Holloways Beach, a residential suburb, is 10 km north-west of central Cairns. It was named after a local landowner, William Holloway, who came to Cairns in about 1910.
The suburb lies between two streams, Richards and Barr Creeks, and the coast between them is uninterrupted beach. There is an environmental reserve where Richards Creek enters Trinity Bay, and about midpoint on the beach there is a stinger-resistant swimming enclosure.
Holloways Beach had a primary school, a necessity when children walked and could not cross Barr Creek to the school (1952) in Machans Beach. The Holloways Beach State school reserve now adjoins a sporting complex and a community centre.
Holloways Beach is the first substantial beach north of Cairns, and it has holiday accommodation and tourist facilities. It has not, however, been the place of choice for modern apartment developments which have gone further north to Trinity Beach and its neighbours. There is a local shopping centre that includes a minimarket and a liquor store.
Holloways Beach's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 105 |
| 1971 | 236 |
| 1976 | 1048 |
| 1986 | 2176 |
| 1991 | 2464 |
| 2006 | 2234 |
| 2011 | 2283 |
