How old are the Aborigines of Fraser Island?
A History of Aborigines of Fraser Island Aborigines have occupied all of Australia, including what is now Fraser Island, for more than 50,000 years. Since Fraser Island became an island with rising sea levels over 6,000 years ago, it has been a very productive territory and home to thousands at a time.
What is Fraser Island called now?
(CNN) — Australia's Fraser Island is the latest destination to have its Aboriginal name restored. The world's largest sand island, which is located off the coast of Queensland state about 250 km (155 miles) north of Brisbane, will now be officially known as K'Gari.
What does Fraser Island mean to the Butchulla?
In the Butchulla people’s language, Fraser Island was known as “K’gari” (pronounced “gurri”) meaning “paradise”. Butchulla translates as “the sea people”.
Did Dutch sailors ever meet Aborigines on Fraser Island?
These suggest some contact between Dutch sailors and Aborigines in this period, although there is no direct evidence that the contact occurred on Fraser Island as the pipes could have been traded. In 1770 Captain Cook was the first recorded European to sight Fraser Island.
What is the Aboriginal history of Fraser Island?
The Butchulla people are the Traditional Owners of K'gari (Fraser Island). For more than 5000 years, perhaps as many as 50,000 years, Butchulla people lived in harmony with the seasons and the land and sea, maintaining a balance between spiritual, social and family connections.
Did aboriginal people live on Fraser Island?
Fraser Island Aboriginal History The Butchulla people are the indigenous people of Fraser Island.
Who was the first person on Fraser Island?
Population numbers are unknown though it has been said that during times of plentiful resources up to 2,000 people lived on the island with the stable number around 300 to 400. Captain Cook first sighted the Fraser Island Butchulla people during 1770 and named Indian Head on the eastern beach after them.
Why is Fraser Island important to Aboriginal?
Aborigines have occupied all of Australia, including what is now Fraser Island, for more than 50,000 years. Since Fraser Island became an island with rising sea levels over 6,000 years ago, it has been a very productive territory and home to thousands at a time.
What is Aboriginal name for Fraser Island?
K'gariAustralia's Fraser Island Reverts Back To Its Indigenous Name, K'gari The name change comes after years of activism from the Butchulla Aboriginal people, who inhabited the island before colonization. K'gari means "paradise" in the Butchulla language.
Why is Fraser Island called K Gari?
The name 'K'gari' (pronounced 'gurri') is a Butchulla word meaning paradise, meaning that before the island was known as 'Fraser' it was seen and known as a paradise to its original inhabitants.
When did they stop logging on Fraser Island?
December, 1991Although logging operations ceased on Fraser Island in December, 1991, the impacts and scars from almost 130 years of logging are still very evident.
When did people start living on Fraser Island?
Archaeological research and evidence shows that Aboriginal Australians occupied Fraser Island at least 5,000 years ago. There was a permanent population of 400–600 that grew to 2,000–3,000 in the winter months due to abundant seafood resources.
How old is Fraser Island?
750,000 years agoThe Formation of Fraser Island's Sand Dunes The sand dunes of Fraser Island formed over 750,000 years ago. Developing as sand sediment was slowly pushed from the southeast coast of Australia all the way to the outter ocean by the wind and current.
What is the significance of Fraser Island?
K'gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values.
Who discovered Fraser Island?
Captain CookCaptain Cook first sighted the Fraser Island in May 1770. Cook named the island "Great Sandy Peninsula" in the mistaken belief it was connected to the mainland. In 1799 Matthew Flinders in the 'Norfolk' explored parts of Hervey Bay and discovered the peninsula was, in fact, an island.
What is Fraser Island now called?
The Fraser Island portion of the Great Sandy National Park was changed to K'gari (Fraser Island) National Park in 2017. This latest change is specifically in relation to the UNESCO World Heritage area. K'gari is among a growing number of places around Australia that have returned to their Indigenous names.
When did they stop logging on Fraser Island?
December, 1991Although logging operations ceased on Fraser Island in December, 1991, the impacts and scars from almost 130 years of logging are still very evident.
When did Fraser Island become a World Heritage Site?
1992K'gari (Fraser Island) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. K'gari (Fraser Island) was one of 15 World Heritage places included in the National Heritage List on 21 May 2007. K'gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world.
Who discovered Fraser Island?
Captain CookCaptain Cook first sighted the Fraser Island in May 1770. Cook named the island "Great Sandy Peninsula" in the mistaken belief it was connected to the mainland. In 1799 Matthew Flinders in the 'Norfolk' explored parts of Hervey Bay and discovered the peninsula was, in fact, an island.
What happened on Fraser Island?
For a short period the island was known as Great Sandy Island before becoming Fraser Island, named after James Fraser who died there after become shipwrecked on a nearby reef. In 1992, Fraser Island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site....Fraser Island.Fraser Island QueenslandFederal division(s)Wide Bay11 more rows
Who made Fraser Island?
The Creation of Fraser Island (K’Gari) - a Butchulla Legend. (From stories told by direct descendent and Elder of the Butchulla people – Olga Miller) Beiral , the great God in the sky, made all the people. But after he made the people, Beiral realised that the people had no lands!
How did the arrival of European explorers and settlers affect Aboriginal life on the island?
The arrival of European explorers and settlers around 1840 ( see my previous Blog post) had a devastating impact upon Aboriginal life on the island. Weapons, disease, hostility and government intervention forced the Butchulla people from their traditional homelands over the ensuing years, with only 250 survivors remaining by 1890.
What is the name of the sea people on Fraser Island?
Butchulla translates as “the sea people”. Archaeological evidence suggests Aboriginal settlements existed on Fraser Island at least 5000 years ago. The Butchulla (Badtjala) people were the primary claimants of the island, and also controlled the mainland territory to Bauple Mountain, including the current locations of Maryborough and Hervey Bay.
When did the Australian Prime Minister apologize to Indigenous Australians?
On 13 th February, 2008 an official apology was made to Indigenous Australians delivered by the Australian Prime Minister on behalf of Parliament and the Australian people, specifically for treatment of Indigenous Australians during the above period (1900 – 1950).
Is there a Butchulla tribe?
There are now only a handful of surviving descendents of the Butchulla people, some of whom once again live within the Fraser Coast region. Their history and legends are important, and efforts are being made to find and preserve important cultural sites so that this history can be shared with future generations. Proposals have recently been made to officially change the name of the island back to its traditional name of “K’gari”.
What is Fraser Island?
Fraser Island is a snapshot that reflects a scene that is happening all around Australia where very little effort goes into remembering the lives lost at massacre sites all across the country.
What happened to the Aboriginal people during the frontier?
Many Aboriginal people were shot and poisoned during this frontier conflict and there are numerous stories which detail how groups were herded into the sea. One of these events happened at the popular cliff-top tourist spot known as Indian Head which serves as a lookout for hundreds of tourists each day.
How many tourists visit Fraser Island each year?
Fraser Island’s brutal frontier history still remains widely unknown to the almost 1 million tourists who visit each year. Although the area has been populated by the local Butchulla People for thousands of years, little information of their history can be found.
Did tourists hunt down Aboriginal people?
But the majority of tourists come and go without learning about significant events that involved the local Indigenous population. On more than one occasion, hunting parties were sent out and even paid to hunt down Aboriginal people on the island.
What is Fraser Island?
Fraser Island (K'gari) is the traditional land of the Butchulla Aboriginal people and a world heritage area. Photo credit:
Who was the first English explorer to set foot on Fraser Island?
Early impressions of the region were not positive. Matthew Flinders, the first English explorer to set foot on Fraser Island in 1802, noted: 'Nothing can be imagined more barren than this peninsula'. That perception changed in 1842, when pioneer Andrew Petrie reported good pastoral lands and excellent forests in the area. This attracted settlers, who grazed horses, sheep and cattle at Cooloola and K'gari.
How long have Aboriginal people lived in Great Sandy?
Archaeological evidence suggests Aboriginal people have lived in the Great Sandy area for at least 5000 years, but they may have been here far longer. Butchulla people inhabited K'gari and the adjacent mainland living a complex, self-sufficient way of life intimately connected with the seasons, the land, and life on it. The abundance of marine life along the coast provided the Butchulla with many foods, including fish and shellfish. Food also came from the forests, along with bark for canoes and shelters, vines for nets, and grasses and piccabeen palm fronds for baskets.
When did sand mining start in K'gari?
Small-scale mining for heavy minerals, mainly rutile and zircon, began with mining leases granted on K'gari in 1949. Sandmining exploration increased in the 1960s, attracting opposition from conservation-minded individuals and community groups. Their efforts eventually ended sandmining in Great Sandy in 1976, while logging stopped in late 1991. National parks were declared in the northern part of K'gari in 1971 with more additions in later years. 1992 saw the significant listing of K'gari (Fraser Island) as a World Heritage Area.
Where is Fraser Island?
Once on Fraser Island it can be found 45km north of Hook Point and 8.6km inland from the eastern beach township of Eurong.
Where did the aboriginals birth their babies?
It was a sanctuary for the aboriginal women to birth their babies under the rainforest canopy along the banks of Wanggoolba creek.
What is Central Station on Fraser Island?
Central station is a camping area on Fraser island. It’s located along Wanggoolba creek in the rainforest filled centre of the island. It is a beautiful location. It also has loads to look at and discover nearby.
Who was the first person to see Fraser Island?
Initial European contact was limited to explorers and shipwrecks. The first recorded Britisher to sight Fraser Island was James Cook who passed along the coast of the island between 18 and 20 May 1770. He named Indian Head after viewing a number of Aboriginal people gathered on the headland. After Cook's passage an Aboriginal song was composed to commemorate the event. This was later recognised as the first preserved oral testimony of Indigenous observation of Europeans. Matthew Flinders sailed past the island in 1799, and again in 1802, this time landing at Sandy Cape, while charting Hervey Bay. His 1814 chart is a combination of both voyages, but did not confirm Fraser Island as being separate from the mainland. However, Flinders did suggest the presence of shallow swampy areas at the lower part of the bay. Flinders was told of an opening at Hook Point, between Fraser Island and the mainland, by two American whalers who were hunting whales in Hervey Bay. In 1842, Andrew Petrie recorded good pastoral lands and forests, attracting graziers to the region. Lieutenant Robert Dayman was the first European to sail between Fraser Island and the mainland in 1847.
Where is Fraser Island?
Fraser Island or K'gari is the traditional land of the Butchulla people, and a heritage-listed island located along the southeastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is a locality within the Fraser Coast Region local government area.
What is the pH level of Fraser Island?
Because of the organic acids, a pH level as low as 3.7 has been measured in some of the island's perched lakes. The acidity prevents many species from inhabiting the lakes. Another perched lake on Fraser Island is Lake Boomanjin which, at 200 hectares in size, is the largest perched lake on any sea island in the world.
Why are the Fraser Island lakes so bad?
The foredunes are used as a toilet by bush campers, who are estimated to number 90,000 each year. Many of the perched lakes have no outflow or inflow which exacerbates the problem. Water quality in some lakes is being affected by storm water run-off from dune roads, and by swimmers' use of sunscreen.
Why is Fraser Island called Great Sandy Island?
The island became known as Fraser Island due to the stories of a shipwreck survivor named Eliza Fraser. The island is a popular tourism destination.
When did the Butchulla people start to occupy the mainland?
Non-Indigenous occupation of the Butchulla-owned mainland area began in 1847, sparking frontier conflict which was brutal, fatal, and vastly in favour of the non-Indigenous people. Pre-existing Butchulla ownership of the land, established customs, or occupation patterns vital to their survival were not considered or accommodated by non-Indigenous occupants in 'settlements', and the Butchulla people strongly resisted non-Indigenous occupation. Retribution for crimes, perceived or actual, was enacted indiscriminately rather than upon any individual suspect. With the growing non-Indigenous occupation of Butchulla-owned mainland area, Fraser Island became a refuge for Butchulla people and became seen as a threat to non-Indigenous occupants.
How long is the island of Talboor?
Its length is about 123 kilometres (76 mi) and its width is approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi).
Sea Levels Affected Aboriginal Territories
First European Contacts
- There is evidence that Europeans may have made contact with Fraser Island Aborigines more than 500 years ago. Lead, identified as having come from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), was found in an old buried shore line near Hook Point on Fraser Island, amongst pumice released in about 1500. It may have come from the Christado de Mendonca 1521-22 expedition. His three Portugu…
Impact Following The Settlement of The Wide Bay District
- Fraser Island Aborigines gained international notoriety through the stories of Eliza Fraser who survived the ship wreck “Stirling Castle” in 1836 with some others. Survivors were fed by the Aborigines and assisted back towards Brisbane and civilization. Eliza told stories of Aboriginal cruelty, savagery and brutality. She made much money by such ta...