smithfield was first established in 1876, and was a rival for dominance of the area to cairns at that time. it was named in honour of prospector and explorer, william "bill" smith, who had a camp at this place. on boxing day 1877, bill smith added further notoriety to the town named after him by murdering a man and then shooting himself in the main street. after a devastating flooding of the barron river on which the settlement was situated during a cyclone, the original site was abandoned.