The Whitsunday Islands are 74

continental islands An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be calle ...

of various sizes off the central coast of

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, north of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of

Bowen Bowen may refer to: Places Australia * Bowen, Queensland, a town * Bowen Hills, Queensland, a suburb ** Bowen Hills railway station, a railway station in Bowen Hills ** Bowen Park, Brisbane, a park in Bowen Hills * Bowen Bridge, crossing the Derw ...

, while the southernmost islands are off the coast by Proserpine. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the commercial centre is Hamilton Island. The traditional owners of the area are the Ngaro people and the Gia people, whose Juru people has the only legally recognised native title in the Whitsunday Region. The islands are within the locality of Whitsundays and the local government Whitsunday Region. In 2009, as part of the

Q150 Q150 was the sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) of the Separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Separation established the Colony of Queensland which became the State of Queensland in 1901 as part of the Federation of Australia. ...

celebrations, the Whitsunday Islands became one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for their role as a natural attraction.

Naming

On Sunday 3 June 1770, (the day Whitsun—

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers o ...

was celebrated on the Christian calendar) Captain James Cook sailed his ship H.M.B. Endeavour, through a broad expanse of islands which provided an unimpeded passage to the north. Cook named the passage "Whitsundays' Passage". Cook's recorded times and dates are often questioned. Time quoted is simply local time (calculated at Noon), the Date recorded is a little more confusing. Cook recorded Marine Time (PM comes before AM or GMT+12 hours). Considering the

International Date Line The International Date Line (IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the South and North Poles and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific ...

, and knowing today's date on the East Coast of Australia is calculated at GMT+10 - Cook's recorded date is fortuitously correct. Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

There is some contention as to exactly which islands are within the informally named Whitsunday Islands, in particular those at the southern extremity and the inclusions to the west. What is certain is that they lie within the chain named Cumberland Isles by Captain Cook (now officially the

Cumberland Islands The Cumberland Islands form a group of 70 islands at on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Mackay, Queensland, Mackay in Queensland, Australia. They were discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770. In 1770 James Cook (then a lieutenant in th ...

) and a reasonably defined section of that chain and surrounding waters have become known worldwide as The Whitsundays, based on a contraction of the Whitsunday Islands designation.

Tourism

The Whitsunday islands are a popular tourist destination for travellers to Queensland and the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

with the area being one of the most popular yachting destinations in the Southern Hemisphere. The islands received about 700,000 visitors between March 2008 and March 2009. The

Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the H ...

is a mix of seaways and short walks, crossing South Molle, Hook and Whitsunday islands. The tracks across the islands are linked by seaways suited to kayaking, sailing or powerboating. Camping is available at eight camping areas on the three islands. Several islands have large resorts, offering a wide variety of accommodation and activities. Chartering a yacht or bareboating is a popular way to explore the seaways, beaches and coves. The Ngaro Whitsundays Underwater Art Trail is a series on sculptures of Turtle, Manta ray, Maori wrasse, Coral polyp and a traditional piece named Bywa. They are located in shallow water depths assessable for snorkelling.

Components

There are a total of 74 islands and islets among all the groups in the Whitsundays.

Whitsunday group

The most notable islands in the main Whitsunday group are named Dent, Hamilton,

Hayman Hayman is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Al Hayman (1847–1917), business partner of Charles Frohman in ''Theatrical Syndicate'' *Andy Hayman, CBE, QPM (born 1959), retired British police officer, ...

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

and Whitsunday which features the white sands of

Whitehaven Beach Whitehaven Beach is on Whitsunday Island, Australia. The island is accessible by boat, seaplane & helicopter from Airlie Beach, as well as Hamilton Island. It lies across from Stockyard Beach, better known as Chalkie's Beach, on Haslewood Isl ...

Lindeman group

The best known island in the Lindeman group is its namesake Lindeman Island ({{Coord, -20.4456, 149.0425, type:isle_region:AU-QLD, name=Lindemann Island). However the largest island in the group is Shaw Island ({{Coord, -20.4867, 149.0756, type:isle_region:AU-QLD, name=Shaw Island).{{Cite QPN, 30595, Shaw Island, island in the Mackay Region, access-date=31 August 2021

Molle group

The most notable islands in the Molle group are Daydream Island (formerly West Molle Island), Long Island and

South Molle Island South Molle Island, part of the Whitsunday Islands, is a resort island in the Whitsunday section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia. The hilly island has numerous bays and inlets accessible by 16 km of walking and cycling t ...

Northern group

Some of the islands in the Northern group are Armit, Gloucester and Saddleback. File:Whitsunday islands.jpg,

on Whitsunday Island File:WhitsundayIslandBeach.JPG, Hill inlet, north of Whitehaven Beach File:06. Whiteheaven Beach.jpg, Panoramic view of the Whitsunday Islands File:Planton_Island.JPG, Planton Island File:A206, Whitsunday Islands National Park, Australia, sunset over mainland from summit of South Molle Island, 2007.JPG, Sunset over mainland from summit of

's Mount Jeffreys

Table of islands

Listed below are islands of The Whitsundays, divided by group locality. Named rocks and islets can be found listed within the entry for the nearest island to that feature. {, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable", Island!!style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable", Capital !!style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable", Adjacent islets and features!!style="background: #CCC;", Area (km²) !!style="background: #CCC;", Population , -style="background:#F2E0CE;" ,

Lindeman Islands The Whitsunday Islands are 74 continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Brisbane. The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of Bowen, while the southernmost islands are ...

, , Lindeman Island , , , , align="right", 30.34, , align="right", 10 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Baynham Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.074, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Comston Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.236, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Gaibirra Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.323, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Keyser Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.577, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Lindeman Island , , , , , , align="right", 6.789, , align="right", 10 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Little Lindeman Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.49, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Maher Island , , , , Jesus Point , , align="right", 0.94, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Mansell Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.177, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Other , , , , Ann Island, Cole Island , , align="right", 0.222, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Pentecost Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.25, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Seaforth Island , , , , North Beach , , align="right", 0.265, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Shaw Island , , , , Neck Bay, Burning Point , , align="right", 15.62, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Thomas Island , , , , Thomas Bay, Dead Dog Point , , align="right", 2.23, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Triangle Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.115, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Volskow Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.032, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#F2E0CE;" , Molle Islands , ,

, , , , align="right", 20.17, , align="right", 150 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Daydream Island , , , , Coral Beach, Lovers Beach, Mermaids Beach, Sunset Beach , , align="right", 0.23, , align="right", 30 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Denman Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.095, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Goat Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.047, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Long Island , , , , Base Point, Fire Point, Happy Bay, Paradise Bay, Pelican Beach, Peppers Palm Bay, Sandy Bay, Spit Point , , align="right", 10.6, , align="right", 80 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Mid Molle Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.13, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , North Molle Island , , , , , , align="right", 2.643, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Other , , , , Gunn Island, Repair Island, Shute Island, Tancerd Island , , align="right", 0.588, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Pine Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.063, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Planton Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.114, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" ,

, , , , Bauer Bay , , align="right", 4.66, , align="right", 40 , -style="background:#F2E0CE;" , Northern Group , , Gloucester Island , , , , align="right", 33.56, , align="right", 1 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Armit Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.05, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Double Cone Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.4, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Eshelby Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.13, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Gloucester Island , , , , , , align="right", 26.8, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Grassy Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.29, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Gumbrell Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.47, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Manta Ray Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.32, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Middle Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.43, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Olden Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.43, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Poole Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.19, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Rattray Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.23, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Saddleback Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.58, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Stone Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.24, , align="right", 1 , -style="background:#F2E0CE;" , The Whitsunday Group , , Hamilton Island , , , , align="right", 198.75, , align="right", 1409 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Bird Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.017, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Black Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.05, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Border Island , , , , Cateran Bay , , align="right", 3.066, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Cid Island , , , , Bench Point, Gilling Point , , align="right", 2.95, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Cowrie Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.024, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Deloraine Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.172, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Dent Island , , , , , , align="right", 4.13, , align="right", 2 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Dumbell Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.141, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Dungarra Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.094, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Esk Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.1, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Fitzalan Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.054, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Hamilton Island , , , , Crab Bay, South Head, Driftwood Bay, Coral Cove, Escape Beach, Broken Point, Sunrise Bay, Hideaway Bay, Catseye Bay, Pebble Beach, Airport Beach , , align="right", 7.98, , align="right", 1350 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Harold Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.345, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Haslewood Island , , , , , , align="right", 7.941, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" ,

Hayman Island Hayman Island is the most northerly of the Whitsunday Islands, off the coast of Central Queensland in the locality of Whitsundays in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. The island is . It is a private island open to the public, most f ...

, , , , Dolphin Point, Tower Point, Rescue Beach, Groper Point, Arkhurst Point, Blue Pearl Bay, Royal Hayman Hotel , , align="right", 3.78, , align="right", 50 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Henning Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.496, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" ,

Hook Island Hook Island is one of the Whitsunday Islands off the coast of the Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australia ...

, , , , , , align="right", 54.87, , align="right", 5 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Ireby Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.046, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Langford Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.093, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Lupton Island , , , , , , align="right", 1.05, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Nicolson Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.163, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Other , , , , Buddibuddi Island, Yuindalla Island, Petrel Island, Arkhurst Island, Plum Pudding Island, , align="right", 0.904, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Perseverance Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.342, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Teague Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.558, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Titan Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.011, , align="right", 2 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Whitsunday Island , , , , , , align="right", 109, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Wirrainbeia Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.04, , align="right", 0 , -style="background:#AEE0F2;" , Workington Island , , , , , , align="right", 0.333, , align="right", 0 , - , -style="background:#F2E0CE;" , class="sortbottom" , Whitsunday Islands , , Totals , , , , align="right", 282.82, , align="right", 1570

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{Commons category {{Wikivoyage, Whitsunday Islands
Whitsunday Regional Council

Whitsunday Islands
at NASA Earth Observatory
Whitsunday National Park islands: Nature, culture and history
{{1stVoyageCookAus {{North Queensland {{Authority control Regions of Queensland Islands of Queensland