Biology:Bedarra Island
| Bedarra Island | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Queensland |
| Nearest city | Mission Beach |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] : 18°00′14″S 146°08′56″E / 18.00389°S 146.14889°E |
| Area | 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi) |
Bedarra Island (also known as Richards Island) is one of the Family Islands group within the locality of Dunk in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.[1]
Geography
The island consists of pristine coral sandy beaches with coves formed by giant granite boulders and fringed with lush green jungle. Bedarra is a continental island made up of granite boulder formations that rise to moderately high rocky peaks, with steep granite escarpments on the north-easterly and south-easterly aspects.[2]
The Sandspit
All the islands in the Family Group have a shelving sandspit at their northwestern corner giving them a family "resemblance". These sandspits offer ideal sheltered boat landings and deep water swimming at the lowest tide. The sand is drawn out into a narrow spit by the wave action and sea currents from the prevailing sou'easters and nor'easters. Bedarra Island has a northwest sandspit.[2][3]
History
Captain James Cook first placed the Family Isles on the map when exploring the coast of Australia in Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. in June 1770. He named the larger "The Father Isle" or Dunk Island, after the First Lord of the Admiralty, Montagu Dunk, the Earl of Sandwich. The next largest island he called "The Mother Isle" which became known as Bedarra Island. The other islands he referred to as "The Children".
Allason, inspired by Banfields book Confessions of A Beachcomber,[4] purchased Bedarra from the Queensland Lands Department in 1913 for 20 pounds. He and his wife settled there until he was forced to return to Europe when World War I broke out. When Allason on-sold the property to the Harris syndicate of London in 1934 it looked for a time like it might become a home for underprivileged boys.
Climate
Cyclone Yasi
Fauna
Sea turtles and dugongs can be observed around Bedarra Island and recently Migaloo, the white humped back whale, was spotted from a lookout engaged in its annual migration north (late June).[5]
The most easily observed bird life in the rainforest, are the large mound builders – the orange footed scrub fowl.[3][6][7]
Tourism
Noel Wood
Australian artist Noel Wood (1912–2001) visited the island in 1936 and negotiated the purchase of a site near the mangroves on one side of the peninsula. He was a colourful modernist, landscape artist and early conservationist managed the property and painted at East Bedarra for close to 60-years. Noel Wood named many of its picturesque locations including Melaleuca Beach, The Mangroves, Calophyllum Beach, Casurina Beach, Valley Beach, Orchid Beach, Tiki Beach and Hernandia Bay. This is confirmed by author James Porter[8] a direct relative of Wood. Wood also named the Coral Gardens as a reference to Banfield's memories of Dunk Island in "Confessions of a Beachcomber".
An artists' haven
There is a brass plaque at the northern end of Bingil Bay - the tribute from poet Judith Wright reads "John Busst, Artist and lover of beauty, who thought that man and nature might survive".[9][10][11][12][13]
Helen's eulogy makes mention of a footpath that she worked on from her studio, past the spring towards the beach and that the residents on the island had nicknamed the pathway "Helen's Highway".[6][14]
Ownership changes
In 1980, Australian Airlines, owners of the neighbouring Dunk Island Resort, purchased Ken and Cynthia Druitt's holding, ultimately creating Bedarra Hideaway Resort and running day trips for Dunk Island guests. The airline also acquired Toranna Plantation which in 1988 was transformed into the exclusive Bedarra Bay Resort. Bedarra Hideaway Resort was closed in October 1991 after Qantas took over Australian Airlines. P&O purchased the properties in March 1998 and after extensive refurbishment over several years sold to Voyages Hotels & Resorts in August 2004.[15][16][17] In September 2009, it was purchased by Hideaway Resorts.[18]
In 2011 Bedarra Island Resort was purchased by the Charlton Hotel group who repaired damage to the resort caused by Cyclone Yasi and re-opened the resort to guests in July 2013.[19]
References
- ↑ "Bedarra Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 2022)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/qld/environment/land/place-names/search#/search=Bedarra_Island&types=0&place=Bedarra_Island2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Porter, James G (2000), A family of islands : the Dunk and Bedarra Island group, North Queensland, Boolarong Press, ISBN 978-0-86439-208-4
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Banfield, E. J. (1908), The confessions of a beachcomber, T. F. Unwin, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6605553, retrieved 26 March 2016
- ↑ "Online Reader - Project Gutenberg". http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1458238.
- ↑ "Fauna". Bedarra Beach House. http://www.bedarrabeachhouse.com.au/factfile/fauna/. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Mission Beach Queensland Australia - Great Barrier Reef - Adventure - World Heritage Rainforest". http://www.missionbeachtourism.com. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
- ↑ Banfield, E. J.; Chisholm, Alec H. (1925), Last leaves from Dunk Island, Angus & Robertson, http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8490700, retrieved 26 March 2016
- ↑ "Discovering the Family Islands (1983), James G Porter Family Estate". https://eastbedarra.com.au/media_library.html#Discovering_the_Family_Islands_Book.
- ↑ "John Busst". James Cook University. 9 February 2016. http://libserver.jcu.edu.au/specials/Archives/busst.html.
- ↑ C4 Resource Guide - presenting Mission beach conservationists
- ↑ "C4 Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation". http://www.cassowaryconservation.asn.au/.
- ↑ "The Australian Womens Weekly Index 1946 - 1971". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120330035215/http://www.socsci.flinders.edu.au/wmst/WWIndex/record.php?id=2013. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ↑ Bingil Bay Bulletin - July 2006
- ↑ C4 Resource Guide - presenting Mission Beach conservationists
- ↑ Qantas sells resorts Australian Aviation issue 138 April 1998 page 21
- ↑ Lizard bound for P&O treasures chest Australian Financial Review 24 February 1999
- ↑ GPT buys P&O resorts for $225m Australian Financial Review 8 July 2004
- ↑ Islands receive a facelift Australian Financial Review 15 October 2009
- ↑ Bedarra Island Resort coming back to life The Courier-Mail 24 November 2011
External links
- Dictionary of Australian Artists
- Bedarra Island Sydney Morning Herald
- "Drunken Drongos and Suntanned Soap Stars", The Daily Telegraph, 27 March 2004
- 'Confessions of A Beachcomber', Banfield, Project Guttenberg
- 'Discovering the Family Islands (1983) James G Porter Family Estate, First published 1983 Australian Conservation Foundation
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