Ayr (and Brandon)
A small town in the heart of Queensland's sugar cane area.
Located 1287 km north of Brisbane, 88 km south of Townsville and 10 m above sea-level, Ayr is a typical thriving Central Coast town. It is a much more substantial centre than Home Hill which is effectively its twin town, lying just across the Burdekin River.

The Burdekin was first explored in the 1840s and by the 1860s Europeans had moved into the upper reaches of the valley. The coast, being marshy and difficult, was ignored and it wasn't until the 1870s that R. W. Graham of Lilliesmere and A. C. Macmillan of Airdmillan settled on the lower Burdekin and started growing sugarcane. In 1879 they decided to pool their resources to form the Burdekin Delta Sugar Company and this was sufficient for a small settlement to be formed on the northern side of the river. The town was named after the Scottish town of Ayr, the birthplace of the Queensland Premier, Thomas McIlwraith.

Today Ayr lies at the heart of one of the most productive sugarcane-growing areas in Australia. Three mills crush and process the local harvest.

Planting stalks of sugar cane near Ayr

The town is notable for its absence of interesting historical artifacts.

The bridge to the south of Ayr, known as the 'Silver Link', is over a kilometre long and since its construction in 1958 has ensured that the town has not been cut off by the floods which occur on the Burdekin most wet seasons.

Things to see:

Buildings
On the main street of Ayr is a clock tower built in 1928 in honour of John Drysdale, an important local citizen who helped to provide the town and surrounding area with a reliable fresh water supply.

There is also a National Bank, which has some strikingly ostentatious columns, and a rather beautiful and substantial courthouse in the main street with a wide brick verandah.

Brandon
Just 5 km to the north of Ayr is the tiny settlement of Brandon. It is the kind of sugar-cane town which is easily driven through without so much as a sideways glance. However, at the northern end of town there is a superb wooden Catholic church which is listed on the National Trust. It has been described as: 'a timber Gothic church with a rectangular nave and a later porch and sanctuary. The exposed stud framework is lined with chamferboard. External chamferboards act as flashing above windows and doors. The nave has timber buttresses, lancet windows and ornamental gabled decoration. This is a fine example of a timber vernacular building.' Unfortunately the church was blown off its foundations during a cyclone some years ago. The council have moved it to the far end of town and left it to slowly rot. A pity given that it is obviously a building of great historical interest and that the local area lacks buildings of importance.

Billabong Sanctuary
Click the heading above to get more detailed information on Billabong Sanctuary. This delightful animal sanctuary and theme park is the only tourist attraction in the Ingham area to be nationally accredited by the Eco tourism Association of Australia and one of the only two attractions in the Townsville - Whitsundays area to receive accreditation. It is also one of the only three of the 40 members of the Queensland Wildlife Parks Association that have been accredited.

Open every day of the year from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. it offers a comprehensive range of facilities including a billabong which is an ideal venue for picnic lunches and the Blinky Bill Cafe where snacks and meals are served. There is also an excellent gift shop.

The sanctuary is home to a bewildering array of Australian fauna including the Black swan, Cape Barron Goose, Magpie Goose, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Galah, Australian Brush Turkey, Emu, Cassowary, Kookaburra, Red Winged Parrot, Purple Crowned Lorikeet, Hooded Parrot, Masked Owl, Southern Boo-book Owl and Wedge Tailed Eagle. It has a wide range of reptiles including pythons, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, lizards, monitors, beaded dragons, taipans, death adders and turtles. The mammals in the sanctuary include Red and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Bettongs, Echidnas, Possums, Flying Foxes, Wombats, Koalas, Gliders, Quolls, Pademelons, Ring-tail Possums and Brush-tailed Phascogale.

The sanctuary's facilities include hands on exhibits for the children, a swimming pool, conducted tours of the animals, nocturnal walks, and extensive picnic and barbecue facilities. The sanctuary is proud that it doesn't acquire animals that have been captured the wild. Accredited institutions are the only source for animals, or they are bred and reared at the Sanctuary. It is also involved with a captive breeding program for the endangered Southern Cassowary.

The Sanctuary is dedicated to effective conservation of Australia's native animals through display, interpretation and education. It also reproduces some of Australia's major habitats; eucalyptus forest, rainforest and wetlands in a single location

Billabong Sanctuary is located 130 km south of Ingham and only 17 km south of Townsville (20 minutes drive) on the Bruce Highway. Click here to go to Billabong Sanctuary's website.