Cumberland Islands (Queensland) facts for kids
The Cumberland Islands are a group of 70 islands located in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Mackay in Queensland, Australia. These islands are a beautiful part of the reef system.
Discovering the Cumberland Islands
The Cumberland Islands were first seen by Europeans in 1770. This happened when Captain James Cook, who was then a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, sailed past them. He was on his ship, HMS Endeavour.
After sailing north for two more days, Captain Cook wrote in his journal on June 4, 1770, about what he saw. He named the water he sailed through "Whitsunday's Passage." He chose this name because he discovered it on the day the Church celebrates the Whitsunday Festival. He also named the islands in the area "Cumberland Isles." This was to honor Prince Henry Frederick, the Duke of Cumberland, who was the brother of King George III of Great Britain.
How the Islands Got Their Name
When Captain Cook named the islands, he didn't draw exact lines around them. However, his maps showed the name "Cumberland Isles" covering islands from St Bees Island and Keswick Island in the south, all the way up to Hayman Island in the north. Later, more detailed maps drawn by other explorers showed the same thing.
Over time, the word "Isles" changed to "Islands." So, they became known as the Cumberland Islands. More recently, many of these islands are now better known as the Whitsunday Islands. The whole area is often simply called the "Whitsundays."
Groups of Islands
The Cumberland Islands are made up of several smaller groups of islands. These include:
- The Whitsunday Group
- The Lindeman Group
- The Anchor Islands
- The Sir James Smith Group
- The South Cumberland Islands National Park
