Carbonear Island facts for kids
Carbonear Island is a small, empty island near Newfoundland, Canada. It sits at the entrance of Carbonear harbour. This island became a very important safe place for British settlers. They used it to defend themselves from attacks by the French. For a while, it was even called the "Gibraltar of Newfoundland" because it was so strong.
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A Safe Place in History
Carbonear Island has a long and interesting past. Some clues suggest that First Nations people might have lived there a long time ago. The first written record of the island was in 1679. A man named Thomas Oxford from St. John's asked for a fort to be built on the island.
The First Big Attack: 1696
In 1696, a French leader named Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville attacked many towns. He raided settlements in Conception Bay and Trinity Bay. People from Carbonear and nearby towns quickly went to Carbonear Island for safety.
During this time, the town of Carbonear was burned down. But the people on the island were ready. They had built strong earth walls to protect themselves. You can still see parts of these walls today! Thanks to their efforts, they successfully defended the island from being captured. This event is known as the Battle of Carbonear.
More Attacks and Peace
Another major attack happened in 1705. This time, Daniel d'Auger de Subercase led the French forces. After trying to attack St. John's, he moved on. He destroyed almost every town in Conception and Trinity Bays. However, he could not capture Carbonear Island.
After this, there was a long period of peace for nearly sixty years. But in the summer of 1762, the island was attacked again. For a short time, it fell under French control. The forts were burned and left empty. The British quickly took the area back. They realized they needed to make their defenses even stronger. Carbonear Island continued to be a vital refuge. It protected settlers from French attacks and later from American privateers until the early 1800s.
Lighthouse and Bird Sanctuary
In 1878, a lighthouse was built on the northeast end of Carbonear Island. A home for the lighthouse keepers was also built there. The lighthouse was looked after until about 1928. After that, an automatic light station was put in place. This automated light is still used today.
Today, Carbonear Island is a protected bird sanctuary. This means it is a safe home for many different kinds of birds. One special bird that lives there is the bald eagle.
Important Historical Site
Carbonear Island's military importance was officially recognized in 1954. It was named a site of national importance. Then, in 1981, it was declared the location of a nationally historic event.
In 2010, archaeologists began digging on the island. They wanted to learn more about its role in protecting British North America. During the first summer of digging, they found about 1300 artifacts! These discoveries help us understand the island's past even better.
