Brampton Island, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Brampton Island is an island in the Cumberland Group, off shore from Mackay
in Queensland
, Australia
. The island lies within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
, and the majority of the island forms the Brampton Islands National Park
, however there is a resort
located on the island. The highest point of the island is Brampton Peak, 214 m above sea level.
owners of Brampton Island are the Ngaro people, although no permanent population was present when Captain James Cook passed through the area in June 1770. The island was eventually given its European name in 1879, when Staff Commander Bedwell of the Royal Navy recognised the group of islands and named each after towns in the county of Cumberland.
ship SS Canberra. Busuttin's sons then sold the resort and left in 1959. An airstrip was built on the island in 1965 and a saltwater swimming pool was completed in 1972. In 1985, Trans Australia Airlines
purchased Brampton Island, upgraded the resort and then sold it to P&O Resorts in late 1997. $3 million was spent on a major refurbishment of the resort before it was purchased by Voyages
.
crashed into the ocean just after taking off from Brampton Island. The pilot and four passengers survived and were rescued by helicopter.
, which is home to a range of wildlife and plants. There are also 17.8 km of walking tracks and a campsite, which requires a permit to use.
The resort was operated by Voyages
until 2010 when it was sold to Brampton Enterprises. In November 2010 Brampton Enterprises announced a major redevelopment of the resort which would involve closing the resort from 24 January 2011, until an expected reopening in December 2011.
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
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...
. The island lies within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
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...
, and the majority of the island forms the Brampton Islands National Park
Brampton Islands National Park
Brampton Islands is a national park in Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane. The park covers much of Brampton Island and all of Carlisle Island....
, however there is a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
located on the island. The highest point of the island is Brampton Peak, 214 m above sea level.
Early history
The traditional AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
owners of Brampton Island are the Ngaro people, although no permanent population was present when Captain James Cook passed through the area in June 1770. The island was eventually given its European name in 1879, when Staff Commander Bedwell of the Royal Navy recognised the group of islands and named each after towns in the county of Cumberland.
Modern history
Settlement and the development of the resort
In 1916, Joseph Busuttin and his family became the island's first European settlers. The island's resort was first established in December 1933 when two of the Busuttin's sons welcomed passengers from the P&OPeninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
ship SS Canberra. Busuttin's sons then sold the resort and left in 1959. An airstrip was built on the island in 1965 and a saltwater swimming pool was completed in 1972. In 1985, Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
purchased Brampton Island, upgraded the resort and then sold it to P&O Resorts in late 1997. $3 million was spent on a major refurbishment of the resort before it was purchased by Voyages
Voyages
Voyages is a company which operates resorts and tours in Australia.- History :The Ayers Rock Resort Company Limited was formed in 1992 and after a period of growth, acquired resorts at Alice Springs and Kings Canyon. In September 1997, General Property Trust purchased the company...
.
Celia Douty murder
On 1 September 1983, British resort worker Celia Douty was murdered in Dinghy Bay on Brampton Island. The crime remained unsolved until 2001, when it became the first murder in Australia to be solved using DNA profiling.Light plane crash
On 3 April 2008, a single engine Piper CherokeePiper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
crashed into the ocean just after taking off from Brampton Island. The pilot and four passengers survived and were rescued by helicopter.
National park
Most of the island is part of Brampton Islands National ParkBrampton Islands National Park
Brampton Islands is a national park in Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane. The park covers much of Brampton Island and all of Carlisle Island....
, which is home to a range of wildlife and plants. There are also 17.8 km of walking tracks and a campsite, which requires a permit to use.
Resort
The Brampton Island Resort accommodates up to 220 guests in 106 rooms and is popular with couples. The resort offers a number of free and paid-for activities, including fishing trips, snorkelling and scenic flights.The resort was operated by Voyages
Voyages
Voyages is a company which operates resorts and tours in Australia.- History :The Ayers Rock Resort Company Limited was formed in 1992 and after a period of growth, acquired resorts at Alice Springs and Kings Canyon. In September 1997, General Property Trust purchased the company...
until 2010 when it was sold to Brampton Enterprises. In November 2010 Brampton Enterprises announced a major redevelopment of the resort which would involve closing the resort from 24 January 2011, until an expected reopening in December 2011.