Bathurst Bay
Encyclopedia
Bathurst Bay is the name of a 19th century peninsula
settlement
that is now a tourist attraction
on Cape York
in northern Queensland
, near the Great Barrier Reef
. The British
first settled Bathurst Bay sometime in the early-19th Century. The settlement had few tradable goods because of its climate
and terrain. The site became important in the mid- to late-19th Century as an anchor
age for the pearling
fleet, which was discovering valuable oyster pearls. By the 1890s, the pearling fleet was the only reason for continued settlement.
This settlement was destroyed on March 4, 1899 when Cyclone Mahina
passed through northern Queensland. Since Federation
in 1901, Bathurst Bay has become a popular fishing
area. The bay itself is a part of the Cook Shire (seated in Cooktown), but few people have settled the bay area. The once-abundant forest
s have not regrown, mainly because of continuing salt damage to the land by the tidal wave.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
settlement
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
that is now a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
on Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
in northern 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...
, near the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
. The British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
first settled Bathurst Bay sometime in the early-19th Century. The settlement had few tradable goods because of its climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and terrain. The site became important in the mid- to late-19th Century as an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
age for the pearling
Pearl hunting
Pearl hunting or pearl diving refers to a largely obsolete method of retrieving pearls from pearl oysters, freshwater pearl mussels and, on rare occasions, other nacre-producing molluscs, such as abalone.-History:...
fleet, which was discovering valuable oyster pearls. By the 1890s, the pearling fleet was the only reason for continued settlement.
This settlement was destroyed on March 4, 1899 when Cyclone Mahina
Cyclone Mahina
Cyclone Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Australia and the surrounding region with a devastating storm surge on 4 March 1899, killing over 400 people, the largest death toll of any natural disaster in Australian history.-Intensity:...
passed through northern Queensland. Since Federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
in 1901, Bathurst Bay has become a popular fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
area. The bay itself is a part of the Cook Shire (seated in Cooktown), but few people have settled the bay area. The once-abundant forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s have not regrown, mainly because of continuing salt damage to the land by the tidal wave.