PARISH INFORMATION

GENERAL

POSITION/SIZE/DESCRIPTION

St. Ann, the largest parish, is centrally located on the north coast of the island. It has a land area of 1212.6 square kilometres (468.2 square miles). The most significant mineral deposit is bauxite which is located close to the surface throughout three-quarters of the parish. There are also large limestone deposits.

The Moneague Lake which varies considerably in size, is one of the few large intermittent lakes in the island. The White River flows for 27.4 kilometres and forms the boundary between St Ann and St Mary. Other rivers like the Dunns appear intermittently rising a few kilometres from the coast. The names of the main rivers are Negro, St Ann, Great, Roaring, Cave and Pedro.

The highest elevation in the parish is in the Dry Harbour Mountains at 762 metres above sea level. Because of its limestone formation the parish has as many as 59 caves and several sinkholes.
St. Ann is called the 'Garden Parish'.

BRIEF HISTORY

St. Ann is one of the oldest populated areas in the island. It is believed the earliest Taino/Arawak settlements can be traced in this area as far back as 600 - 650 A.D. Because of the abundance of fresh water it was always well populated. Christopher Columbus recorded this in his diary.

Christopher Columbus first set foot on Jamaican soil in what is now the parish of St Ann at a place now called Discovery Bay. The first Spanish settlement was at Sevilla la Nueva now called Seville just to the west of St Ann's Bay. It was established by Juan de Esquivel, the first Spanish Governor of Jamaica and was the third capital established by Spain in the Americas. Sugar cane was introduced by the Spaniards who established the first sugar mill in Sevilla la Nueva before 1526. "King sugar" was to mould Jamaica's history for centuries.

After the English captured Jamaica in 1655, St Ann's Bay gradually developed as a fishing port with many warehouses, jetties and four wharves. Sugar, bananas pimento and citrus were exported and lumber, rice and other staples were imported until it was closed as a port in 1980.

Then Ocho Rios had only recently developed as a modern town and a favourite tourist destination in Jamaica. Its development began when Reynolds Jamaica Mines built a deep-water pier west of the town to ship bauxite ore which was brought there by conveyor belt over six miles from the mines. In the 1960s the St Ann Development Council began the systematic development of Ocho Rios creating a modern town.

Two bauxite companies were established in St Ann - Reynolds Bauxite Company !952 - 1984) and Kaiser Aluminium which began operations in 1953. Both companies have contributed significantly to the infrastructure in the parts of the parish where they operate as well as to community development generally.

POPULATION: 163,700 (1999)

CAPITAL: St Ann's Bay

MAJOR TOWNS: Ocho Rios, Browns Town, Runaway Bay, Claremont

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/ SOURCES OF INCOME

Bauxite: Bauxite was discovered in 1942 and by 1953 Reynolds Jamaica Mines Ltd exported bauxite ore. In that same year Kaiser Aluminium began operations. That company today is one of the country's largest single taxpayer and contributor of foreign exchange to the Jamaican Government.
Tourism: There are two distinct tourist areas in the parish - Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay. Ocho Rios ranks with Montego Bay and Negril as the three most popular tourist destinations in the island. However, it leads in cruise ship arrivals. The industry is a major employer and supports other businesses in the resort areas and parish.
Agriculture: Agriculture in on the decrease. Some farmland is being used for housing and other developments and the acreage under cultivation has decreased. The main crops are banana, coconut, pimento and vegetables. Livestock and poultry rearing are also on the decline.
Manufacture: In 1995 there were 52 registered factories which included meat and dairy products, furniture and fixtures, apparel and printing.

MAJOR HISTORICAL/CULTURAL/RECREATIONAL/ECOLOGICAL SITES

Moneague Lake: To the north east of Moneague is a low lying area which from time to time is covered with flood waters and forms a 'lake'. It is believed that the lake originates in periods of heavy rainfall from underground water which backs up and rises as the normal channels are unable to take the increased flow. Turtles and perch flourish in the lake which also attracts waterfowl.

Fern Gully: Close to Ocho Rios on the road to Moneague is a three mile long road through a canyon that was an old river bed. In about 1880 it was planted with about 200 species of fern. Succeeding hurricanes have damaged it and the fumes of passing motor vehicles are also causing damage. It still remains attractive with its banks of ferns and other plants, canopy of trees and playful filtered sunlight. Fern Gully is a National Park.

Marcus Garvey's Birthplace and Statue: The birthplace of the Rt Hon. Marcus Mosias Garvey, has been declared a national monument. It is located at St Ann's Bay and shows the youth of Jamaica that a humble beginning is not a stumbling block to greatness. The quality of Garvey's thought is enshrined in his sayings - "One God! One Aim! One Destiny!"; "Africa for the Africans at home and abroad"; "Up, up you Mighty Race. You can accomplish what you will." His ability to inspire others began to forge links between African peoples everywhere and helped to restore their innate sense of dignity and self-worth. His statue adorns the grounds of the St Ann's Parish Library.

Rio Hoe: Situated 3.2 kilometres from Moneague, Rio Hoe was one of the island's last Spanish settlements.

Columbus Park: This is situated to the west of Discovery Bay on the Queens Highway. It commemorates Columbus' visits to the island and operates as an open-air museum with sketches of Jamaican history. Kaiser funded its development.

Runaway Caves: About 3.2 kilometres east of Discovery Bay is the entrance to this system of caves and tunnels which extend for over 9.6 kilometres. Steps lead down into the chambers where floodlights reveal intriguing dripstone formations of stalagmites and stalactites. A glistening lake 120 feet down is called Green Grotto. Holes let in natural light and air. Boat trips can be taken on the lake which is clear enough for stalactites to be seen growing from the bottom. The Tainos left drawings on the walls. The Spaniards and pirates are believed to have used these caves probably as escape routes.

The Seville Great House and Heritage Park: This area represents the main stages in the development of Jamaica under the Europeans - Spanish and English. The Great House was built in 1745 on the site of the original Great House by the grandson of Richard Hemmings, the first English owner of the property. Over the years many changes have been made to the original structure. When the last owner died he arranged for the property to be given to the Government of Jamaica. It is now a museum owned by the Jamaica National Trust Commission. It explores the rich history of the Seville site.

Sevilla la Nueva (New Seville) is situated about 1.6 kilometres west of St. Anns Bay. It was the earliest Spanish settlement on the island. The statue of Columbus marks the western end of New Seville. A tour of the park is necessary to appreciate the lay out of the town where archeologists have found the sites of a fort, castle, sugar works and an unfinished church and also to appreciate how people lived in that era.

Edinburgh Castle: The ruins of this two-storey fortified house with two towers at diagonal corners, is found eight miles southwest of Claremont near the village of Pedro. It was near to the main road at that time from Spanish Town to the north coast. This 'castle' was built by a notorious Scotsman, Lewis Hutchinson, who had settled in Jamaica. His hobby was to shoot his departing guests from a loophole in the tower, and rifle the body of valuables. The story goes that he threw the corpses down a deep sinkhole nearby. However no skeletons have been found but 43 watches possibly belonging to his victims. After attempting to kill a neighbouring planter the game was up and he was caught attempting to flee the island. He was brought back and hanged in March 1773. The castle, an eighteenth century fortified house, was built similarly to that at Stokes Hall, near Golden Grove in St Thomas.

Dunns River Falls: Dunns River is part of a landscaped park area which includes the beach where the river enters the sea. The cataracts in the park are a challenge to the adventurous who can be guided up the 600 ft falls in groups holding hands for safety. It is one of Jamaica's most popular attractions.

Bob Marley Museum: This is at Nine Mile the birthplace and burial site of Bob Marley the "first Third World superstar, Rasta prophet, visionary and revolutionary artist." His humble birthplace contrasts with the splendour of his crypt sending an implicit message to young people 'Be who you were born to be'. The site is run by the Bob Marley Foundation and some of the funds generated is used to improve community facilities and advance community development at Nine Mile, a small
mountain town in the middle of a poor farming district. Another and larger museum is in Kingston.