islands

Landscape Magnetic Island is well known for its distinctive environment and picturesque landscape featuring large granite boulders, hoop pines, sandy beaches, and fringing coral reefs. The story of Magnetic Island began 275 million years ago when molten granite was pushed to the earth’s surface with volcanic force. Over time the overlying volcanic rocks weathered away. The underlying granite mass has decomposed along fracture lines, creating today's extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders (tors), many of which are larger than a house and spectacularly perched. Fault lines have eroded to form gullies and valleys. Today, a shallow sea separates the island from the mainland. However, before the sea level rose 7,500 years ago, Magnetic Island was connected to the mainland between Cape Pallarenda and Kissing Point. Indigenous history The Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), the Wulgurukaba people, and the ‘canoe people’, have lived on the island and nearby mainland for thousands of years. Shell middens, stone tools, and art sites are some of the physical reminders of their strong connection with the island. The Wulgurukaba people have stories, such as the Big Carpet Snake story linking Magnetic and Palm Islands and the mainland, which tell of the creation of this landscape during the Dreamtime. The Wulgurukaba people were able to maintain their traditional lifestyle until the mid-1890s when the Townsville port was established. As more European people moved into the area, the Wulgurukaba people were forced to move off their traditional lands, and confrontations with settlers, loss of traditional food sources and disease took their toll. They remained on the island until the 1920s and 30s but were eventually forced to live in missions on the mainland. A small group of Wulgurukaba people remain on or have returned to the island. Non-Indigenous history Magnetic Island was named by Lt James Cook in 1770 when he believed the magnetic compass on his ship the Endeavour was affected by the island. During the 1800s Magnetic Island became a popular picnic area and by the late 1890s, the first resort was established in Picnic Bay. Tourism prospered during the early 1900s as Townsville grew to be a major city in North Queensland. Source: parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/magnetic-island/about/culture

On tropical Palm Island off the coast of Far North Queensland, there’s a street called Mango Avenue. The idyllic name belies the island’s brutal history. The street was once reserved for white officials only. “Blacks” were forbidden under the threat of swift and harsh punishment. Established in 1918, Palm Island earned for being a reputation as being one of the harshest Aboriginal settlements in Australia. Palm Islanders could be punished for other things, too: failing to salute a white official, waving to a spouse, appearing untidy, wearing a dress above the knee – even laughing could result in a police beating, if the authorities deemed it disrespectful. Now locals are marking the Palm Island centenary by showcasing their hard-won unity, pride, and resilience through dance, song, and ceremony. Source: www.sbs.com.au/nitv/living-black/article/2018/06/25/long-...

Palm Island, also known as Great Palm Island or by the Aboriginal name Bwgcolman, is a tropical island situated approximately 70 kilometers north-north-east of Townsville. Palm Island is the main island of the Greater Palm Group and consists of small bays, sandy beaches, and steep forested mountains rising to a peak of 548 meters over a 6,000-hectare area. There are thirteen islands that make up the Greater Palm Island group, most of which are micro-islands. Major islands within the Palm group are (Great) Palm Island, Fantome Island, and Orpheus Island. Source: www.picc.com.au/about/about-palm-island/

Green Island (originally Dabuukji) is a marine island and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, Green Island had a population of 25 people. Green Island is a coral cay 27 km (17 mi) offshore from Cairns, Queensland, Australia located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park World Heritage Area in the Coral Sea. The island is surrounded by coral reefs and protected in the Green Island National Park. Most visitors come for the day. A luxury resort with 46 rooms is situated on the island.[citation needed] The island supports a range of vegetation, including dry coastal/beach plants and a vine thicket rain forest. There are no natural freshwater springs on the island so all vegetation relies on rainwater and a small freshwater lens located under the island. The island was formed approximately 6,000 years ago by waves depositing sand, coral, and other debris onto its coral foundations.[4] Local Aboriginal language speakers (Roy Banning, Robert Patterson, and Henry Fourmile) advised and confirmed the Gungganyji language group is especially connected with the island. To them, it is named Dabuukji.[5] Dabuukji, as a name, may refer to the island having been within local Aboriginal mythology and history a larger island with a freshwater marsh or 'hole' (later a well) at its center. Alternatively, it may be a reference to the story of the turtle which first obtained holes in its nose (nostrils) on this coral cay. It may also be a reference to some aspect of young Gungganyji male initiation rituals reported to have been conducted on this coral cay in times past.[5] The local Aboriginal people (particularly Dick Moses, speaking Yidinyji) say that in the Dreamtime Dabuukji (Green Island) was approximately four times the size it is now, and that the present coral cay is only the north-east portion of the whole, original island.[6] Local Aboriginal people have grown up with the understanding the coral cay was a place to be generally avoided, being Punjabi, that is, "a place haunted by spirits". The Queensland Government has gazetted Green Island as the cay's official name, this being the name given it by Lieutenant James Cook on 10 June 1770, either because of the appearance of the coral cay's vegetation, or possibly after Charles Green, who was an astronomer aboard the Endeavour at the time. In April 1873, the Goodwill's vessel arrived at Green Island with 3 European crew and 5 Manbarra people press-ganged from Palm Island to collect and process beche de mer. The Aboriginals, including 3 men and 2 women, resented their treatment and killed two of the whites and stole the "Goodwill". The third, Daniel Kelly, escaped to nearby Oyster Quay Island to report the killings to another beche-de-mer fisherman named Philip Garland.[9] The incident was reported to authorities in Cardwell and the Queensland Police Commissioner Seymour ordered Native Police officer Robert Arthur Johnstone to organize a punitive mission. Since the early 20th century, tourism has been the main activity on the island. A guest house was originally built in the 1930s and an underwater observatory was installed in 1954. In 1970 Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne toured Australia including Queensland. The Queensland tour began on Sunday 12 April when the royal yacht Britannia entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After visiting Brisbane, Longreach, and Mount Isa the Royal Family traveled to Mackay. The royal party had a leisurely cruise to Townsville. According to the formal schedule, the Royal Yacht Britannia arrived off Green Island on the morning of 21 April, after leaving Townsville the day before. The scheduled visit to Green Island was dependent on the weather. All three members of the Royal family were taken by Royal Barge to the Green Island jetty. The visit only lasted 30mins, before Britannia left for Cooktown by 10:15 am the same day.[13] The current resort, Green Island Reef Resort, was opened in 1994.[7] A seawater desalination plant was commissioned to supply water to the resort in 2001. The plant supplies 55 kL/d of potable water and returns waste brine to the sea.[14] In the 2016 census, Green Island had a population of 25 people. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Island_(Queensland)

Small Island with executive natural beauty and big history.