The locality is bounded to the east by the Coral Sea, to the north by the southern end of the Hinchinbrook Channel (which separates Hinchinbrook Island from mainland Queensland), to the west by the Herbert River which flows in the Seaforth Channel and then into the Hinchinbrook Channel, and to the south by Gentle Annie Creek which flows into the Coral Sea.[5]
In 1896, the Colonial Sugar Refining Company built a tramway from its Victoria sugar mill to Lucinda Point where the Queensland Government contracted the Rooney Brothers of Townsville built a storage shed and jetty. The existing harbour at Dungeness was not regarded as viable due to its shifting sandbanks.[12] The current jetty was built in 1979.[13] On Thursday 3 February 2011, the jetty suffered severe wave damage during Tropical Cyclone Yasi, but was repaired.[14]
Dungeness Provisional School opened in 1896. Due to problems with flooding, the school was moved to Lucinda Point in 1897 and in 1898 renamed as Lucinda Point Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Lucinda Point State School.[16] It was mothballed on 4 November 2008 and closed on 31 December 2008.[17] It was at 20 Patterson Parade (corner Waring Street, 18°31′50″S146°20′02″E / 18.5306°S 146.3339°E / -18.5306; 146.3339 (Lucinda Point State School (former))).[18][5] The school's website was archived.[19]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the town of Lucinda had a population of 448 people.[20]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Lucinda had a population of 406 people.[21]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Lucinda had a population of 435 people.[1]
Economy
Jetty near the shore, 2007
A sugar-exporting town, Lucinda is noted for its 5.76-kilometre (3.58 mi) long sugar jetty, which is the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere and the world's largest bulk sugar loading facility (18°31′13″S146°23′11″E / 18.5202°S 146.3863°E / -18.5202; 146.3863 (Lucinda Jetty)). Due to its length, the jetty could not be built flat but follows the curvature of the Earth creating a difference of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) between the two ends of the jetty. The jetty can accommodate Panamax-class ships and it takes 22 minutes for the sugar to travel the length of the jetty by conveyor belt. The sugar is supplied from the Victoria and Macnade sugar mills.[22][10][13]
There are no schools in Lucinda. The nearest government primary school is Halifax State School in neighbouring Halifax to the south. The nearest government secondary school is Ingham State High School in Ingham to the south-west.[5]
Amenities
Lucinda is serviced by a convenience store, the Hinchinbrook Marine Cove Resort[23] on the waterfront on Dungeness Road, the Wanderers Village Resort on Bruce Parade and a hotel on Lucinda Point Road. It is also frequently serviced by Ingham and the nearby town of Halifax. Lucinda is serviced 5 days a week by Australia Post.[citation needed]
^"Provincial Pickings". The Telegraph. No. 7, 414. Queensland, Australia. 31 July 1896. p. 6. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
