Cook covers the vast Cape York Peninsula north of Cairns, including the resort town of Port Douglas and the Torres Strait Islands.

They were: Cooper and Hamilton were elected,[2] but there were allegations of "ballot stuffing", specifically that there were too many votes cast at the California Gully and Halpin's Creek polling stations given the number of electors.

[6] Charles Lumley Hill won the resulting by-election on 16 September 1885.

Of the two sitting members, Hamilton contested the seat but Hill did not, saying that he was retiring from politics.

However, Hill did not retire, but instead contested the election in Port Curtis, but he was unsuccessful.