Family Islands National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Family Islands National Park Queensland
IUCN Category II (National Park)
View from Dunk Island
Family Islands National Park Location in Queensland
Nearest town or city	Tully
Established	1994
Area	8.69 km2 (3.4 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Family Islands National Park
See also	Protected areas of Queensland

The Family Islands National Park is a special group of islands in Far North Queensland, Australia. These islands are located in the ocean, not far from the coast. They are about halfway between the cities of Cairns and Townsville. Most of these islands are protected as part of a national park.

Captain Cook gave these islands their group name and English names in 1770. He sailed through this area a long time ago. These islands were actually connected to the mainland about 8,000 years ago. But then, the sea level rose, and they became separate islands.

Meet the Family Islands

The Family Islands are named to represent a family! Here are the biggest ones, along with their Aboriginal names and their "family" role:

• Dunk Island (Coonanglebah) – This is the largest island, known as the father.
• Richards Island (Bedarra) – This island is known as the mother.
• Wheeler Island (Toolgbar) and Coombe Island (Coomba) – These two are like the twins of the family.
• Smith Island (Kurrumbah), Bowden Island (Budjoo) and Hudson Island (Coolah) – These three are known as the triplets.

There are also some smaller islands in the group:

• Kumboola – This island sometimes connects to Dunk Island when the tide is very low.
• Mound Island (Purtaboi) – This island is a protected area where sea birds like to build their nests.
• Woln Garin – This is a small island off Dunk Island's south-east side. People often call it "40ft Rock."
• Battleship Rock (Pee-Rahm-Ah) – This island looks like a battleship when you see it from the north.
• Thorpe Island (Ti mana) – This island is privately owned and has one house on it. It's the only island in Australia that someone owns completely, like a regular piece of land.

The European names for these islands come from the officers who were on a survey ship called HMS Paluma. These officers included Lieutenant G. Richards, Lieutenants Wheeler, Combe, and Bowden-Smith, Dr. Thorpe, and Mr. Hudson.

What You Can Do There

If you like camping, you can find campgrounds on Dunk, Coombe, and Wheeler Islands. You will need to get a permit from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service first. If you prefer a more comfortable stay, there are resorts on Dunk and Bedarra Islands.