Cairns: Young girl, 4, in a pink dress found wandering at a bus stop near a shopping centre as cops seek help identifying her

A toddler who was found wandering alone near a bus stop at night in north Queensland has sparked an urgent call for assistance from police.

The young girl was spotted by a group of people near a Cairns shopping centre in the suburb of Smithfield, on the Captain Cook Highway, about 8.30pm Friday night.

The girl is about four-years-old, police said.

She is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance, with brown eyes and brown hair and was wearing a pink dress with flowers on it.

Police are appealing for help from the public to locate the girl's responsible guardian as she was found alone and unsupervised at night near a busy highway. 

Anyone with information or who knows this girl is asked to contact police immediately via Policelink, Cairns Police, or Crimestoppers.