The Temple is part of a complex featuring a Chinese museum with interactive displays of Atherton’s Chinese heritage and a prized collection of original artefacts and historic photographs of the once bustling precinct. The Chinatown grounds host regular markets and food festivals. AGRICULTU RE The rich basalt soils of the Atherton Tablelands yield an amazing range of produce. Around the Atherton area small to large farming enterprises produce lettuce, strawberries, macadamia nuts, bananas, beans, WATCH VIDEO maize, corn, sugar cane and avocados. Sample these at roadside stalls and take away a memory of the taste of farm fresh produce. LOCAL FARM FRESH PRODUCE ACCOMMODATI ON Atherton has always featured as a service centre and a This region, in which the Atherton Tablelands is heart and centre, is known as stopover point for travellers. Today, Tropical North Queensland’s food bowl. Stretching from Julatten and Kuranda the Trans North transport service in the north, west to Chillagoe and south to Ravenshoe and Mt Garnet, the provides linkages between Atherton, landscapes change from the soothing green of rainforest country through to Kuranda and Cairns all the way to the starker, drier hues of the outback. Karumba via Undara. Visitors can enjoy Agriculture and horticulture combined are the largest contributors to the comfortable accommodation at the regional economy, with a gross production value of more than $500 million Atherton Holiday Park or Halloran’s annually. Leisure Park. Mangoes, bananas, avocados, strawberries, macadamia nuts, dairy products, DINING O UT The Atherton International lychees, potatoes, pumpkins, aquaculture, beef, flowers, longans, hay, eggs, Club is open seven days for lunch and peanuts, vegetables, tea, coffee, table grapes, blueberries, melons, tea-tree dinner and is a great place to enjoy a products, passionfruit and honey are just some of the produce found here. buffet meal, steak, fish and chips and Look for produce and preserves at roadside stalls, direct from the farmer. other Aussie favourites. ATHERTON’S HISTORY ROOTED IN TIMBER AND TIN Back in the days of the pioneers, The Cobb & Co ran a coach service up Atherton was a key stop along the and over the Great Dividing Range. Mulligan Highway connecting the The road was named after James seaside town of Port Douglas to Venture Mulligan, as was the nearby the newly worked tin deposits at Mount Mulligan. An adventurer and Herberton. prospector, Mulligan was responsible The highway passed through the for finding many of the North present Main Street of Atherton, Queensland mining fields. which was then known as Prior’s John Atherton was another colourful Pocket. Bullock teams hauled local. A pioneer grazier and supplies up to Herberton and ore adventurer who lent his name to the back to Port Douglas. town and the region, Atherton first The route also opened up the area discovered tin while prospecting in to logging of magnificent rainforest 1879, naming the site Tinaroo Creek, timbers. now the site of Tinaroo Dam. 24 www.athertontablelands.com.au