Mackay was founded on the Yuibera traditional lands and is shrouded in a rich abundance of Australian history. The famous explorer, Captain James Cook, was the first European to reach the Mackay coastline, on the 1st of June, 1770. Before leaving the coast, Captain Cook recorded brief aboriginal sightings and named local landmarks including Cape Palmerston, Point Slade and Cape Hillsborough. Although many sailed through the Mackay waters, the district was not settled by Europeans until 1862.

A party of eight explorers left Armidale, New South Wales in early 1860 to claim the Mackay land. In May, six of the men reached the top of the range overlooking Mackay and descended into the Pioneer Valley to explore the land. Naming the area after the party member, Captain John Mackay, and claiming a piece of land for themselves, the men then returned to civilisation. In 1862, Captain Mackay returned to the district with a sum of 1200 cattle and founded Greenmount Station. Before leaving the region, the born explorer, Captain Mackay, also founded the Port of Mackay.

Months later, Mackay’s early pioneers brought sugar cane to the area, which lead to the expansion of the towns’ population, defining feature of the landscape and a major source of the districts economical foundation. Although Mackay is historically known for its sugar cane farming, in recent year’s coal mining, beef and tourism have also been important revenue earners.

If you’re visiting Mackay and interested in the history of the region, its past can be discovered by following the popular Heritage Walk. The walk takes participants past the local hotel which was built in 1889, the Police Station, the Court House and the Commonwealth Bank which are all listed with the National Trust and boast over a century worth of history.