K’gari - Fraser Island

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are warned that the following may contain images and voices of deceased person/s and may cause distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Fraser Island - Source: State Library of Queensland Islands, Hidden Histories from Queensland Islands

Many locals missed our annual pilgrimage to K’gari-Fraser Island for Easter this year. This island has a fascinating living history. The State Library of Queensland’s Islands, Hidden Histories from Queensland Islands tells us

“When Butchulla people of K’gari-Fraser Island observed Captain Cook in 1770, the occasion was recorded in song. Cook recorded the same moment, naming the spot Indian Head on the map — an ephemeral yet significant moment in the history of Butchulla people. However, when they encountered the shipwrecked Captain James Fraser, his wife Eliza and several crew from the Stirling Castle in 1836, all of their lives were forever changed” (State Library of Queensland).

Information about escaped convict John Graham’s time on K’gari and his interactions with Eliza Fraser after the ship she was travelling on struck a half-submerged coral island can be found in John Graham and Fraser Island.

In 1822, Edwardson, Captain of the Snapper drew a map of K’gari using the map of Flinders as a base. He used this map to navigate the waters of the Fraser Coast and confirmed K’gari was indeed an island.

Children playing near 'The Waterhole' at Sandy Cape, Fraser Island, Queensland, ca. 1910. Source: State Library of Queensland

The Sandy Cape Lighthouse was completed in 1870 and several lighthouse families lived in cottages nearby. The school mistress of one claiming to have seen a Moha Moha or sea monster.

Soon after, the establishment of Bogimbah mission occurred as outlined in the doctoral thesis by Sandra Armstrong The Failure of Noble Sentiments: Bogimbah Mission on Fraser Island.

Sand dunes on Fraser Island, ca. 1920. Source: State Library of Queensland

Not long after, in 1935, K’gari was being hailed as a playground for tourists.“First impression of Fraser Island was that it is a place of great beauty. My second was one of surprise that it is only twelve months since steps were taken to make use of such a really beautiful spot.' Thus, spoke his Excellency the Governor, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, at the conclusion of his three days' tour of the Island on Monday night” Maryborough Chronicle. 

“In 2014, Butchulla people were awarded Native Title rightsover K’gari-Fraser Island, honouring the courage and determination of K’gari’s Traditional Owners, past and present, and ensuring the continuation of their culture into the future” (State Library of Queensland). More about the island can be found on State Library of Queensland’s Islands, Hidden Histories from Queensland Islands.

The Lagoon. Source: Erbacher Collection Image Gallery

References:

Armstrong, Sandra (2010) The Failure of Noble Sentiments: Bogimbah Mission on Fraser Island doctoral thesis.

Maryborough Chronicle 8^th May, 1935 A Playground for Tourists retrieved on the 11^th May, 2020.

State Library of Queensland Islands, Hidden Histories from Queensland Islands retrieved 11 May, 2020.

The Butchulla People are the Traditional Custodians/Owners of the Land, and their continued connection to the land on which we walk, work and live is acknowledged. Fraser Coast Libraries acknowledges and pays respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.

Tags #K'gari #FraserIsland #maps #sandycape #lighthouse