Holbourne Island National Park
Encyclopedia
Holbourne Island National Park is a national park
in Queensland
(Australia
), 983 km northwest of Brisbane
.
Holbourne Island became well-known in 1875, when 18 survivors of the shipwreck SS Gothenburg
reached its shores. Four survivors arrived on a damaged port lifeboat on 25 February, where they survived by eating raw bird's eggs and drinking rain water that had pooled in the island rocks. The following day, 14 survivors from a starboard lifeboat also landed. Because rescue was uncertain, the survivors engraved
their names on the concave side of a large turtle
shell, which is displayed in the South Australian Museum
, on North Terrace in Adelaide
.
On Sunday, 28 February, 15 of them set off in the starboard lifeboat for an island about 20 miles (32.2 km) away to the south, which seemed to be more in the track of ships. A rescue ship sent looking for survivors of the Gothenburg, picked up the group and took them safely to Bowen
. The ship subsequently returned to Holbourne Island and rescued the three remaining survivors.
nesting
area.
On 2 September 2001, the 50,000 gross ton bulk carrier Pax Phoenix departed Hay Point, Queensland bound for India
via Singapore
. While passing Holbourne Island, an oil slick was noticed and described as being 60 to 80 m (196.9 to 262.5 ft) in width. Although there were concerns about the effect on the island and wildlife, it eventually dispersed naturally out to sea without impact.
Holbourne Island is often referred to as part of the Coral Sea's
Bermuda Triangle
, as several maritime mysteries are linked to the area.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 983 km northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
History
SS Gothenburg
The SS Gothenburg was a steamship that operated along the British and then later the Australian and New Zealand coastlines. In February 1875, she left Darwin, Australia en route to Adelaide when she encountered a cyclone-strength storm off the north Queensland coast. The ship was wrecked on the...
reached its shores. Four survivors arrived on a damaged port lifeboat on 25 February, where they survived by eating raw bird's eggs and drinking rain water that had pooled in the island rocks. The following day, 14 survivors from a starboard lifeboat also landed. Because rescue was uncertain, the survivors engraved
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
their names on the concave side of a large turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
shell, which is displayed in the South Australian Museum
South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum is a museum in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultural precinct of the Adelaide Parklands.-History:...
, on North Terrace in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
On Sunday, 28 February, 15 of them set off in the starboard lifeboat for an island about 20 miles (32.2 km) away to the south, which seemed to be more in the track of ships. A rescue ship sent looking for survivors of the Gothenburg, picked up the group and took them safely to Bowen
Bowen
-Places:Australia* Bowen, Queensland, a town* Bowen Hills, Queensland, a suburb** Bowen Park, Brisbane, a park in Bowen Hills* Bowen Bridge, crossing the Derwent River in TasmaniaCanada* Bowen Island, British ColumbiaChina* Bowen Road, in Hong KongNigeria...
. The ship subsequently returned to Holbourne Island and rescued the three remaining survivors.
Present day
As well as being a national park, Holbourne Island is well-known as a natural bird sanctuary and turtleTurtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
nesting
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
area.
On 2 September 2001, the 50,000 gross ton bulk carrier Pax Phoenix departed Hay Point, Queensland bound for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. While passing Holbourne Island, an oil slick was noticed and described as being 60 to 80 m (196.9 to 262.5 ft) in width. Although there were concerns about the effect on the island and wildlife, it eventually dispersed naturally out to sea without impact.
Holbourne Island is often referred to as part of the Coral Sea's
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
, as several maritime mysteries are linked to the area.
Fact sheet
- Area: 34 hectares (84 acre)
- Coordinates: 19°43′44"S 148°21′29"E
- Date of establishment: 1982
- Managing authorities: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
- IUCNWorld Conservation UnionThe International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
category: II