Lady Elliot Island is the southern-most
coralCorals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals...
cayA cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs...
of the
Great Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. The island lies north-east of
BundabergBundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast...
and covers an area of approximately . The island is home to a small resort and airstrip, which is serviced daily by flights from
BundabergBundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast...
,
Hervey BayHervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island...
,
MaroochydoreMaroochydore is a town on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.Maroochydore contains a popular surf beach. The Maroochy River's southern bank forms a virtually unbroken stretch of parkland and picnic spots in the area. Maroochydore is also a major commercial area of the Sunshine Coast with...
, Brisbane and the
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast is a city in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is also the most populous non-capital city in the country...
. Visitors to the resort can stay in a variety of accommodation, from suites to eco cabins. Activities on the island include reef walking,
scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons.Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba...
, snorkelling and bird, turtle and whale watching.
Lady Elliot Island is the southern-most
coralCorals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals...
cayA cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs...
of the
Great Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. The island lies north-east of
BundabergBundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast...
and covers an area of approximately . The island is home to a small resort and airstrip, which is serviced daily by flights from
BundabergBundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast...
,
Hervey BayHervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island...
,
MaroochydoreMaroochydore is a town on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.Maroochydore contains a popular surf beach. The Maroochy River's southern bank forms a virtually unbroken stretch of parkland and picnic spots in the area. Maroochydore is also a major commercial area of the Sunshine Coast with...
, Brisbane and the
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast is a city in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is also the most populous non-capital city in the country...
. Visitors to the resort can stay in a variety of accommodation, from suites to eco cabins. Activities on the island include reef walking,
scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons.Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba...
, snorkelling and bird, turtle and whale watching. The island is particularly renowned for its
scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons.Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba...
and snorkelling, as its location far offshore at the southern end of the
Great Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
results in unrivalled water clarity.
Lady Elliot Island is an island resort on the
Great Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, and one of only three with direct flight access to the island airstrip. The island is located within the
Great Barrier Reef Marine ParkThe Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artifacts or...
in the highest possible classification of Marine National Park Zone as designated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Lady Elliot is an island teeming with life and live corals, famous for a transient population of up to 200 manta rays which form the iconic logo of the island's resort.
Turtles
The
Great Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
is one of the most important sea turtle habitats in the world, with Lady Elliot Island being a key part of that habitat. Every year between November and March the
greenChelonia mydas, known as the green turtle is a large sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The range of the species extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific...
and
loggerheadThe Loggerhead Sea Turtle is a sea turtle and the only member of the genus Caretta. The genus name "Caretta" is a latinization of the French "caret", meaning turtle, tortoise, or sea turtle. A loggerhead sea turtle reportedly grows up to and long. Their shell color is a reddish brown color, and...
turtles lumber up the same beach on which they were born more than 50 years ago. These turtles nest on Lady Elliot Island up to nine times in a season, laying between 80 and 120 eggs per clutch. About eight weeks later, young hatchlings leave their nests and head towards the ocean (January to April).
Whales
Lady Elliot Island is just north of
Hervey BayHervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island...
, a popular
Humpback WhaleThe humpback whale is a baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water...
breeding ground. Whales are common in the waters around the island in the winter and early spring from June to October. Regular sightings occur on the flights to the island, and while snorkelling and diving from boats and from the island's beaches. Almost daily during the season, whale songs can be heard under the water while swimming around the island.
Seabirds
Lady Elliot Island is an important
seabirdSeabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
nesting site. The cay is a haven for over fifty species of tropical seabirds and wading birds. Over 100,000 birds nest on Lady Elliot Island during summer breeding season.
Seabirds common to Lady Elliot Island include:
- Boobies
A booby is a seabird in the Sula genus, part of the Sulidae family. Boobies are closely related to the gannets , which were formerly included in Sula....
: BrownThe Brown Booby is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about 76 cm. in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
- Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s: Black-napedThe Black-naped Tern is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland....
, BridledThe Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans...
, Crested, RoseateThe Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
, SootyThe Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
- Black Noddy
The Black Noddy or White-capped Noddy is a seabird from the tern family. It resembles the closely-related Brown or Common Noddy , but is smaller with darker plumage, a whiter cap, a longer, straighter beak and shorter tail...
- Buff-banded Rail
The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae....
- Red-tailed Tropicbird
The Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the rarest of the tropicbirds, yet is still a widespread bird that is not considered threatened. It nests in colonies on oceanic islands....
- Silver Gull
The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater
The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...
- Eastern Reef Egret
The Pacific Reef Heron , also known as the Pacific Reef Egret or Eastern Reef Egret, is a kind of heron. They are found in many areas of Asia including the oceanic region of India, Southeast Asia, Japan, Polynesia, and in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.Pacific Reef Herons are medium-sized...
History
Lady Elliot Island first appeared above sea level around 1500 BC as a coral rubble spit. It developed into a mature
coralCorals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals...
cayA cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs...
over the next 3000 years.
1805: First commercial venture
In 1805 James Atckin began the first commercial venture on Lady Elliot Island—the collecting of Beche de Mer. These animals were removed from the shallow water, dried and then smoked before being exported to Asia and Malay communities for more than 180 pounds per tonne.
1816: Official discovery
In 1816 the Island was officially discovered and named by Captain Thomas Stuart aboard the vessel
Lady ElliotThe Lady Elliot was a ship that was wrecked North of Cardwell, Queensland, Australia in 1816.The Lady Elliot was a ship of 353 tons and had been constructed in Bengal, India. The ship was registered in Calcutta and was under the command of Thomas Stewart. The ship arrived in Sydney from Calcutta...
. The "Lady Elliot" was a 353
tonneA tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to , or approximately the mass of one cubic metre of water. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI...
vessel that was built in
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
and registered in
Calcutta, India, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
. The ship was named after the wife of
Hugh ElliotHugh Elliot was a British diplomat and then a colonial governor.Hugh Elliot was born in 1752, the second son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, and the younger brother of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto...
the Colonial Governor of India. On the return journey from Sydney, it was wrecked on a reef off
CardwellCardwell is tropical coastal town in northeastern Queensland. It is located at the southern extremity of the Cassowary Coast. At the 2006 census, Cardwell had a population of 1,250...
in
North QueenslandNorth Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...
and that reef is called Lady Elliot Reef.
1863: Mining for guano
In 1863 Mr J. Askunas won tender from the
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Government to mine the island for
guanoGuano is the excrement of seabirds, bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer and gunpowder ingredient due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. Superphosphate made from guano is used for aerial topdressing...
for 300 pounds per annum for 10 years. The lease was transferred to Dr W.I. Crowther of Hobart on August 23 1864. Dr Crowther mined the island until the end of 1873. The guano was mined by Chinese and Malay workers and sent to Mainland
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
. Over this period virtually all the trees were removed, as well as 3 feet of top soil and guano. In 1874 the guano mining ceased, but the damage to the
vegetationVegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
of the island was absolute. It was not until 1966 that a revegetation program was undertaken by lighthouse staff. Their efforts were quickly rewarded, with the island re-emerging as a haven for all types of seabirds.
1873: Lighthouse
In 1873 a
lighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea....
was constructed. The lighthouse is on the National Heritage list because it is a timber framed construction with a cast iron cladding, which was pre made in England and shipped to the island in pieces. This lighthouse is tall and shone out approximately to sea. The old lighthouse was used continuously until 1995 but became too short for the surrounding vegetation, which was interrupting the beam of light. At this time the
Australian Maritime Safety AuthorityAustralian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
built a new light tower. It is tall and its six light beams shine out to sea. It is solar powered, fully automated and runs continuously.
1969: Airstrip
In 1969 Don Adams built an airstrip and accommodation on the island, and was granted a tourist recreation lease by the Australian Government. In 1977 Don Adams sold the lease to Barrier Reef Airways. In 1984 the Australian Government called for tenders to construct a low-key resort on that island. The first owner of the resort lease was John and Judy French, with the resort opening in 1985. In 1992 the resort lease changed hands and was sold to Bevan Whittaker.
2005: A New Lease on Life
In 2005 the original 20 year resort lease came up for renewal and was put to tender. The tender was won by three
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast is a city in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is also the most populous non-capital city in the country...
businessmen—Peter Gash (aviation entrepreneur and owner of SEAIR Pacific),
Grant KennyGrant Hayden Kenny OAM is an Australian former Ironman, surf lifesaver and canoer.- Career :Competing in two Summer Olympics, Kenny won a bronze medal in the K-2 1000 m event with Barry Kelly at Los Angeles in 1984.Kenny is a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, which he received in...
(champion lifesaver and olympian) and Michael Kyle (a respected Gold Coast commercial lawyer). A new lease was granted for a 10 year period, with two options each for a further term of ten years. Since the change of lessee, a program to progressively renovate the island's facilities and make them more ecologically friendly has been implemented.
External links