Grantham Island facts for kids

Grantham Island is a small, uninhabited island located in Proper Bay, Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It covers about 51 hectares (which is like 126 acres). The closest land on the mainland is Murray Point, which is also undeveloped.

The famous explorer Matthew Flinders named the island on February 25, 1802. He named it after a town in England called Grantham, in Lincolnshire. Grantham Island is about 3 kilometers south of the Port Lincoln marina and has lots of plants and trees growing on it.

History of Grantham Island

Grantham Island has an interesting past, with visitors and events shaping its story over the years.

Early Visitors and Wildlife

In 1874, some yachtsmen visited Grantham Island. They said the island had "an abundance of rabbits" of many different colors. At that time, the island was covered with a type of scrub called mallee and other bushes. The yachtsmen went ashore to hunt rabbits and other animals. One person saw a "native pheasant" that flew away gracefully after being shot at. The group also had fun watching penguins race in the water.

In the 1880s, a man named Arthur Searcy saw a wallaby on the island. He thought it might have swum all the way from the mainland. In 1885, the South Australian Yacht Club stopped at the island to gather firewood.

Picnics and Fires

In December 1909, the Flinders Brass Band organized a picnic to Grantham Island. About 100 people attended the picnic. They arrived by both motorboats and sailing boats, enjoying a day out on the island.

However, in February 1910, a fire started on Grantham Island. The fire quickly grew out of control. It spread across the entire island, burning everything. After the fire, almost "not a bush" was left. Luckily, no animals were kept on the island at that time.

The Sylvia Shipwreck

A postcard showing the ship Iron Monarch before 1937.

In 1937, a small boat called the Sylvia was wrecked in Port Lincoln harbor. The Sylvia was a 28-foot cutter, which is a type of sailing boat. It was returning from a picnic on Grantham Island.

At the same time, a larger ship called the Iron Monarch was backing away from the jetty. The Sylvia tried to pass behind the Iron Monarch to get a closer look. But the smaller boat was pulled into the Iron Monarch's propeller and sank very quickly.

Two men from the Sylvia managed to hold onto the Iron Monarch's turning propeller. The other four people on board climbed into a small dinghy that the Sylvia had been towing. Amazingly, all six people from the Sylvia survived the accident.

Later Use

In 1939, the Lands Department announced that Grantham Island would soon be available for lease. This meant people could rent the island for a period of time. A man named A. S. Crawford was given permission to use the island monthly until a formal lease was set up.