Prince of Wales Island (Queensland) facts for kids
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Native name:
Muralag
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Prince of Wales Island
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| Geography | |
| Location | Northern Australia |
| Coordinates | 10°40′55″S 142°11′19″E / 10.68194°S 142.18861°E |
| Archipelago | Torres Strait Islands |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Torres Strait, between Coral Sea & Arafura Sea |
| Area | 204.6 km2 (79.0 sq mi) |
| Length | 19.5 km (12.12 mi) |
| Width | 18.6 km (11.56 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 247 m (810 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Scott |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| State | Queensland |
| Shire | Shire of Torres |
| Island Region | Inner Islands |
| Largest settlement | Muralug (pop. 20) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 20 (2001) |
| Pop. density | 0.1 /km2 (0.3 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Torres Strait Islanders |
| Additional information | |
| Largest of the Torres Strait Islands | |
The Prince of Wales Island, also known as Muralag, is a large island in the Torres Strait Islands. This group of islands is located near the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia.
The island sits in the Torres Strait, a waterway that connects the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea. It is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Muttee Heads and south of Thursday Island.
Prince of Wales Island is part of the Shire of Torres. In 2016, about 109 people lived in the area around the island. Most of the land on the island has been given back to the Kaurareg people. They are the traditional owners and residents of this island.
Contents
Island Geography
Prince of Wales Island is the biggest island in the Torres Strait Islands. It covers an area of about 204.6 square kilometers (79 square miles).
Even though it's large, only a few Kaurareg families live there. In 2001, only 20 people called it home, making it very quiet. The main town in the north of the island is called Muralug. This name comes from the island's original native name.
The northeastern tip of the island, called Kiwain Point, is very close to Thursday Island. It's only about 830 meters (900 yards) away. Thursday Island is the main and most populated island in the Torres Strait. Normanby Sound separates these two islands.
Island History
Europeans first saw Prince of Wales Island on October 3, 1606. This sighting was made by a Spanish explorer named Luís Vaz de Torres.
Shipwreck and Its Impact
In 1869, a ship called the Sperwer was shipwrecked near the island. Later that year, the bodies of the ship's captain and crew were found. This event led to difficult times for the Kaurareg people living on Muralag and Wednesday Island. Their population was greatly reduced over the following years.
Between 1885 and 1895, there was a small settlement on Prince of Wales Island. It was known as the Danish Settlement. Around the same time, a pearling station operated on the island. This station used four boats to collect pearls.
Protecting Traditional Land
In 2019, the Torres Shire Council planned to build a harbor on the island. However, the Kaurareg people said this site was very important to their history. They went to court and successfully stopped the project. This was a big win for them, as it protected their native land rights. Because of this, the council decided not to build the harbor.
Island Language
The native name for the island is Muralag. The language spoken by the local people of the Thursday Island group is Kaiwaligau Ya. It is also known as Kauraraigau Ya.
The word Kaiwalaig (or Kauraraig) means "islander." So, Kaiwaligau Ya (or Kauraraigau Ya) means "islanders' language." This language is one of four dialects of Kala Lagaw Ya. It is spoken across the Torres Strait, except for the Eastern Islands. In the Eastern Islands, people speak Meriam Mìr.
Today, most Kowrareg people use Brokan, which is also called Torres Strait Creole, for their daily talks. However, many still speak their traditional dialect very well.
Education on the Island
There are no schools located directly on Prince of Wales Island. Children who live there usually travel to Thursday Island for their schooling. Thursday Island has both primary and secondary schools.
See also
- List of Torres Strait Islands
- Kala Lagaw Ya
- Charles Eaton (1833 ship)
