Bramble Cay
Encyclopedia
Bramble Cay, also called Naizab Kaur, Massaramcoer or Baramaki, and located at the northeastern edge of the Torres Strait Islands
of Queensland
and at the same time at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef
, is the northernmost point of land of Australia
. It is also 55 km southeast of the mouth of the Fly River
of Papua New Guinea
, at the southeastern tip of Kiwai Island
.
It is a sand cay
with an area of 3.62 ha
(as of 1995), of which 1.72 ha in the center is grassland.
After several shipwrecks, the first lighthouse
, a 42 feet (12.8 m) pyramidal steel tower, was finally erected in 1924. It was demolished in 1954 and replaced by the present lighthouse, a 17 metres (55.8 ft) stainless steel tower, was equipped with solar power on January 6, 1987. There are maintenance visits by A.M.S.A. vessels every three to six months.
The island is a breeding place of Green Turtles. The sea is rich with algae
. As a result, algae loving species of fish such as unicornfish, wrasse
and trumpetfish
are found in the waters around.
About five kilometres to the southwest are the Black Rocks, also called Rebes, which rise one metre above the water. Three kilometres northeast maps show submerged Nautilus Reef, the existence
of which is doubtful.
Bramble Cay and the reefs and rocks close by are separated from other reefs and islets further south by Bligh Channel (Bligh Entrance). To the north and northwest, the Great North East Channel separates them from the coast of Papua New Guinea
(Parama Island
), which is 48 km to the north.
Administratively, Bramble Cay is part of the Shire of Torres
, specifically of the Eastern Islands Region. Although the island is located 25 km north of the Seabed and Fisheries Jurisdiction Line between Australia and Papua New Guinea, the Australian souvereignity is undisputed and explicitly recognized by Papua New Guinea.
Customary tenure of Bramble Cay is held by the people of Darnley Island, the closest inhabited island, 45 km SSW
. Darnley Islanders travel to Bramble Cay to collect turtle and bird eggs during the nesting season, and also grant people of the neighboring Eastern Islands, Stephens Island and Murray Island, permission to collect.
The closest islet is uninhabited Underdown Islet, about 40 km south. Papua New Guinea
, specifically Parama Island
, is 48 km WNW. The Papua New Guinean city of Daru
, the provincial capital of Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
, is some 70 km west of Bramble Cay.
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
of 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...
and at the same time at the northern end of 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...
, is the northernmost point of land of 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...
. It is also 55 km southeast of the mouth of the Fly River
Fly River
The Fly at , is the second longest river, after the Sepik, in Papua New Guinea. The Fly is the largest river in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall ranks as the twenty-fifth largest river in the world by volume of discharge...
of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, at the southeastern tip of Kiwai Island
Kiwai Island
Kiwai Island is the largest island in the Fly River delta, Papua New Guinea. It is 59 km long along the northwest-southeast axis from Wamimuba Point in the northwest to the village of Saguane in the south, and up to 9 km wide, with an average width of 5.6 km. Its area is 359 km²...
.
It is a sand cay
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
with an area of 3.62 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
(as of 1995), of which 1.72 ha in the center is grassland.
After several shipwrecks, the first lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
, a 42 feet (12.8 m) pyramidal steel tower, was finally erected in 1924. It was demolished in 1954 and replaced by the present lighthouse, a 17 metres (55.8 ft) stainless steel tower, was equipped with solar power on January 6, 1987. There are maintenance visits by A.M.S.A. vessels every three to six months.
The island is a breeding place of Green Turtles. The sea is rich with algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
. As a result, algae loving species of fish such as unicornfish, wrasse
Wrasse
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 82 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes....
and trumpetfish
Trumpetfish
Trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus, are long bodied fish with upturned mouths, that often swim vertically while trying to blend with vertical coral, like sea rods, sea pens, and pipe sponges.-Habitat:...
are found in the waters around.
About five kilometres to the southwest are the Black Rocks, also called Rebes, which rise one metre above the water. Three kilometres northeast maps show submerged Nautilus Reef, the existence
Phantom island
Phantom islands are islands that were believed to exist, and appeared on maps for a period of time during recorded history, but were later removed after they were proved to be nonexistent...
of which is doubtful.
Bramble Cay and the reefs and rocks close by are separated from other reefs and islets further south by Bligh Channel (Bligh Entrance). To the north and northwest, the Great North East Channel separates them from the coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
(Parama Island
Parama Island
Parama Island is an island close off the south coast of Papua New Guinea. It is located 17 km east of Daru, the provincial capital of Western Province , at the southernmost extreme of the Fly River delta, and at the northeastern corner of the Torres Strait...
), which is 48 km to the north.
Administratively, Bramble Cay is part of the Shire of Torres
Shire of Torres
The Shire of Torres is a Local Government Area located in Far North Queensland, Australia, covering large sections of the Torres Strait Islands and the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula north of 11°S latitude...
, specifically of the Eastern Islands Region. Although the island is located 25 km north of the Seabed and Fisheries Jurisdiction Line between Australia and Papua New Guinea, the Australian souvereignity is undisputed and explicitly recognized by Papua New Guinea.
Customary tenure of Bramble Cay is held by the people of Darnley Island, the closest inhabited island, 45 km SSW
SSW
SSW is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:* South-SouthWest compass direction, see: Boxing the compass* SSW, the callsign of a TV station in the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia* St...
. Darnley Islanders travel to Bramble Cay to collect turtle and bird eggs during the nesting season, and also grant people of the neighboring Eastern Islands, Stephens Island and Murray Island, permission to collect.
The closest islet is uninhabited Underdown Islet, about 40 km south. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, specifically Parama Island
Parama Island
Parama Island is an island close off the south coast of Papua New Guinea. It is located 17 km east of Daru, the provincial capital of Western Province , at the southernmost extreme of the Fly River delta, and at the northeastern corner of the Torres Strait...
, is 48 km WNW. The Papua New Guinean city of Daru
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
, the provincial capital of Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
Western Province is a coastal province in southwestern Papua New Guinea, bordering the Indonesian province of Papua. The provincial capital is Daru, on the island of Daru. The largest town in the province is Tabubil...
, is some 70 km west of Bramble Cay.