HEADLINES OF OLD: CIRCUMNAVIGATING AUSTRALIA'S COLONIAL HISTORY

Note: approximate location

Ever wanted to circumnavigate Australia? We still have a way to go...we'll be going on quite a journey, at least virtually, and clockwise. So as to make sure all states and territories are covered, we started in Western Australia and explored a little of the early history of a small part of this massive state via TROVE...

We've had to travel back to Darwin, before leaving the Northern Territory, then across to Cairns, in North Queensland... but we didn't stop there, instead headed to the tropical north, to one of the most beautiful areas you can imagine... isolated yes, but perfect for that great getaway... to Cape Tribulation. It seems you loved that area so well, that Cairns was the obvious place to travel to next... not too far south. That was another very popular place...

There are so many wonderful places in Queensland to visit, it was hard to make a choice, but a place that I absolutely loved, and would love to revisit one day, is Fraser Island. Once again, it's many years since I've been there, but researching this post has just made me even more determined to return. Not only is it an incredibly beautiful place, but it has an interesting history.

Rainforest.. photographer unknown

Wikipedia comes to our aid again.. here is an excerpt...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Island

"Fraser Island (K'Gari, Gari) is a heritage-listed island located along the southeastern coast of the state of Queensland, Australia.^[1][2] It is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane.^[3] Known as Fraser Island, it is a locality within the Fraser Coast local government in the Wide Bay–Burnett region.^[4]

Together with some satellite islands off the southern west coast and thus in the Great Sandy Strait, Fraser Island forms the County of Fraser, which is subdivided into six parishes. Among the islands are Slain Island, Tooth Island, Roundbush Island, Moonboom Island, Gardner Island, Dream Island, Stewart Island, and the Reef Islands, all part of the southernmost parish of Talboor.

Its length is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) and its width is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi).^[5] It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1992.^[6] The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 1,840 km².^[7] It is also Queensland's largest island, Australia's sixth largest island and the largest island on the East Coast of Australia. It was formerly the homeland of the Butchulla tribe.^[^{citation needed}^]

The island has rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, wallum and peat swamps, sand dunes and coastal heaths. It is made up of sand that has been accumulating for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock that provides a natural catchment for the sediment which is carried on a strong offshore current northwards along the coast. Unlike on many sand dunes, plant life is abundant due to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants.^[8] Fraser Island is home to a small number of mammal species,^[9] as well as a diverse range of birds, reptiles and amphibians, including the occasional saltwater crocodile. The island is protected in the Great Sandy National Park.

Fraser Island has been inhabited by humans for as much as 5,000 years.^[8] Explorer James Cook sailed by the island in May 1770. Matthew Flinders landed near the most northern point of the island in 1802. For a short period the island was known as Great Sandy Island. The island became known as Fraser due to the stories of a shipwreck survivor named Eliza Fraser. Today the island is a popular tourism destination. Its resident human population was 194 at the 2011 Australian Census.^[10]"

.....

"The earliest known name of the island is 'K'gari' in the Butchulla people's language (pronounced 'Gurri'). It means paradise.^[9][47]

According to Aboriginal legend, when humans were created and needed a place to live, the mighty god Beiral sent his messenger Yendingie 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."

Fraser Island has long been known for the wonderful timber on the island, as well as sand mining, for shipwrecks and for tourism, however one of the best known story is that of Eliza Fraser. Though as with many well known stories, there are a number of versions... we'll return to that later on...

TROVE has offered many articles, and also many wonderful photos...

An excerpt from an article in the Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay & Burnett Advertiser, 23 Dec 1865
(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147933815)
describes a trip to Fraser Island, then known as Fraser's Island to check the suitability of the foundations needed for the lighthouse planned to be built there.

Though much timber has been milled and exported, there has been ongoing reforestation.

Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 15 February 1928, page 19

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158400119

As always, please click to enlarge.

Urang tram on Fraser Island c 1905
The locomotive was used to pull logs on Fraser Island. this was owned and operated by Wilson, Hart, Hyne and Company.
Item held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland... out of copyright.

Horse team with driver on Fraser Island ocean beach, c 1919
Item held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland... out of copyright.

By 1907, the lighthouse had been built at Sandy Cape, which meant there was also a house needed for the Superintendent...

Amenities block including the laundry and wash house and the wood shed adjoining the superintendent's house..

Lighthouse keeper on the steps.

I'm sure you know the word whim, but this is a whim with a difference...

This whim was for hauling up lighthouse stores. c 1903

Items held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland... out of copyright.

There have been a number of shipwrecks over the years... this once grand ship, the Maheno, is now just a rusty hulk on the beach, or at least what's left of it.

Items held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland... out of copyright.

The Maheno was used by New Zealand as a hospital ship in WW1. It was caught in a winter cyclone while being towed to Japan for scrap metal and grounded at Cathedral Beach, Fraser Island, on the 8th July, 1935. It is now a popular tourist attraction.

Smith's Weekly 14 Jul 1934 described 'the strangest lakes' in Australia...

Lake Mackenzie (below) could hardly be called strange, it is truly beautiful. The water is so clear you can see the sand below... This is one of a series of photos taken by

Iraphne R.Childs ... and kindly made available through Creative Commons, all sourced via TROVE. ©Iraphne R. Childs

Below...

Lake Mackenzie

Sensenmann - Own work

Public Domain

File:Fraser Island a06 lake mckenzie.jpg

Created: 8 August 2004

The Australian Women's Weekly (also available through TROVE) showed that the younger folk also appreciated the wonders of Fraser Island...

Aust Women's Weekly 30 Mar 1935

However, I mentioned a story about Eliza Fraser.... an excerpt from Wikipedia...

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 in 1836. Their ship, the brig Stirling Castle, set sail from Sydney to Singapore with 18 crew and passengers. The ship was holed on coral while travelling through the Great Barrier Reef north of the island.^[8] Transferring to two lifeboats, the crew set a course south, attempting to reach the settlement at Moreton (now Brisbane). During this trip in the lifeboats, Captain Fraser's pregnant wife gave birth in the leaking lifeboat. The infant died soon after birth. The Captain's lifeboat was becoming more and more unseaworthy and was soon left behind by the other lifeboat which continued on. The sinking boat and its crew was beached on what was then known as the Great Sandy Island. Whether the survivors died due to disease, hunger, exhaustion or battles with the native population will never be known for sure; most likely a little of all of the above. Captain Fraser died leaving Eliza living among the local peoples. She was rescued 6 weeks later by a convict, John Graham,^[13] who had lived in the bush as an escapee and who spoke the Aboriginal language. He was sent from the settlement at Moreton by the authorities there who had heard about Eliza's plight, and negotiated her return. Within 6 months, Eliza had married another sea captain. She moved to England and became a sideshow attraction in Hyde Park telling ever more lurid tales about her experiences with white slavery, cannibalism, torture, and murder. As she is known to have told several versions of the story, it is unknown which version is the most accurate.^[48][49] She was killed in a carriage accident in Melbourne in 1858 during a visit.^[8]

State Library of Queensland, 31364

The Australian Dictionary of Biography has quite a long article about her and there have been a number of books, documentaries and even a movie or two about her. She certainly features in the history of Fraser Island...
You can read more about her on TROVE and here or here also and here again just to get you started.

However, it's the beauty and the ability to relax on Fraser Island which is the biggest drawcard. I can't promise you a hammock as to be as relaxed as this young lady c 1895...
Item held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland... out of copyright.
Accessed via TROVE

but there are still beautiful vistas such as this at Waddy Point, another of the series from Iraphne R.Childs ... and kindly made available through Creative Commons.

As to how to get there... it could be the Fraser Island Ferry..

Photnart - Own work