear, who commanded HMS Alert from 1881 to 1882.^[12]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Lakefield and surrounding areas had a population of 184 people.^[44]

In the 2016 census, Lakefield had a population of 16 people.^[45]

In the 2021 census, Lakefield had a population of 21 people.^[1]

Heritage listings

Lakeland has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Old Laura Homestead, Rinyirru National Park (15.3454°S 144.4538°E / -15.3454; 144.4538 (Old Laura Homestead))^[46]

Education

There are no schools in Lakefield. The nearest government primary school is Laura State School in neighbouring Laura to the south; however, this school would be too distant for students in the north and west of the locality to attend. Also there are no secondary schools nearby. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school.^[47]