South Molle Island
Encyclopedia
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 tracks, with 420 ha protected in the Whitsunday Islands National Park
. The islands were named by Lieutenant Charles Jefferys
in 1815 after Colonel George James Molle, the then Lieutenant Governor
of New South Wales
. Nearby islands include Mid Molle, North Molle, East Molle and West Molle (known as Daydream Island). Just to the east and southeast, respectively, are the small islands Planton and Denman.
Wild goats were introduced to the island in the nineteenth century as a food source for shipwrecked sailors.
Popular hiking trips include the walk to Mount Jeffreys in the southern half of the island, from which one can continue southwest to Sandy Bay.
The islands's first pastoral lease
was granted in 1883. It was owned by the Bauer family since around 1920 and primarily used for sheep and cattle grazing until a resort was built in the 1950s.
In 1970, Cyclone Ada destroyed the island's resort.
The Coca-Cola
soft drink company recently filmed a commercial on the island.
Whitsunday Islands
The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, situated between just south of Bowen and to the north of Mackay, some north of Brisbane. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the group's commercial...
, is a resort island in the Whitsunday
Whitsunday
Whitsunday may be:Days:* The Sunday of the feast of Whitsun or Pentecost in the Christian liturgical year, observed 7 weeks after Easter* One of the Scottish quarter days, always falling on 15 MayPlaces:* The Electoral district of Whitsunday...
section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or...
in 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 hilly island has numerous bays and inlets accessible by 16 km of walking tracks, with 420 ha protected in the Whitsunday Islands National Park
Whitsunday Islands National Park
Whitsunday Islands is a national park in Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane. It has beautiful scenery and also has a few walks that are open to any one that camps on the islands. To camp on the islands visitors need to book a site....
. The islands were named by Lieutenant Charles Jefferys
Charles Jefferys
Charles Jefferys was an English music publisher and composer of songs.Jefferys carried on a London music publishing business. In 1854 he won a legal action with Thomas Boosey, respecting copyright in Italian operas, after appeal to the House of Lords...
in 1815 after Colonel George James Molle, the then Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Nearby islands include Mid Molle, North Molle, East Molle and West Molle (known as Daydream Island). Just to the east and southeast, respectively, are the small islands Planton and Denman.
Wild goats were introduced to the island in the nineteenth century as a food source for shipwrecked sailors.
Tourism
First established in 1937, the island's resort lies on Bauer Bay on the northern end of the island and so is well protected from the prevailing south easterly winds. The resort area, now known as Koala Adventure Island Resort, has a nine hole golf course in addition to 200 rooms that can accommodate 600 guests. In 1961 a large jetty was built as the small jetty that existed was only usable at high tide.Popular hiking trips include the walk to Mount Jeffreys in the southern half of the island, from which one can continue southwest to Sandy Bay.
History
There is some evidence that Aboriginals visited the island to extract hard stone for their weapons.The islands's first pastoral lease
Pastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
was granted in 1883. It was owned by the Bauer family since around 1920 and primarily used for sheep and cattle grazing until a resort was built in the 1950s.
In 1970, Cyclone Ada destroyed the island's resort.
The Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
soft drink company recently filmed a commercial on the island.