THE body of a man found on a traffic island in a busy CBD street in Cairns was probably there for almost a week before being discovered by a passer-by yesterday, police said.

Detectives, scientific officers and scores of crime officers swarmed the island in the centre of Spence St after a woman found the body while crossing the street about 10am.

He is believed to be a 40-year-old itinerant man, according to district duty officer John Rhodes.

Compo for calling boss what? Man sacked for joke email wins unfair dismissal case

House arrest: Residents' nightmare as world leaders come calling

'We will shoot him if we see him': Gang turns on member

Police were trying to contact his family yesterday.

Sen-Sgt Rhodes said it was likely the body had been there since late last week.

"At this stage there doesn't appear to be any suspicious circumstances," he said.

"There are no signs of violence and no signs of trauma but we will continue to investigate until we've established beyond doubt that it didn't involve violence or any other type of misadventure."

Cairns mayor Bob Manning said he drove past the scene, which was near the council chambers, early yesterday and the circumstances surrounding the man's death were "terrible''.

The Far North's top detective Bruno Asnicar said the death was odd but not sinister.

"Locals are not the sort to turn a blind eye,'' Detective Inspector Asnicar said. "We'll wait to get back the pathology report but it looks like he'd had a fair bit to drink, tucked himself into the bushes and didn't wake up."

Turner's Home Appliances manager Brendan Turner, who works 20m away, said he was saddened by the discovery.

"How can someone lie dead on a city median strip and no one notice?'' he said.

The Spence St traffic island is made up of waist-high thick, trimmed hedges and is directly opposite Bunnings, Turner's Home Appliances, and the city's main sports ground Barlow Park.

Mr Turner said it was one of the city's busiest roads used by hundreds of cars daily.

The man is described as caucasian and about 180cm tall with brown hair and a proportionate build.

AND IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME IT'S HAPPENED....

AN itinerant man lay dying for eight hours in a Townsville park while scores of people walked by on their way to work, thinking he was drunk.

The homeless man was overlooked in Dean Park by passing pedestrians and drivers, including some who parked within metres of him, until a nearby worker realised he needed help and called an ambulance.

A Townsville District Court heard the 33-year-old had been bashed by his "aunt" at 2am on October 12, 2012 and had stayed in a semiconscious state until about 10am.

He was rushed to Townsville Hospital with bleeding on the brain.

Angela Rose Kidner, 28, was yesterday jailed for four years after pleading guilty to the assault.

Kidner's barrister Claire McKinnon said it was "very tragic" that he was not helped sooner.

The court was told the man and Kidner got into an argument about wine.

Kidner, a mother-of-two, told police she gave him money to buy a cask of wine, but instead he returned intoxicated.

Crown prosecutor Chris Moore said Kidner's assault lasted nine minutes. She will be eligible for parole in November.

Judge Stuart Durward SC said Kidner had an "appalling" criminal history of violence.

- Emma Channon