'Fraser Island',
Batjala 'K'Gari', is the largest
sand island in the world at 1630 km². It was inscribed as a
World Heritage site in 1992.
[1] It is administered by both the
Maryborough and
Hervey Bay City Councils.
Access & tourism
The island can be reached by
ferry from
Hervey Bay or
Inskip Point north of
Rainbow Beach, or
chartered flight via
Maroochydore Airport.
[2] Four-wheel drive is required for some landings, and travel on the island. A RAM permit is required for vehicles. Several firms provide
four-wheel drive vehicles for rent.
[3]
Tour buses travel the island as well.
Bodies of water
The beach at Lake McKenzie
Map of Fraser Island
Fraser Island has over 100
dune lakes, as well as the second highest concentration of lakes in Australia after
Tasmania.
[4] The
freshwater lakes on Fraser Island are some of the cleanest lakes in the world. A popular tourist area is Lake McKenzie which is located inland from the small town of Eurong. It is a "perched" lake sitting on top of compact sand and
vegetable matter 100 metres above sea level. Lake McKenzie has an area of 150
hectares and is just over five
metres in depth. The beach sand of Lake McKenzie is nearly pure
silica and it is possible to wash hair,
teeth,
jewelry, and exfoliate one's skin. The lakes have very few nutrients and
pH varies, though
Sunscreen and
soaps are a problem as a form of
pollution.
Eli Creek is the largest
creek on the east coast of the island with a flow of 80 million litres per day. There is a
boardwalk for visitors to reach the top of the creek and swim or ride down the creek if they wish.
[4]
NASA Landsat image of Fraser
Central Station remains as a popular tourism destination on the island. The station is surrounded by bushwalking tracks to enable full appreciation of the variety of plants living on the island. Some of the rarest ferns grow along the rainforest near the station. With year-round south-easterly wind, huge sand dunes on the island move at the rate of 1 - 2 metres a year, burying away everything on the way, thus making sand on the island extremely rich with nutrients. Sand is constantly washed ashore from as far as New South Wales.
History
Name
The original name of the island is 'K'gari' in the
Butchulla people's language. It means
paradise.
[6] ''According to Aboriginal legend, when humans were created and needed a place to live, the mighty god Beeral sent his messenger Nendingie with the goddess K’gari down from heaven to create the land and mountains, rivers and sea. K’gari fell in love with the earth’s beauty and did not want to leave it. So Yendingie changed her into a heavenly island – Fraser Island.''[7]
The name Fraser Island comes from
Eliza Fraser and her story of survival from a shipwreck on the island. Captain James Fraser and his wife, Eliza Fraser, were shipwrecked on the island 1836. The name of the ship was the ''
Stirling Castle''. Captain Fraser died but Eliza was rescued off the island. Eliza later made money traveling around
England and Australia telling her story of the events that had occurred while the ''Stirling Castle’s'' officers were on the island. She is known to have told several versions of the story; it is unknown which version is the most accurate.
[8]
Aborigines
Archaeological research and evidence shows that
Aborigines occupied Fraser Island at least 5000 years ago. There was a permanent population of 400-600 that grew to 2000-3000 in the winter months due to abundant seafood resources. The arrival of European settlers in the area was an overwhelming disaster for the Butchulla people. Documented aggression between the
Europeans and
Aborigines occurred when the officers of the 'Stirling Castle', including Captain James Fraser and his wife
Eliza Fraser were shipwrecked on the island. European settlement in the
1840's overwhelmed the Aboriginal lifestyle with weapons, disease and lack of food.
[6] By the year
1890, Aboriginal numbers had been reduced to only 300 people.
[10] Most of the remaining Aborigines, the Butchulla tribe, left the island in 1904 as they were relocated to
missions in
Yarrabah and Durundur, Queensland.
[11]
Europeans
Initial European contact was limited to explorers and shipwrecks. The first European to sight Fraser Island was Captain
James Cook who passed along the coast of the island between the 18th and 20th May 1770. He named it Indian Head after viewing a number of Aboriginal people gathered on the island.
Matthew Flinders sailed past the island in 1799 and again in 1802. He mapped both voyages, but did not confirm it was separate from the
mainland.
[10] In 1836, a number of survivors from the shipwreck of the 'Stirling Castle', including Captain James Fraser and his wife
Eliza Fraser, lived for about six weeks on the island before being rescued.
[13]
Logging and sand mining industry
The trees on Fraser island were logged extensively as they made excellent timber. Logging took place starting in 1863, being initiated by American Jack Piggott. Railroad tracks were laid through the forest to facilitate logging, but were later removed. The logging industry continued right through until 1991 following the concerns of the Fraser Island Fitzgerald Inquiry, led by the
Honourable Justice Gerald Edward Fitzgerald. The wealth of the island lay in its rich deposits of
rutile,
ilmenite,
zircon and
monazite. Sand mining leases were first granted in 1950 and lasted until 1977 following an environmental battle.
[13]
Creek near Central Station
The S.S. Maheno today
Wreck of the Maheno
A major landmark of Fraser Island is the shipwreck of the
S.S. Maheno. The S.S. Maheno was originally built in 1905 in
Scotland as a luxury passenger ship for
trans-Tasman crossings. During the
First World War the ship served as a
hospital ship in the
English Channel, before returning to a luxury liner. In 1935, the ship was declared outdated and on
June 25th,
1935 the ship was being towed from
Melbourne to
Japan for
scrap metal when it was caught in a strong
cyclone. A few days later, on
July 9th
1935 she drifted ashore and was beached on Fraser Island. During the Second World War the Maheno served as target bombing practice for the
RAAF. The ship has since become severely rusted, with almost three and a half storeys buried under the sand. Climbing on the shipwreck is not permitted.
[15]
Nauru resettlement proposition
As part of on going meetings in the
United Nations Trusteeship Council on the ''Conditions in the
Trust Territories'', the
Republic of Nauru expressed concern that its
phosphate mining exportation would be depleted by the end of the century, endangering the future of the island.
[16][17] In 1961, Fraser Island was proposed by Australia as a location for the resettlement of the entire population of the
Republic of Nauru. The timber industry on Fraser Island managed to ensure that resettlement on Fraser Island did not proceed.
[18] In 1964 in the 31st session of United Nations Trusteeship Council meetings it was concluded that
Curtis Island could provide a more satisfactory resettlement for the population of Nauru.
[17] Nauru rejected the offer of moving the entire population to Curtis Island due to political independence considerations that Australia would not agree to.
[16] Although a resettlement never did occur, the Republic of Nauru went on to achieve independence on
January 31,
1968.
Fauna
Dingoes
Fraser Island dingoes (Photo: Silje L. Bakke)
es were once common on the island, but are now decreasing, though they still remain a threat to humans. They are part of the last remaining pure dingoes in
Eastern Australia and to prevent cross-breeding, dogs are not allowed on the island. There was no recorded history of dingoes attacking humans on Fraser Island up until 1995. In April 2001, a boy wandered away from his family and was discovered dead, with indications of a dingo attack. Forty dingoes were killed by authorities as a result of the incident.
[21] In 2004, a dingo entered a hotel room on the island where a baby was lying on a bed. It was chased off before any incident occurred.
[22] The relationship between dingo attacks on humans on Fraser Island has been documented on
National Geographic. Caution with dingoes when on Fraser Island is mandatory for all people on the island. Feeding or attracting the attention of dingoes remains illegal. The remaining number of dingoes on the island is estimated to be approximately between 100 and 200.
[23]
Other
Mammals
Besides dingoes, other mammals found on Fraser Island include
swamp wallabies,
echidnas,
possums and
sugar gliders (a
gliding possum),
flying foxes (
Pteropus, a bat). There are no
kangaroos on the island. A few
Brumbies (wild
horses) are left on the island since first being brought over for the logging industry in 1879.
[24][25]
Reptiles
Goannas,
Snakes,
lizards,
skinks and
frogs are all present on the island. Frog species have adapted to the acidic lakes and swamps on the island, and are appropriately called ''acid'' frogs.
[25]
Birds
There are over 350 different species of birds on the island.
Birds of prey include
sea eagles,
peregrine falcon,
osprey and
kites. Other common birds include
pelicans,
terns,
honeyeaters,
gulls,
kingfishers and
cockatoos. A rare,
endangered bird on the island is the
ground parrot, already extinct in some parts of Australia.
[24][25]
References
1.
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15.
16.
17. United Nations Trusteeship Council, , , , International Organization,
18.
19. United Nations Trusteeship Council, , , , International Organization,
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
External links
★ Satellite image from
Google Maps
★
Fraser Island travel photos including gallery of all of Australia.
★
World Heritage Sites
★
FraserIsland.info Offers extensive information about all aspects of Fraser Island
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