Coronation Island (Western Australia) facts for kids
Coronation Island, also known as Garlinju, is a special island located off the Kimberley coast in Western Australia. It covers a large area of about 3,817 hectares. The island is part of a group of islands called the Coronation Islands, found near Port Nelson in the Bonaparte Archipelago.
The first European to visit these islands was Phillip Parker King in 1820. He named them after the anniversary of a king's coronation. The Wunambal people are the traditional owners of this land. In their language, Wunambal, the island's name is Garlinju.
Careening Bay
Careening Bay is a bay on Coronation Island. The Wunambal people call it Wunbung-gu. This bay is famous because Philip Parker King stopped here in 1820. He needed to repair his ship, the HMS Mermaid. To do this, he had to careen the ship. This means tilting it on its side to clean or fix the bottom.
While the ship was being repaired, the ship's carpenter carved the name of the ship into a large Boab tree. The Wunambal people call this tree the Bodgurri. You can still see this carving today!
Philip Parker King wrote about his visit in his journal. He didn't see any of the local people, but he found signs that they lived there. He saw simple bark shelters on the beach. He also noticed larger, stronger buildings on top of a hill. King also saw leftover sago palm nuts, which were a common food along the coast.
Behind the famous Boab tree, there is a special Makassan Islamic mihrab. This is a prayer alcove, which is a small space built into a wall that shows the direction of Mecca for prayer.
Careening Bay is part of the Prince Regent National Park. If you want to visit this area, you need to get a special permit first.
Plants on the Island
Many interesting plants grow on Coronation Island. One important plant found here is called solanum cataphractum.
