Restoration Island National Park

Restoration Island is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 1928 km northwest of Brisbane and a few hundred metres from Cape Weymouth and the Iron Range National Park.

On 29 May 1789, after the mutiny on the "Bounty", Captain Bligh and the men who remained loyal to him arrived on the island in the ship's boat. This was the first island they came to, and he named it Restoration Island because the food they found greatly restored their spirits and because that date was the anniversary of the restoration of King Charles II (in 1660). [gutenberg|no=15411|name=A Voyage to the South Sea by William Bligh]

Bligh saw evidence of the local aborigines using the island (rough huts and places fires had been made). He also saw kangaroo tracks and wondered if the aborigines brought them from the mainland to breed, since they'd be easier to catch later in the confined space of an island. (When leaving the following day he saw aborigines on an opposite shore, but didn't communicate with them.)

Today is Restoration Island not just a National Park, one third of the island belongs to private owners. Visitors who want to see the island and live there for a while firstly have to go to Lockhart River and try to get in contact with friends of the caretaker to arrange a meeting.

Fact sheet

*"Area:" 0.26 km²
*"Coordinates": coord|12|37|13|S|143|26|49|E|type:landmark_region:AU
*"Date of establishment:" 1989
*"Managing authorities:" Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
*"IUCN category:" II

References

See also

* Protected areas of Queensland (Australia)

Aerial photos & maps