Fraser Island
View from Indian Head, Fraser Island
Geography
Location	Australia
Coordinates	25°13′S 153°08′E
Area	1,840 km²
Administration
Australia
State	Queensland
LGA	Fraser Coast Regional Council

Fraser Island, Batjala K'Gari, is the largest sand island in the world at 1840 km². For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Australia has two tiers of subnational government state (or territory government and local government. The Fraser Coast Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. Several places are named Sand Island. Some of these are Sand Island (Hawaii Sand Island (Alabama Sand Island (Anguilla ^[1] It is located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 km north of Brisbane. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Its length is about 120 km^[2]. It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex ^[3] It is administered by the Fraser Coast Regional Council. The Fraser Coast Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia.

Contents 1 Access & tourism 2 Bodies of water 3 The 75 mile beach 4 History 4.1 Name 4.2 Aboriginal Australians 4.3 Europeans 4.4 Logging and sand mining industry 4.5 Wreck of the Maheno 4.6 Nauru resettlement proposition 5 Fauna 5.1 Dingoes 5.2 Other 5.2.1 Mammals 5.2.2 Reptiles & Amphibians 5.2.3 Birds 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Access & tourism

The island can be reached by ferry from Hervey Bay or Inskip Point north of Rainbow Beach, or chartered flight via Maroochydore Airport. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Hervey Bay is a rapidly-growing city in south eastern Queensland, Australia. Inskip Peninsula is a Peninsula to the north of the town of Rainbow Beach in south-east Queensland, Australia. Rainbow Beach is a coastal town in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, near Gympie. A charter airline, also sometimes referred to as an Air taxi, operates Aircraft on a charter basis that is flights that take place outside normal schedules by a Sunshine Coast Airport, or Maroochydore Airport is an Australian airport serving Sunshine Coast Queensland. ^[4] Four-wheel drive is required for some landings, and travel on the island. Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to A RAM permit is required for vehicles. Several firms provide four-wheel drive vehicles for rent. A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis ^[5] Tour buses travel the island as well. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel

Bodies of water

Fraser Island has over 100 dune lakes, as well as the second highest concentration of lakes in Australia after Tasmania. In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass ^[6] The freshwater lakes on Fraser Island are some of the cleanest lakes in the world. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A popular tourist area is Lake McKenzie which is located inland from the small town of Eurong. It is a "perched" lake sitting on top of compact sand and vegetable matter 100 metres above sea level. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Lake McKenzie has an area of 150 hectares and is just over five metres in depth. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The beach sand of Lake McKenzie is nearly pure silica and it is possible to wash hair, teeth, jewelry, and exfoliate one's skin. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones The lakes have very few nutrients and pH varies, though sunscreen and soaps are a problem as a form of pollution. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Sunscreen (also known as sunblock or suntan lotion) is a Lotion, spray or other Topical product that absorbs or reflects the Sun 's SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in

Eli Creek is the largest creek on the east coast of the island with a flow of 80 million litres per day. A tidal creek is the portion of a Stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean Tides in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean sea or strait There is a boardwalk for visitors to reach the top of the creek and swim or ride down the creek if they wish. For the record label see Boardwalk Records. for the former Las Vegas hotel see Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. ^[6]

Central Station remains as a popular tourism destination on the island. The station is surrounded by bushwalking tracks to enable full appreciation of the variety of plants living on the island. Some of the rarest ferns grow along the rainforest near the station. With year-round south-easterly wind, huge sand dunes on the island move at the rate of 1 - 2 metres a year, burying away everything on the way, thus making sand on the island extremely rich with nutrients. Sand is constantly washed ashore from as far as New South Wales.

The 75 mile beach

This runs along most of the east coast of Fraser Island. While it may not be the best place for swimming due to dangerous currents and plentiful Tiger sharks, it is extremely beautiful and has a number of excellent highlights such as Champagne Pools, Indian Head (from where you can often see the sharks in the surf), the Maheno Wreck and Eli Creek. Eli Creek is strikingly clear and has its own unique and varied wild life.

The beach also acts as both a highway and a runway. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. The hard packed sand below the high tide mark can make for quite smooth driving, but care must be taken with speed; there are many deep wash outs and you can suddenly find yourself driving vertically into one if you're going too fast. Aircraft often land on the beach and if you can afford it, this mode of travel is a great way to see the entire island in a short space of time, with the obligatory beach landing, of course. The highway rules state that vehicles must give way to aircraft if they are oncoming.

History

Name

The original name of the island is 'K'gari' in the Butchulla people's language. It means paradise. Paradise is a word of Persian origin ( Persian: پردیس Pardìs) that is generally identified with the Garden of Eden or with Heaven. ^[7]

According to Aboriginal legend, when humans were created and needed a place to live, the mighty god Beeral sent his messenger Nendingie 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. ^[8]

The name Fraser Island comes from Eliza Fraser and her story of survival from a shipwreck on the island. Eliza Fraser was a Scottish woman whose ship was shipwrecked on the coast of Queensland, Australia, on May 22 1836 and who was captured by Aborigines Captain James Fraser and his wife, Eliza Fraser, were shipwrecked on the island 1836. The name of the ship was the Stirling Castle. Captain Fraser died but Eliza was rescued off the island. Eliza later made money traveling around England and Australia telling her story of the events that had occurred while the Stirling Castle’s officers were on the island. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland She is known to have told several versions of the story; it is unknown which version is the most accurate. ^[9]

Aboriginal Australians

Archaeological research and evidence shows that Aboriginal Australians occupied Fraser Island at least 5000 years ago. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. There was a permanent population of 400-600 that grew to 2000-3000 in the winter months due to abundant seafood resources. The arrival of European settlers in the area was an overwhelming disaster for the Butchulla people. Documented aggression between the Europeans and Aboriginal Australians occurred when the officers of the 'Stirling Castle', including Captain James Fraser and his wife Eliza Fraser were shipwrecked on the island. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. Eliza Fraser was a Scottish woman whose ship was shipwrecked on the coast of Queensland, Australia, on May 22 1836 and who was captured by Aborigines European settlement in the 1840s overwhelmed the Aboriginal lifestyle with weapons, disease and lack of food. Events and trends Technology First use of General anesthesia in an operation by Crawford Long. ^[7] By the year 1890, Aboriginal numbers had been reduced to only 300 people. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[10] Most of the remaining Aborigines, the Butchulla tribe, left the island in 1904 as they were relocated to missions in Yarrabah and Durundur, Queensland. A religious Mission or Mission station is a location for Missionary work Yarrabah ( is an independent Aboriginal community situated approximately 7 km southeast from Cairns CBD on Cape Grafton. ^[11]

Europeans

Initial European contact was limited to explorers and shipwrecks. The first European to sight Fraser Island was Captain James Cook who passed along the coast of the island between the 18th and 20th May 1770. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and He named it Indian Head after viewing a number of Aboriginal people gathered on the island. Matthew Flinders sailed past the island in 1799 and again in 1802. Captain Matthew Flinders, RN (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814 was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age He mapped both voyages, but did not confirm it was separate from the mainland. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. ^[10] In 1836, a number of survivors from the shipwreck of the 'Stirling Castle', including Captain James Fraser and his wife Eliza Fraser, lived for about six weeks on the island before being rescued. Eliza Fraser was a Scottish woman whose ship was shipwrecked on the coast of Queensland, Australia, on May 22 1836 and who was captured by Aborigines ^[12]

Logging and sand mining industry

The trees on Fraser island were logged extensively as they made excellent timber. Logging took place starting in 1863, being initiated by American Jack Piggott. Railroad tracks were laid through the forest to facilitate logging, but were later removed. The logging industry continued right through until 1991 following the concerns of the Fraser Island Fitzgerald Inquiry, led by the Honourable Justice Gerald Edward Fitzgerald. The Honourable Justice Gerald Edward Fitzgerald AC QC (born 26 November 1941) was an Australian judge The wealth of the island lay in its rich deposits of rutile, ilmenite, zircon and monazite. Rutile is a Mineral composed primarily of Titanium dioxide, Ti[[oxygen O]]2 Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic titanium-iron oxide Mineral which is iron-black or steel-gray Zircon is a Mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is Zirconium silicate and its corresponding chemical formula is In Geology, the Mineral monazite is a reddish-brown Phosphate -containing rare earth metals and an important source of Thorium Sand mining leases were first granted in 1950 and lasted until 1977 following an environmental battle. ^[12]

Wreck of the Maheno

A major landmark of Fraser Island is the shipwreck of the S.S. Maheno. The SS Maheno was an Edwardian liner on the Tasman Sea crossing between New Zealand and Australia, and was used as a Hospital ship The S. S. Maheno was originally built in 1905 in Scotland as a luxury passenger ship for trans-Tasman crossings. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 Kilometres (1250 Miles across During the First World War ship served as a hospital ship in the English Channel, before returning to a luxury liner. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A hospital ship is a Ship designated for primary function as a medical treatment facility or Hospital; most are operated by the Military In 1935, the ship was declared outdated and on June 25th, 1935 the ship was being towed from Melbourne when it was caught in a strong cyclone. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. A few days later, on July 9th 1935 she drifted ashore and was beached on Fraser Island. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During the Second World War the Maheno served as target bombing practice for the RAAF. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The ship has since become severely rusted, with almost three and a half storeys buried under the sand. Climbing on the shipwreck is not permitted. ^[13]

Nauru resettlement proposition

As part of ongoing meetings in the United Nations Trusteeship Council on the Conditions in the Trust Territories, the Republic of Nauru expressed concern that its phosphate mining exportation would be depleted by the end of the century, endangering the future of the island. The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to help ensure that non-self-governing territories were administered Trust Territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946 Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. The Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC was a government-owned company controlling Phosphate mining in Nauru, now known as the Republic of Nauru Phosphate ^[14][15] In 1961, Fraser Island was proposed by Australia as a location for the resettlement of the entire population of the Republic of Nauru. Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. The timber industry on Fraser Island managed to ensure that resettlement on Fraser Island did not proceed. ^[16] In 1964 in the 31st session of United Nations Trusteeship Council meetings it was concluded that Curtis Island could provide a more satisfactory resettlement for the population of Nauru. Curtis Island is an island that lays host to one of Australia's greatest national parks ^[15] Nauru rejected the offer of moving the entire population to Curtis Island due to political independence considerations that Australia would not agree to. ^[14] Although a resettlement never did occur, the Republic of Nauru went on to achieve independence on January 31, 1968. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Fauna

Dingoes

Dingoes were once common on the island, but are now decreasing, though they still remain a threat to humans. Description Appearance Adult dingoes are typically 48–58 cm (19–23 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh on average 23–32 kgs (50–70 pounds though specimens They are some of the last remaining pure dingoes in Eastern Australia and to prevent cross-breeding, dogs are not allowed on the island. The Eastern states of Australia refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. There was no recorded history of dingoes attacking humans on Fraser Island up until 1995. In April 2001, a boy wandered away from his family and was discovered dead, with indications of a dingo attack. Forty dingoes were killed by authorities as a result of the incident. ^[17] In 2004, a dingo entered a hotel room on the island where a baby was lying on a bed. It was chased off before any incident occurred. ^[18] The relationship between dingo attacks on humans on Fraser Island has been documented on National Geographic. Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural Caution with dingoes when on Fraser Island is mandatory for all people on the island. Feeding or attracting the attention of dingoes remains illegal. The remaining number of dingoes on the island is estimated to be 120 to 150 as of January 2008 and sightings are becoming rarer

Other

Mammals

Besides dingoes, other mammals found on Fraser Island include swamp wallabies, echidnas, possums, sugar gliders (a gliding possum) and flying foxes (Pteropus, a bat). The Swamp Wallaby ( Wallabia bicolor) is a small Macropod Marsupial of eastern Australia. Echidnas (ɨˈkɪdnə also known as spiny anteaters, are four extant Mammal species belonging to the Tachyglossidae family of the A possum is any of about 64 small to medium-sized Arboreal Marsupial Species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi The Sugar Glider ( Petaurus breviceps) is a small gliding Possum native to eastern and northern mainland Australia, New Guinea, and Gliding is a Recreational activity and competitive Sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as Gliders or sailplanes Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the Megachiroptera sub-order are the largest Bats in the world Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the Megachiroptera sub-order are the largest Bats in the world There are no kangaroos on the island. A kangaroo is a Marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods meaning 'large foot' A few brumbies (wild horses) on the island are descendants of horses brought over for the logging industry in 1879. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. ^[17][19]

Reptiles & Amphibians

Goannas, snakes, lizards, skinks and frogs are all present on the island. Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian Monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. Frog species have adapted to the acidic lakes and swamps on the island, and are appropriately called acid frogs. ^[19]

Birds

There are over 350 different species of birds on the island. Birds of prey include sea eagles, peregrine falcon, osprey and kites. Birds of prey are Birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing using their keen senses especially vision A sea eagle (also called erne or ern) is any of a group of birds of prey in the Genus Haliaeetus in the Bird The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus, also called Sea Hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating Bird of prey. A kite is a flying tethered object that depends upon the tension of a tethering system Other common birds include pelicans, terns, honeyeaters, gulls, kingfishers and cockatoos. A pelican is a large water Bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the Bird family Pelecanidae. Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, Gulls (often informally Seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae Kingfishers are small bright colored Birds of the three families Alcedinidae ( River kingfishers, Halcyonidae ( Tree kingfishers, and Cerylidae ( Water A cockatoo is any of the 20 Bird Species belonging to the family Cacatuidae. A rare, endangered bird on the island is the ground parrot, already extinct in some parts of Australia. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation ^[17][19]

See also

• John Sinclair (environmentalist)

References

External links

• Satellite image from Google Maps
• Fraser Island travel photos including gallery of all of Australia.
• World Heritage Sites
• FraserIsland.info Offers extensive information about all aspects of Fraser Island

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic