Centenary Lakes by the Botanic Gardens in Edge Hill
 

A drive into the village along Collins Ave, past the Botanic Gardens, is a “must see” for visitors to Far North Queensland.

As you leave behind the traffic fumes of Captain Cook Highway and turn left towards the Gardens you will be enthralled with the rainforest view that spreads out before you along Collins Avenue. This is one of Cairns most attractive suburban vistas - a verdant tree lined Avenue with a lush overhang of tropical foliage that winds and weaves its way past the Botanic Gardens and a cornucopia of colour into the village of Edge Hill itself.

The suburb has a unique, green beauty that has been carefully harnessed and enhanced over the years by Councils past and present. Just 5 kms from the city centre Edge Hill is an attractive, leafy residential area that sits on the “edge” of Mount Whitfield adjacent to the Botanic Gardens and Centenary Lakes. Throughout the year it shows off an abundant array of exotic colours.

As well as the Flecker Botanic Gardens, which lures visitors from all over the world, Edge Hill is also blessed with a number of other attractions – both natural and cultural. These include, to mention just a few, the wonderful rainforest tracks on the Red and Blue Arrow walking trails of Mt Whitfield, the cleverly named WW2 Tanks Arts Centre and the many boardwalks and picnic spots within the Centenary Lakes precinct.

We bought our 3 storey Edge Hill home, "Bunda:raa", in 1985. It was built in the 1950's on a quarter acre block of tropical rainforest at a time when the mighty Cassowary was a common sight in the region. Today the small mound building  Bush Scrub Turkey can be seen daily in Edge Hill gardens but it is feared that the last of the region's majestic Cassowaries has long gone from the area.

It is more than a decade since I saw one of Mt Whitfield's last remaining Cassowaries while on a Blue Arrow hike up to Mt Lumley with my daughter. It was a sight to behold. Sadly though today's rumors of its demise are not exaggerated.

While a modern built environment has gradually invaded this once rural suburb of Cairns much of Edge Hill's original architecture remains unchanged. Our home, Bunda:raa (meaning cassowary in Djabugay), is just one of many character homes that have remained essentially unchanged over the years and that help bring charm and atmosphere to this lovely, leafy suburb.

Bunda:raa in Old Edge Hill at the base of Mt Whitfield
 

The business centre of Edge Hill, at the end of Collins Avenue, has succeeded in retaining the convenience of its wide range of neighbourhood goods and services without losing any of its original charm and leafy ambience.

Collins Avenue itself abounds with a variety of shops and cafes, with the centre of the village now recognized as one of Cairns most popular café strips for locals and business people throughout the region.

The suburb's population (less than 4,000) and demographics include young and less young families, as well as business professionals and retired couples. Child Care and Primary and Secondary Schools plus a full range of medical services are within a few minutes drive – as is the airport, a swimming pool, private and public hospitals and all the attractions that Cairns City and the Esplanade have to offer for children and adults.

If you like to exercise you have the Red and Blue Arrow walking trails of Mounts Whitfield and Lumley right on your doorstep. You can even walk into the city in less than hour - meandering along the boardwalk through the scenic Centenary Lakes and across the Highway onto Cairns stunning Esplanade Boardwalk - all the way into the centre of town.            

Or you can drive there in 10 to 15 minutes without any big city congestion. Or, if you’re environmentally conscious and don’t want to worry about parking, you can catch one of Cairns distinctive blue Sunbuses that will take you from Edge Hill or the Botanic Gardens into Lake Street in the city centre.

Edge Hill’s published median sales price for May 2010 was $660,000. The suburb has however recorded a number of much higher sales having reached the $1m mark quite some years ago. These higher prices, vis a vis Cairns general median sales price, reflect the suburb’s enduring popularity and the fact that it has long been established as a lovely place to live.

Cathy Burrow August 2010