About the Diocese of Cairns
The Diocese of Cairns is 377,000 km2 spanning from Cardwell in the south, west to the Northern Territory Border including the Atherton Tablelands, and north to the Torres Strait Islands and Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Diocese’s 30 Catholic schools and colleges provide a quality education to more than 12,000 students with their schools extending from Tully in the south, west to Dimbulah on the Atherton Tablelands, and north to Waibeni (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. About one in four school students in Far North Queensland attends a Catholic school and the diocese employs 1,800 staff making them one of, if not the largest, non-government employer in the region.
Schools are clustered around the populous centres of Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands to the west and the Innisfail/Cassowary Coast district to the south. All schools, except the diocese’s most remote schools in the Torres Strait, Weipa and Cooktown are within two hours driving time of Cairns.
Cairns Catholic Education’s 30th school, Newman Catholic College, Smithfield opened in 2022 and will grow a year level each year until in reaches Year 12 in 2027. It is the first Catholic school in Australia to be co-located with a university.
The diocese welcomed their new Bishop Most Reverend Joe Caddy AM in August 2024. He is the 8th Bishop of Cairns.
About the Cairns Convention Centre
The Cairns Convention Centre has an auditorium with seats for 2,300 delegates, an arena with 5,000 seats, additional plenary that can fit 410 delegates theatre style, 23 meeting rooms for breakouts, beautiful ballroom for 500 dinner guests, outdoor plaza, spacious lobby for pre-dinner functions and a stunning terrace with views over Trinity Inlet.
About Cairns
Experience the unparalleled natural beauty of Cairns, where spectacular reefs, ancient rainforests, rich culture, and an alfresco dining scene blend into one.
Whether it’s snorkelling through coral gardens, flying over the infinite blues or sailing to tropical islands, there’s an adventure reserved for you on the world’s largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef. Breathe in the salt air and explore via boat, snorkel, kayak, helicopter or learn to dive on this world-famous natural wonder. For a longer (and exclusive) experience, spend a night on a moored pontoon and sleep under the stars on the Outer Reef.
Ever explored a 100 million-year-old rainforest? Escape the city and explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics. A place so big in size it makes up 0.12% of Australia, it's both accessible and diverse, from the easy walk to the famous Curtain Tree Fig to the longer hike to cool off in Nandroya Falls.
Choose to cruise above the rainforest canopy on Skyrail, meet unique wildlife at Rainforestation, Kuranda Koala Gardens, or Cairns Aquarium, or visit the new Munro Martin Park and Cairns Performing Arts Precinct in the CBD.
Connect with culture through the local Indigenous people who have lived on the land for over 40,000 years. Take a guided tour, watch a traditional performance and explore new artworks at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
Source: Queensland and Events Tourism.
