Sweers Island
17°06′04″S 139°37′10″E / 17.101131°S 139.619398°E
Sweers Island is an island in the South Wellesley Islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. Most of the island is Aboriginal Freehold Land, held in trust by the Kaiadilt Aboriginal Land Trust (KALT) on behalf of the traditional owners. There is a small private resort owned via a perpetual lease on Crown Land, being the site of a township dating from the 1800s, with the only residents being the owners and workers at the resort.
Sweers Island was the location of "The Investigator Tree" which is now in Queensland Museum.
History
The island was given its European name by explorer
Robert Towns established Burketown in 1865 as a base for his extensive holdings in the Gulf Country. Burketown's development was limited due to the extent of tropical diseases suffered by its inhabitants. When the ship Margaret and Mary arrived in Burketown from Sydney carrying a fever (possibly malaria), the majority of those on board died at Burketown. In the belief that Burketown was inherently unhealthy, William Landsborough evacuated most of the survivors to Sweers Island for 18 months, with only a further two people dying. Towns and Co then traded wool, tallow, hides and skins between Sweers Island and Batavia in October 1868.[3]
Thomas ("Tex") and Lyn Battle, along with Ray & Salme Atherinos, established a low-key fishing lodge on the island in 1987.
The Investigator Tree
In 1841, the island was visited by John Lort Stokes, commander of the Beagle on an exploration of northern Australia. Stokes discovered a tree (Celtis paniculata) on the western part of the island with the word "Investigator" carved into it by Flinders on his 1802 visit, giving the tree the name "The Investigator Tree". Stokes also carved the name "Beagle" on the tree. Subsequent visitors to the island also carved names, including from Augustus Charles Gregory's expedition in 1856 and Landsborough's search for the Burke and Wills expedition in 1861. A cyclone on 5 March 1887 severely damaged the tree, so part of the trunk was removed to the Queensland Museum in 1889.[4]
Geography and governance
Sweers Island is approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) long. It is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of
The island lies within the Shire of Mornington.[2]
Recreation
Recreational activities on Sweers Island include fishing and watching wildlife.
Accommodation, meals and boats are available at the Sweers Island Resort.[7]
Transport
The island has a 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) all-weather gravel airstrip,[8] owned by the resort.[9]
See also
References
- CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Indigenous languages map of Queensland". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Sweers Island (entry 32989)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ "Burketown History". Savannah Lodge. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- Burke Shire Council. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Sweers Island". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Boats & Fishing". Sweers Island Resort. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Sweers Island Resort". Sweers Island Resort. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Getting Here". Sweers Island Resort. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Waterson, Larissa; Dobson, Emily (9 May 2022). "Sweers Island Resort hits market for $3.95m as owners vow 'good people' will take it over". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
External links
Media related to Sweers Island at Wikimedia Commons