Pelorus Island, also known as North Palm Island, is the northernmost island of the Great Palm Island group. It is located north of

Orpheus Island Orpheus Island National Park is a national park on Orpheus Island, in North Queensland, Australia. The Aboriginal (possibly Nyawaygi) name for this island is Goolboddi Island. It is one of the Palm Islands group, northwest of Brisbane, as is ...

, and covers an area of about . Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Orpheus Island was inhabited by an

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, probably the

Nyawigi The Nyawigi people, also spelt Nyawaygi, Nywaigi, or Nawagi, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose original country was around Halifax Bay in Far North Queensland. They may also have inhabited Orpheus Island. Language An early record sugge ...

people. It was known as Yanooa and Guyroogarrie in one or more Aboriginal languages (possibly

Nyawaygi The Nyawigi people, also spelt Nyawaygi, Nywaigi, or Nawagi, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose original country was around Halifax Bay in Far North Queensland. They may also have inhabited Orpheus Island. Language An early record sugges ...

?). The island was named after HMS ''Pelorus'', flagship on the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

1860-62. In 2017 the Morris family bought Pelorus Island, who own the Northern Escape Collection; Chris Morris being the

Computershare Computershare Limited is an Australian stock transfer company that provides corporate trust, stock transfer and employee share plan services in a number of different countries. The company currently has offices in 20 countries, including A ...

mogul. On behalf of the

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. The authority ...

Multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...

designed and constructed a

navigation structure A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

and

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard ...

to service the structure. Pelorus is surrounded by spectacular fringing reefs that can be accessed by

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, ...

right off the beach. The island is managed by the

Hinchinbrook Shire Council The Shire of Hinchinbrook is a local government area in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Ingham, covers an area of , and has existed since its creation on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions ...

, with its fragile environment protected by both state and federal environmental provisions. Permission from

Parks Australia Director of National Parks is a government-owned corporation of the Australian government responsible for the management of a portfolio of terrestrial and marine protected areas proclaimed under the ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Cons ...

is not needed for

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

, but there are no facilities or

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does incl ...

on the island, so all provisions need to be taken there.

References

{{Great Palm Island group Great Palm Island group

See also

References