[1] The former towns (now neighbourhoods) of Byerstown, Lukinville, Maytown, Palmerville and Stonyville (or Stony Creek), all dating from the 1870s-1880s gold rushes around the Palmer River, are within the locality.

The language region includes areas within the local government area of Shire of Douglas and Shire of Cook, particularly the localities of Mossman, Daintree, Bloomfield River, China Camp, Maytown, Palmer, Cape Tribulation and Wujal Wujal.

The traditional language region is Mossman River in the south to the Annan River in the north, bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east and extending inland to west of Mount Mulgrave.

The river was named on 5 August 1872 by William Hann after Arthur Hunter Palmer, then Premier of Queensland.

[1] Palmer has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: The Palmer River Goldfield Resource Reserve has old gold mines, rusting machinery, and some traces of the Maytown township for the visitor to explore.