Allingham is a coastal settlement on the Herbert River flood plains, 20 km east of Ingham, in the Hinchinbrook Shire. The township was originally known as 'Forrest Beach', after George Brownrigg Forrest, manager of the Victoria Mill sugar mill (1896-1913), located outside Ingham. While this name still has considerable local currency, the title 'Allingham' came into use in later years in commemoration of the Allingham family, European pastoral pioneers of the district.
Ludwig Leichhardt's expedition skirted to the west of the area in the mid-1840s, and George Dalrymple's expedition passed through the Ingham area in 1864. Shortly afterward, Christopher Allingham was among the permanent settlers, and in 1876 he took up 'Muralambeen', a pastoral run of more than 1300 acres. A homestead, between Ingham and today's Allingham settlement, was constructed on the run in the early 1880s to fulfil Lands Department conditions of selection. Expanded over the years, Muralambeen homestead remains in the family, and appears on the Queensland heritage register. The pastoral economy was supported by cane growing.
Community agitation and the local progress association led to the establishment of Forrest Beach State School in 1980.
Allingham's coastal frontage comprises a 7 km long sandy beach at the northern end of Halifax Bay, overlooking Orpheus Island, and the Palm Island Group. A popular recreational spot, Forrest Beach has a stinger-protection enclosure for swimmers, and is patrolled by the Forrest Beach Surf Life-Saving Club, first formed in 1928. Services and amenities include a take-away/groceries shop, a hotel, motel, caravan park, surf club, beachfront park, barbeque and boat ramp facilities.
Allingham's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 911 |
| 1991 | 1040 |
| 1996 | 1130 |
| 2001 | 1158 |
| 2006 | 1136 |
| 2011 | 1233 |
The median age of Allingham's residents at the 2011 census was 46, compared with 36 for Queensland.
