1606

• William Janz in the Duyfken made contact with the Wik people at Cape Keer-weer - the first recorded landing of white men.⁽³⁾⁽⁸⁾

1770

• Jun 11:- Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour struck a reef north of Cape Tribulation. The ship was lightened by throwing overboard 6 brass cannons, ballast and stores.⁽³⁾
• Jun 18:- Captain James Cook and 87 men began repairs to The Endeavour at what was to become Cooktown. He named the Endeavour River.⁽³⁾
• Aug 5:- After 48 days stay, Cook & crew departed.⁽³⁾
• Aug 22:- Cook flew the "Union Jack" on Possession Island to claim New South Wales (Eastern Australia) for Great Britian.⁽³⁾ 

1789

• Captain William Bligh & 17 men from the Bounty landed at Restoration Island.⁽³⁾

1791

• Convict, Mary Bryant & her husband escaped from Sydney and travelled to Timor.⁽³⁾

1819

• Jun 28:- Capt. Phillip Parker King, having lost a boat at Cape Tribulation, landed at the Endeavour River in the 87 ton HMS Mermaid, to complete the building of a boat.⁽³⁾ 
• Jul 11:- After having constructed the first boat built at Cooktown, King weighed anchor.⁽³⁾

1820

• Jul 27:- King and Cunningham returned with master's mate, J. S. Roe, in the Mermaid to survey the Endeavour River.⁽³⁾
• Aug 2:- Botanist Allan Cunningham (part of King's party) climbed and named Mount Cook.⁽³⁾
• Aug 5:- King's party left the Endeavour River.⁽³⁾

1821

• Jun 20:- King and Cunningham returned to Lizard Island in the 170-ton brig, Bathurst.⁽³⁾

1824

• Sep 24:- Lieutenant Oxley founded Penal settlement at Redcliffe in Moreton Bay.

1843

• Jun 4:- Captain F. P. Blackwood in HMS Fly & Lieut. C. B. Yule in Bramble continued to survey. The expedition's naturalist, J. Beete Jukes, landed at the Endeavour River but did not stay long.

1848

• May:- Edmund B. C. Kennedy landed at Rockingham Bay to head North to the Cape.⁽³⁾

1859

• Dec 10:- Queensland became a separate colony.⁽³⁾

1861

• The town of Bowen was founded.⁽³⁾

1863

• John Jardine, police magistrate at Rockhampton, was sent to establish Somerset, on Cape York.⁽³⁾

1864

• Frank & Alick Jardine travelled the western side of Cape York to establish a cattle station at Somerset.⁽³⁾
• John Jardine was appointed as Government Resident at Somerset.⁽⁸⁾

1867

• Sep:- James Nash discovered Gold at what became Gympie.⁽⁴⁾

1870

• Georgetown was named after its first warden, Howard St. George.⁽³⁾

1871

• May:- The "blackbirding" schooner, Black Dog, was wrecked on the Endeavour bar.⁽³⁾

1872

• Jan:- Goldrush to Ravenswood & Charters Towers.
• Jun 26:- William Hann, Thomas Tate, Norman Taylor, Frederick Warner, Thomas Stewart, William Nation and Jerry set out from Ezra Firth's Fossilbrook Station on a Cape York expedition.⁽³⁾
• Aug 6:- Warner, from Hann's expedition, panned gold at the Palmer River.⁽³⁾
• Aug 16:- Hann's expedition found more gold on the North Palmer River.⁽³⁾
• Captain John Moresby, attempting to police the coast for "blackbirding" of Pacific Islanders, landed at the Endeavour in the 1031 ton paddle steamer cruiser, HMS Basilisk.⁽³⁾

1873

• Sep 3:- James Venture Mulligan reported his Palmer River gold discovery, at Georgetown. Within a few days he led the first party of diggers to the field.⁽³⁾
• Oct 24:- George Elphinstone Dalrymple landed to investigate a possible Port for the goldfield.
• Oct 25:- Capt Saunders in the Leichardt landed a hundred diggers, government officials, horses, drays, stores, and building materials to establish the new port of Cook's Town.
• Nov:- A. C. Macmillan & Howard St. George led an overland party of 90 diggers to the Palmer goldfield.
• Maytown became the "capital" of the Palmer goldfield. 
• Oct:- Local Aborigines numbered about 1000 - by 1897 there were about 100.⁽³⁾
• Dec:- The gold escort took 5058oz. gold from the Palmer to Georgetown.⁽³⁾
• Dec 26:- Sub-Inspector Alexander Douglas arrived in the steamer Boomerang, to find a shorter route to the Palmer. The "road" he found was the Hell's Gate track, suitable only for packhorses and swagmen. and very dangerous.

1874

• Jan 24:- Douglas advised he had marked a tree-line route through Hell's Gate.⁽¹⁾
• Feb:- Severe floods. Many died caught between the Normanby and Laurie rivers.⁽³⁾
• Feb 24:- About 1000 persons in Cooktown.⁽¹⁾
• Mar:- 500 tents at Cooktown, including businesses. See Extract from the Town and Country.⁽³⁾
• Apr:- The first Cooktown Newspaper the "Courier" was founded by James Smith Read.⁽³⁾
• Apr:- 65 Hotel licences were issued in this month alone.⁽³⁾
• Apr:- John Hogsfleisch ran packhorse mailrun Cooktown - Palmer
• Apr:- First wagons arrived in Cooktown - 2 bullock teams & 1 horse team.⁽¹⁾
• May:- Cooktown's first wedding: William Jonas (Billy) Webb to Rose Till, officiated by the Anglican minister who arrived in the S.S. Leichardt.
• May:- J. V. Mulligan and his men fought off the Aborigines at the "Battle of Round Mountain" on the Palmer.⁽³⁾
• May:- Sub-Inspector Clohesy's heavily armed gold escort was attacked by aborigines at Laura River.
• May:- Reid surveyed Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• Jun 1:- Cook's Town officially renamed Cooktown.
• Jun:- The first chinese from Hong Kong & Canton arrived, and flooded to the Palmer goldfields.
• Jun:- Gold discovered all along Sandy Creek, one of the Palmer Golden Gullies.
• Jun 8:- Michael Flood arrived at Palmerville, the first teamster on the Cooktown to Palmer Road. ⁽¹⁾
• Jul:- Edwardstown Camp (named after Jack Edwards) was renamed Maytown by Warden Philip F. Sellheim.⁽³⁾
• Aug:- Gold discovered in Oakey Creek, one of the Palmer Golden Gullies.
• Oct:- Gold discovered on the West Normanby by Rory, McLean, King, Hedley & Turner.⁽¹⁾
• 94 Hotels.⁽³⁾ (At its peak of "the Roaring Days" there were 24 restaurants, 12 large general stores, scores of small shops, 5 bakers, 6 butchers, 4 tentmakers, 7 blacksmiths, 4 wheelwrights, 3 saddlers, 3 chemists, 4 doctors, 3 banks, 2 newspapers⁽³⁾, 86 gambling houses, scores of brothels.)
• Roman Catholic church built.⁽³⁾
• The original Sovereign Hotel was built, and was one of the first double storey buildings in Cooktown. Partially destroyed during the cyclone of 1949 it attracted the nickname "The Half Sovereign".⁽¹⁰⁾
• The West Coast Hotel was built.⁽¹⁰⁾
• The Powder Magazine was built, believed to be the oldest brick building in Cape York.⁽¹⁰⁾
• Cooktown Fire destroyed a hotel and 4 shops.⁽³⁾
• Sub-Insp. Douglas moved Native Mounted Police Camp from Eight Mile (outside Cooktown) to Puckley Creek.
• About 22,000 Chinese on Palmer Goldfield.⁽¹⁾
• Cooktown listed as Queensland's Third busiest Port ⁽¹⁾
• Dalrymple set out from Cardwell in the "Flying Fish" and the "Coquette", discovering many streams and rivers, including the Johnstone River and Mourilyan Harbour.⁽⁴⁾

1875

• Jan 25:- The Cooktown State School opened with Ben Matthews the first head teacher.⁽³⁾
• Apr 29:- James Venture Mulligan, with Frederick Warner, James Dowdall, William Harvey, Peter Abelson, Jack Moran and Charlie, set out from Cooktown exploring inland from the future city of Cairns.
• Jul:- The Cooktown Anglican church was built.⁽³⁾
• Oct 23:- After being back in Cooktown only four weeks, Mulligan set out to find further goldfields south west of Cooktown.
• Fire destroyed John Walsh's Free Trade Stores, other shops & a hotel.⁽³⁾
• The Cooktown Fire Brigade was established after the above fire.⁽³⁾
• W. H. L. Bailey founded the "Cooktown Herald and Palmer River Advertiser and General Intellingencer for North Queensland".⁽³⁾
• 7000 miner's rights were issued to Chinese on the Palmer.⁽³⁾

1876

• Mar:- A trooper rode 70 miles overnight from Byerstown to Cooktown, and announced Mulligan's gold find on the Hodgkinson River.⁽³⁾
• Jul:- Cooktown connected to Brisbane by Overland Telegraph Line.⁽³⁾ The Post & Telegraph Office built, was taken over by the Cook Council in 1893.⁽¹⁰⁾
• Coen first prospected (by Lakeland) and alluvial gold discovered.
• Chinese population of Palmer goldfields reached 17,000 when there was a renewed rush to Lukinville, down the river from Palmerville.
• Oct 6:- Cooktown was proclaimed a Municipality with John Walsh the first Mayor.⁽³⁾

1877

• William Lakeland & Robert Sefton blazed the first track from Laura to the Coen.⁽³⁾
• Feb:- Provisional School opened in Maytown with 25 pupils.⁽¹⁾
• The Chinese population on the Palmer Goldfield was 17,000, compared to the total white population from Mackay north of 17,042.⁽³⁾
• $2,670,000 worth of gold was exported from Cooktown.⁽³⁾

1878

• Cooktown became the base for beche-de-mer industry; 30 boats 450 men.⁽³⁾
• Jan:- Cooktown Herald announced the Coen Goldfind by Sefton, starting another rush.
• 8,000 Chinese were in the Lukinville goldrush, below Palmerville.⁽³⁾
• $1,282,000 worth of gold was exported from Cooktown.⁽³⁾

1879

• The Cooktown-Laura Railway was surveyed.
• Aug 15:- Dr Robert Logan Jack led an expedition to the north returning Oct 3. They found gold on the Starcke, and the head of the Archer.⁽³⁾
• Nov 11:- The Daintree Divisional Board (forerunner of the Cook Shire) was constituted. Population was 4226 excluding aborigines and the Municipality of Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• Nov:- Maytown became the headquarters of the Hann Divisional Board (Shire) embracing most of Cape York Peninsula.⁽³⁾
• Nov 26:- Robert Logan Jack led an expedition further north than the first trip. They found gold in the Pascoe and Batavia.⁽³⁾
• $665,000 worth of gold was exported from Cooktown.⁽³⁾

1880

• The number of Hotels in Cooktown had shrunk to 24.⁽³⁾
• Cooktown Harbour earned $104,000 compared to Cairns with $2,740.⁽³⁾
• Cooktown became the first port of call in Australia for the British India mail steamers sailing via Torres Strait from London to Brisbane.⁽³⁾
• Public hospital was built in Maytown.⁽³⁾
• The Comet mine, north of Maytown was opened, with machinery being transported by bullock wagon from Cooktown.⁽¹⁾
• Inspector O'Connor and Native Troopers from the Laura native Mounted Police Camp were sent to Victoria to help track down the Kelly Gang.⁽³⁾
• Seagren's Store was built by P.E. Seagren.⁽¹⁰⁾
• Jan:- Cooktown received 1289mm of Rain.⁽³⁾
• Jan 17:- Marriage of William Millar to Mary Ann Lovell officiated by Rev. Richard Hosken, C of E. Witnesses were Robert Gilmore Irvine and Harriet Elizabeth Irvine.
• May 30:- Marriage of R. F. Watson to Mary Beatrice Phillips (Mrs Watson of Lizard Island) at Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• Nov:- Fire destroyed Power, Thomas & Madden's Emporium.
• Nov:- Rev. Richard Hosken, the first Anglican clergyman to visit Maytown, attended to seventeen christenings and one wedding.

1881

• Sep 27: Aborigines attacked Mary Watson, her baby and two chinese servants on Lizard Island.⁽³⁾

1882

• The Cooktown-Maytown Railway was surveyed.⁽¹⁾
• The town of Maytown was finally surveyed by Alfred Starcke.⁽³⁾
• Jan 19:- The remains of Mrs Watson from Lizard Island were discovered.
• Jan 28:- The "Queenslander" stated Cobb & Co's coaches left Cooktown every Saturday at 8am & left Maytown on the return journey on Tuesdays at 10am. They arrived in Cooktown on Thursdays at 6am.
• Jan 29:- Town funeral for Mrs Watson, her baby, and servant was conducted by Rev. Hosken in the Anglican Church. About 650 attended.⁽³⁾
• Aug 9:- Birth of Edith Matilda Millar.

1883

• Jun 9:- John R. Bradford set out from Cooktown to survey the Overland Telegraph route to the Cape.⁽³⁾
• Aug 29:- Bradford's Telegraph surveying expedition reached Somerset.⁽³⁾
• Nov 6:- Clara Woodhouse arrived at Cooktown from Tring, England, on the "Duke of Bucclench".

1884

• Cooktown Population: 2200 including Chinese.^(?)
• The Cooktown population reached a peak of 30,000⁽⁸⁾
• Apr 4:- First sod of Cooktown-Laura Railway was turned by the Mayor, Edward D'Arcy. 400 men worked on its construction.
• Jul:- Work commenced on the Cape Overland Telegraph Line.
• The Roman Catholic Augustinians commenced pastoral work at Cooktown.⁽⁴⁾

1885

• William Lakeland & Oddy established a Cooktown brewery.
• Both earlier newspapers were replaced by the "Cooktown Independent and Northern Sun".⁽³⁾
• The Annan River bridge was built.
• John Embley, a Licensed Surveyor attached to the Queensland Department of Lands, surveyed an area to make York Downs his headquarters. From there he conducted surveys on the Peninsula for twenty years, setting the boundaries of many pastoral leases.⁽⁸⁾
• The Daintree Divisional Board Council Hall was built (now the Cooktown RSL Club).⁽¹⁰⁾
• Feb:- A curfew was placed on Aborigines, banning them from Town after dark.
• Nov 30:- Cooktown-Laura Railway was opened to Palmer Road.⁽³⁾
• The Cooktown Railway Station was built in Adelaide Street and it served as ticket & booking office, waiting room and station master's residence.⁽¹⁰⁾

1886

• Lutheran Pastor Georg Henri Schwarz established Cape Bedford Mission.⁽¹⁾
• A Quarantine Station was established at the foot of Mt Saunders, after cholera was found on one of the immigrant ships. ⁽³⁾
• Normanby Goldfield: Hotel & Store; 40 Men, 7 Females, 10 Children, 40 Chinese.⁽¹⁾
• The Jackey Jackey Store was built by Joseph Neuman, and as a general store with living quarters, it was part of a flourishing trade between New Guinea, Cooktown & southern markets.⁽¹⁰⁾
• The Bank of North Queensland was built.⁽¹⁰⁾
• The Queensland National Bank was built. The building was sold to the Bank of New South Wales in 1935 for 250 pounds. It still retains the original red cedar counters and its original set of gold scales used during the Palmer Gold Rush.⁽¹⁰⁾
• Oct 15:- The Cape Overland Telegraph Line was completed.

1887

• Cooktown Population: 3000 including 500 Chinese.
• Jul 30:- Marriage of William Stewart Leslie to Sarah Jane Clark Innes officiated by Rev. Thomas Taylor, C of E. Witnesses were Nora Cronan and Charlotte Taylor.
• Sep 1:- Governor of Qld, Sir Anthony Musgrave, laid foundation stone for the Captain Cook Monument.⁽³⁾
• The Working Men's Progress Association offered a £300 reward for the recovery of Cook's cannons.⁽³⁾
• Captain John Mackay, in the schooner, Governor Cairns, searched for the sunken guns from the Endeavour, but was unable to locate them.⁽³⁾
• A gold reef, the Wilson, was found at Coen.⁽³⁾
• The Post Office was constructed (still standing in 2003).⁽¹⁰⁾

1888

• Jul 4:- Marriage of William Russell to Elizabeth Milward officiated by Rev. Alma Horrard, C of E. Witnesses were Christian Thompson and Elizabeth Jane Owen.
• Oct 8:- The final section of the Cooktown-Laura railway was opened.⁽³⁾
• Oct 18:- The old Cooktown-Laura Telegraph line was replaced by a new alongside the Laura Railway.⁽²⁾
• Dec 21:- Birth of Millicent Grace Millar.

1889

• Governor of Queensland, Sir Henry Wylie Norman, visited Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• An 1803 vintage cannon was installed to protect against a possible Russian fleet attack.⁽³⁾
• May:- St. Mary's Convent & boarding school was opened by Bishop Hutchinson.⁽³⁾
• Jul 7:- Birth of William Stewart Leslie, Mrs Woodward attending.
• Sep 10:- Racecourse trips were started on the Cooktown-Laura Railway.
• Oct 11:- Loyal Orange Order held a Tea & Coffee event to raise funds for the Lodge Hall, as recorded in the minutes of the September 28th Meeting.

1890

• The Laura River Rail bridge was constructed.⁽³⁾
• The railway to Palmerville and Maytown was surveyed.⁽³⁾
• Feb 28:- The "Quetta" struck an uncharted rock off Cape York and sank. 133 of the 291 on board, drowned.⁽³⁾
• Aug 22:- Maritime 4-day strike by seaman of the Arrawatta.
• Dec 5:- Birth of Elizabeth Jane Russell, Mrs Owen attending.

1891

• Cairns-Kuranda Railway reached Myola.
• Mapoon Mission was established.⁽³⁾

1892

• Probable date when the Hell's Gate bridle path was last used to transport goods.⁽¹⁾
• Oct:- William Baird discovered alluvial gold on Retreat Creek near the Batavia (Wenlock) River.⁽³⁾
• Billy and Jess Webb found payable gold on the McIvor River which they called Cocoa Creek.⁽³⁾
• It was decided not to build the Cooktown-Laura Railway line beyond Laura.⁽³⁾

1893

• Cairns-Kuranda Railway reached Granite Creek (Mareeba).
• The Great Northern reef was discovered at Coen, establishing the township of Coen.⁽³⁾

1895

• Coen population was 367.⁽³⁾

1897

• Catholic Bishop Hutchinson died.
• Cooktown Population about 2900. (cf. Cairns 2500).

1898

• Weipa Mission was established by the Presbyterian Church.⁽³⁾

1899

• Mar 4:- Cyclone Mahina destroyed the Pearling Fleet at Bathurst Bay (Princess Charlotte Bay), killing 306.It was accompanied by a 12 metre tidal wave which reached up to 5 kilometres inland. ^(1)(2)(3)(7) Barometer read at 914 hPa in the eye. 307 known fatalities (295 Asian and Island origin and 12 European origin). Additionally about  100 Aborigines were swept out to sea or killed by widespread falling trees in Forest country. 55 schooners or other large vessels were lost. 55 luggers were lost and 12 badly damaged. 42 other vessels were wrecked and 12 badly damaged. There was a huge storm surge of 14.6 m on Barrow Point. On Flinders Island porpoises were found 15.2 m up on the cliffs.⁽¹²⁾
• Cooktown Post Office had a staff of nine.⁽³⁾
• John Dickie found gold at Ebagoolah.⁽³⁾
• -1902 Boer War

1900

• Nov:- There were 350 men and 50 women and children on the Ebagoolah Goldfields.⁽³⁾

1901

• Cairns-Kuranda Railway reached Atherton.

1903

• Jan 31:- The Cooktown-Laura railway was closed by the government.⁽³⁾ (19 Maintenance staff)
• Sep 14:- [or Jul⁽³⁾] Town council leased the Cooktown-Laura Railway. (1 ganger, 5 labourers)

1904

• William Stewart Leslie worked for Summerhayes & Co. Butchers.
• Jul 1:- The government again took over the Cooktown-Laura Railway.⁽³⁾ (4 maintenance staff).
• Aurukun Mission was established by the Presbyterian Church.⁽³⁾

1907

• Jan 19:- Cyclone crossed the coast just north of Cooktown. There were 9 deaths⁽¹²⁾ and widespread destruction was caused, but most of the business premises were rebuilt. The toll included the Masonic Lodge, the Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, John Clunn & Sons store. 10 hotels lost their balcony roofs. Railway had numerous washaways - with only 6 maintenance staff.
• Feb:- Schooner the Papuan blew up in Cooktown harbour.

1908

• Jan 6:- Marriage of Herbert (Harbord) John Colman to Edith Matilda Millar.

1909

• Nov:- Sarah Jane Clark Leslie [nee Innes] died.

1910

• Cooktown-Laura Railway had 10 maintenance staff.

1911

• Last family left Groganville which became a ghost-town.
• Jun:- Death of Mary Anne Millar [nee Lovell].

1912

• May 30:- Marriage of William Stewart Leslie to Elizabeth Jane Russell by James Brown in the Christ Church C of E. Witnesses were Frederick Herepath and William Russell.
• Jul 7:- John Summerhayes of Summerhayes & Co. Butchers, William Leslie's employer, died.

1914

• Cooktown Population: 1250; Railway employed OIC, Clerk, gatekeeper, 2 gangers, 2 fettlers, 2 labourers, bridge carpenter, assnt labourer, fitter/driver, fireman.
• Coastal Radio stations established at Cooktown and T.I. & connected to the Telegraph Network.⁽²⁾
• With the outbreak of WWI, Cooktown was no longer a port of call for overseas vessels.⁽³⁾

1916

• The first Railmotor "Captain Cook" ran on the Cooktown-Laura line.⁽³⁾

1919

• Jan 18:- The Hann Shire and Daintree Shire amalgamated to form the Cook Shire, then the largest local authority in Queensland.⁽³⁾
• Feb 2:- Disastrous Fire in Cooktown destroyed a whole block, including the Federal Hall, Anderson's Shop, Burns Philp & Co., New Guinea Hotel, Westcott's Hall, and Westcott's Bakery and Restaurant.⁽³⁾
• Frank Jardine died at Somerset.⁽³⁾ 

1921

• Apr 21:- Tropical Cyclone crossed Cape York. Sank two boats and dismasted others in Princess Charlotte Bay area. Heavy floods.⁽¹²⁾

1923

• Mar 28:- Tropical Cyclone crossed Cape York and became very severe in Gulf.⁽¹²⁾

1924

• May 21:- Cooktown Band Benefit Concert was held.
• Apr:- Goble and McIntyre, in the first round-Australia flight, landed on the Cooktown racecourse.⁽³⁾

1928

• Feb 26:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast near Mossman. Damage to Buildings at Cooktown and cane crops at Mossman.⁽¹²⁾
• Hector MacQuarrie, in a Baby Austin, was the first to drive a motor vehicle to Cape York.⁽³⁾

1929

• Feb 29:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast near Mossman and recurved down the coast. Ship disabled and widespread disastrous floods. 6 people drowned.⁽¹²⁾
• The Municipality of Cooktown was abolished and absorbed into the Cook Shire.⁽³⁾

1930

• Jan 20:- Tropical Cyclone crossed coast near Mossman. Widespread disastrous flooding with, and following the cyclone over a large part of the state. Six drowning fatalities. Stock losses in thousands.⁽¹²⁾

1931

• Italian airmen, one being the Count de Pinedo, landed their seaplane on the Endeavour River.⁽³⁾

1933

• Gold was discovered at Packer's Creek.⁽³⁾
• The Cook Highway from Mossman to Cairns was opened.

1934

• Mar 12:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast near Cape Tribulation with a 9.1 m storm surge at nearby Bailey Creek destroying banana plantations. There was a 1.8 m storm surge at Pt Douglas. Widespread damage to buildings in the Mossman and Pt Douglas area and landslides blocked roads. Widespread severe flooding in N Qld. At sea many luggers and 75 lives lost . ⁽¹²⁾ The Cyclone destroyed the pearling and beche-de-mer fleets caught between Cooktown and Port Douglas.⁽³⁾
• Oct:- Tommy McDonald flew the first airmail between Cairns and Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• Jack Gordon opened up the Iron Range field (Claudie River Goldfield).⁽³⁾
• Sidney Marshall made the first flight from New Guinea (Port Moresby) to Australia (Cooktown).⁽³⁾

1936

• Tommy McDonald established North Queensland Airways.⁽³⁾

1937

• An 800ft jetty was built at Portland Roads.⁽³⁾

1938

• The main township on the Batavia Goldfield was officially named Wenlock.⁽³⁾

1940

• Mar 06:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast north of Cooktown. Flooding in Northern Interior.⁽¹²⁾
• Mar 23:- Tropical Cyclone crossed Cape York Peninsula. Flooding in Gulf Country and Far North Coast.⁽¹²⁾
• The Population of Iron Range was about 60.⁽³⁾

1941

• Dec 7:- Japan entered the Second World War, and evacuation of Cape York was ordered.⁽³⁾
• Dec 8:- Australia Declared war on Japan.⁽¹³⁾
• The Roman Catholic Vicariate of Cooktown became the Diocese of Cairns.⁽⁵⁾

1942

• Mar 14:- First of nine Japanese air raids on Horn Island, Torres Strait.⁽¹³⁾
• Jul 31:- Japanese air raid near Mossman - child injured.⁽¹³⁾

1943

• Jun 18:- Last Japanese air raid on Horn Island.⁽¹³⁾
• Dec 16:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast at Princess Charlotte Bay causing gales and shipping delays. ⁽¹²⁾

1945

• Jan 31:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast near Cooktown.⁽¹²⁾ 
• Mar 18:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast south of Cooktown. Before landfall a ship reported a pressure of 978 hPa and 80 knot winds. Shipping damage included the wrecking of a freighter and a ketch with much loss of life. Widespread floods in North Queensland.⁽¹²⁾

1947

• Cairns Aerial Ambulance commenced.⁽³⁾

1948

• Jan 07:- Tropical Cyclone moved towards SE across Cape York with heavy floods between Cooktown and Cardwell. Structural damage on Thursday Island and possible devastating storm surge Saibai Island.⁽¹²⁾

1949

• Feb 10:- Tropical Cyclone crossed the coast North of Cooktown with wind estimated at 80 knots resulting in extensive structural damage. Widespread floods in North Queensland.⁽¹²⁾ The Cyclone severely battered Cooktown; the Great Northern Hotel was badly damaged and had to be demolished, the Methodist Church and Parsonage were destroyed; the leading store was destroyed; the wharf sheds were destroyed.⁽³⁾ 

1950

• Jan 15:- Tropical Cyclone recurved near Cooktown with gales and floods in most coastal districts.⁽¹²⁾
• The last residents of Maytown, the Parsons family, left.⁽³⁾

1956

• The Weipa bauxite deposit was recognized by geologist, Harry Evans.⁽³⁾

1958

• Aug 15:- The Australian Inland Mission Hospital and Childrens Hostel at Coen was officially opened.⁽¹⁴⁾

1959

• Nov 19:- The Cooktown Orchid was proclaimed the Floral Emblem of Queensland.⁽¹¹⁾
• After investigation, the Cook Shire Council was dissolved and an Administrator put in place.⁽³⁾
• The first road train was used to take cattle out of Cape York Peninsula. Previously, cattle had to be driven on the hoof to Mareeba.⁽³⁾

1960

• First trial shipment of bauxite from Weipa to Japan.⁽³⁾

1961

• The Cook Shire population was 1885 in 50,000 square miles.⁽³⁾

1962

• Weipa port opened by Comalco.⁽³⁾

1966

• Headquarters of the Anglican Carpentaria Aerial Mission was moved to Cooktown.⁽³⁾
• The second attempt to raise Cook's cannons was unsuccessful.⁽³⁾

1967

• The third attempt to raise Cook's cannons was unsuccessful.⁽³⁾

1968

• The forth attempt to raise Cook's cannons was unsuccessful.⁽³⁾

1969

• Jan:- Four of the guns from the Endeavour were recovered by an expedition from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences led by V. Kaufmann.⁽³⁾
• Jan:- It was decided to sell the Cooktown Roman Catholic St Mary's convent for demolition, but public outcry caused it to be restored as the James Cook Museum.⁽³⁾
• Cairns seaman, Vince Vlasoff, successfully raised 2 of Cook's cannon.⁽³⁾

1970

• Apr 22:- The James Cook Museum in Cooktown was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.⁽³⁾

1973

• Mar 04:- Tropical Cyclone Madge crossed the coast just north of Cooktown. The only impact from the cyclone was flooding and the road from Cooktown to the aerodrome was 1.8 m under water. The Bruce Highway was cut in 6 places between Townsville and Cairns.⁽¹²⁾

1975

• After 52 years service, the weekly mail launch from Cairns to Cooktown, ceased operation.⁽³⁾

1976

• Feb 01:- Tropical Cyclone Alan crossed the NQ coast near Bloomfield R Mission and caused no structural damage.⁽¹²⁾

1979

• Jan 11:- Tropical Cyclone Greta moved from the Gulf and then crossed Princess Charlotte Bay before making landfall again. The only impact was flood rains over Northern Cape York Peninsula.⁽¹²⁾

1981

• Feb 10:- Tropical Cyclone Eddie crossed the coast at Princess Charlotte Bay with only minor impact. Cooktown had a 0.64m storm surge. There was minor flooding.⁽¹²⁾

1985

• Apr 01:- Tropical Cyclone Tanya crossed the Peninsula Coast near Coen. Minor damage to vegetation.⁽¹²⁾

1986

• The Cape York Telegraph line was replaced by Microwave towers.⁽³⁾

1990

• Mar 19:- Tropical Cyclone Ivor crossed the coast near Princess Charlotte Bay as it was weakening.  There was some structural damage to sheds and light damage to the main buildings in Coen. There was evidence of a tornado track from a swath of damaged trees 100m wide extending as far as the eye could see 40 km south of Coen. The cyclone retained its identity as a monsoonal low and moved through the eastern Gulf and back down the east coast with heavy rain south of its centre.⁽¹²⁾

1991

• Population of the Cook Shire was 7489.⁽⁶⁾

1996

• Mar 12:- Tropical Cyclone Ethel moved across Cape York from the Gulf and then turned rapidly back towards the east coast of Cape York Peninsula and then intensified again before making  landfall near Cape Melville. Many vessels were sheltering in nearby Princess Charlotte Bay and maximum sustained winds of up to 50 60 knots were reported.⁽¹²⁾
• Population of the Cook Shire was 8014.⁽⁶⁾

2001

• Population of the Cook Shire was 8464.⁽⁶⁾