Maria Island National Park Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Island National Park Tasmania
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Maria Island Beach
Nearest town or city	Triabunna, Orford
Established	1972
Area	115.5 km² (land area 96.7 km²)
Visitation	16,000 (in 2005)
Managing authorities	Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania
Website	Maria Island National Park
See also	Protected areas of Tasmania

Maria Island National Park is a special place that covers all of Maria Island. This island is located off the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. It's about 69 kilometers northeast of Hobart. To get there, you usually drive about 90 kilometers to Triabunna and then take a ferry.

Maria Island has a very interesting past. It was once home to convicts and later had different industries. People also farmed there. Today, it's a beautiful national park. It offers many exciting things for visitors, whether you stay for a day or longer.

Maria Island's Past
Things to See and Do
Visitor Facilities
See also

Maria Island's Past

Convict Settlement: First Era (1825–1832)

In 1825, a prison settlement was set up at a place called Darlington. This was for convicts who had committed less serious crimes. Fifty male prisoners and soldiers arrived on the ship Prince Leopold.

At first, they lived in simple huts and tents. Later, more permanent buildings were made from bricks and sandstone. You can still see some of these buildings today. The commissariat store (built in 1825) and the penitentiary (built in 1830) are from this time.

The convicts worked in different industries. They made cloth, blankets, and shoes. They also cut timber and made pottery. However, many prisoners tried to escape. Also, a new prison at Port Arthur opened in 1830. Because of these reasons, the settlement closed in 1832.

Convict Settlement: Second Era (1842–1850)

The second time convicts lived on Maria Island was from 1842. This was part of a new system where convicts worked together in government stations. Settlements were at Darlington and Point Lesueur.

A main activity for the convicts was farming. They had to take care of over 400 acres (about 1.6 square kilometers) of crops. About 600 male convicts lived in Darlington. They used old buildings and built new ones. However, there were often problems with too many people and not enough good buildings.

First Industrial Era (1888–1896)

An Italian businessman named Diego Bernacchi saw potential in Maria Island. He thought it could be good for making wine and silk, growing fruit, and attracting tourists. In 1884, he leased the island from the Tasmanian Government. He then formed the 'Maria Island Company'.

Bernacchi renamed Darlington "San Diego." Soon, over 250 people from different countries lived there. He built a small cement factory using the island's limestone. In 1888, the Grand Hotel opened. It had dining rooms, billiard rooms, and places to stay. This helped promote the island as a fun holiday spot.

Other buildings from this time include the Coffee Palace and workers' cottages. Some old convict buildings were changed to house workers and shops. Sadly, a large 208-cell convict building was torn down. Its bricks were used for other buildings and roads.

Even though Bernacchi was very excited, his company ran into problems. The Maria Island Company closed in 1892. Bernacchi tried again with a new cement company, but it also didn't last long. In 1896, he and his family left the island. Tourists still visited, and a lady named Rosa Adkins ran a boarding house.

Second Industrial Era (1925–1930)

Diego Bernacchi returned to Maria Island. He wanted to try again with the cement business. The National Portland Cement Company Ltd was started in 1920. By 1923, a new 620-foot (189-meter) long pier was built. Buildings were put up, including a 200-foot (61-meter) tall chimney. A railway line carried limestone to the factory.

The cement works officially opened in February 1924. About 500 people lived and worked there. Life was good, with social clubs, sports, and dances. The old chapel was even used as a cinema. A school was built for the children of the workers. The schoolmaster's house from this time is now the Ranger's Office.

However, the factory had production problems from the start. Also, the Great Depression (a time of economic hardship) began. These problems caused the business to close in 1930.

Farming Era (1930–1972)

After the cement factory closed, Maria Island became a quiet place for a few farming families. Families like the Adkins, French, Howell, Robey, Hunt, and Haigh lived there for many years. The Adkins family lived on the island for four generations, from the 1880s to the 1960s.

Some of these families' names are still linked to places on the island. These include French's Farm, Robey's Farm, and Hunt's Cottage. Farming stopped when the Tasmanian Government bought the properties. This was to prepare the island to become a national park.

Becoming a National Park (1972)

In 1972, Maria Island was officially declared a national park. Before this, in the late 1960s, different animals were brought to the island. These included Cape Barren geese and emus from mainland Australia.

The number of emus grew quite a bit. By the early 1980s, there were about 20-30 of them. However, it was decided they might be a risk to visitors. So, efforts were made to remove them. The last emu is thought to have been seen in 1994.

The first park ranger for the island was Rex Gatenby. Before the island became a national park, many old cement factory buildings were taken down. At that time, people didn't think these buildings were very important historically.

Things to See and Do

History and Scenery

Maria Island has many historical sites and beautiful natural spots that attract visitors. You can explore the old industrial and convict buildings. There are also many natural features and walking trails.

Mount Maria is the highest point on the island, at 711 meters. It's about a six-hour walk to go up and back.
Bishop and Clerk is another peak at the northern end of the island. This walk takes about four hours to complete.
The Painted Cliffs are amazing sandstone cliffs with colorful patterns. They are just south of Darlington.
The Fossil Cliffs are about a 30-minute walk north of Darlington. They are full of fossils!

Amazing Animals

Maria Island is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. This means it's a very important place for birds.

It's home to many endangered swift parrots and forty-spotted pardalotes.
Over 1% of the world's population of Pacific gulls live here.
You can also find most of Tasmania's unique bird species.
Cape Barren geese are common on the island.
You'll often see eastern grey kangaroos and eastern bettongs.
Common wombats can be spotted almost anywhere.
Tasmania's three types of snakes also live on the island: the tiger snake, lowland copperhead, and white-lipped snake.

Underwater Wonders

Maria Island National Park also includes a marine area. This part of the park stretches from Fossil Bay to Return Point. It goes up to a kilometer offshore.

Southwest of the Painted Cliffs, there's a special dive site. An old ship was sunk there in 2007 to create a dive reef. There are also many other shipwrecks around the island.

Visitor Facilities

There are no shops on Maria Island. So, you need to bring all your own food, drinks, and supplies. This is true whether you visit for a day or stay longer.

In Darlington, you can find both tap water and tank water.
There are camping areas at Darlington, French's Farm, Robey's Farm, and Encampment Cove.
The campsites at French's Farm, Encampment Cove, and Robey's Farm have tank water. It's a good idea to ask the rangers about the water supply before you go to these southern spots.
At Darlington, the old penitentiary has been turned into accommodation. Each room has bunk beds and a wood heater.
Showers are available at Darlington.
You can also use gas barbecues at Darlington.

Maria Island National Park facts for kids

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