Bremer Island
Encyclopedia
Bremer Island, or Dhambaliya in the local language is an island
in the Arafura Sea
, in the northwest of the Gulf of Carpentaria
, 3.4 km off the northeast corner of Arnhem Land
(Cape Wirawawoi), Northern Territory
, Australia
.
during his circumnavigation voyage in 1803. A European settlement on the island was established in 1823, on a ship captained by Sir James J. Gordon Bremer
. The settlement was abandoned in 1829, and the island subsequently renamed Bremer Island to avoid confusion with the larger Melville Island
to the west.
tribe. The only small settlement, a family outstation
in the north of the island near the airfield is called Gutjangan (formerly Bremer Island North).
Alcohol consumption is illegal on Bremer Island. Only tourists are allowed to consume small quantities. Only up to eight tourists are allowed to stay on the island at any given time. The only tourist facility is the small "Banubanu Wilderness Retreat http://www.banubanu.com at the northern tip of the island.
The island is surrounded by a beach, on which sea turtle
s dig their eggs into the sand. Bremer Island is also home to many birds. 4.5 km east of the island are the East Bremer Islets, a group of small rocky islets, including Higginson Island
, which form the Higginson Important Bird Area
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Arafura Sea
Arafura Sea
The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea.-Geography:The Arafura Sea is bordered by Torres Strait and through that the Coral Sea to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south, the Timor Sea to the west and the Banda and Ceram...
, in the northwest of the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
, 3.4 km off the northeast corner of Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
(Cape Wirawawoi), Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
The island was named Melville Island by Matthew FlindersMatthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
during his circumnavigation voyage in 1803. A European settlement on the island was established in 1823, on a ship captained by Sir James J. Gordon Bremer
James Bremer
Sir James John Gordon Bremer, KCB, KCH , was a British Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, First Anglo-Burmese War, and First Anglo-Chinese War. In China, he served twice as commander-in-chief of British forces.Born in Portsea, England, Bremer joined the Royal Navy in 1794...
. The settlement was abandoned in 1829, and the island subsequently renamed Bremer Island to avoid confusion with the larger Melville Island
Melville Island, Northern Territory
Melville Island or Yermalner Island lies in the eastern Timor Sea, off the coast of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is west of the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land and north of Darwin....
to the west.
Geography
It is 7.7 km long north-south, and up to 3.0 km wide, and has an area of about 16 km². The town of Nhulunbuy lies five kilometers away on the mainland of Arnhem Land. The island is inhabited by about 25 Rirratjingu, a clan of the YolnguYolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
tribe. The only small settlement, a family outstation
Outstation
Historically, an outstation was a subsidiary homestead or other dwelling, on Australian sheep or cattle stations which were large enough to have more than a day's travel between different parts of the property....
in the north of the island near the airfield is called Gutjangan (formerly Bremer Island North).
Alcohol consumption is illegal on Bremer Island. Only tourists are allowed to consume small quantities. Only up to eight tourists are allowed to stay on the island at any given time. The only tourist facility is the small "Banubanu Wilderness Retreat http://www.banubanu.com at the northern tip of the island.
The island is surrounded by a beach, on which sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s dig their eggs into the sand. Bremer Island is also home to many birds. 4.5 km east of the island are the East Bremer Islets, a group of small rocky islets, including Higginson Island
Higginson Island
Higginson Island is a small island in the Arafura Sea lying off the north-eastern coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia...
, which form the Higginson Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
.