Sir Charles Hardy Islands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir Charles Hardy Islands

Sir Charles Hardy Islands Location in Australia
Geography
Coordinates	11°55′05″S 143°28′52″E / 11.918°S 143.481°E / -11.918; 143.481
Area	0.18 km2 (0.069 sq mi)
Administration
Australia

The Sir Charles Hardy Islands are a small group of islands in Australia. They are part of a reef system with the same name. These islands are located about 40 kilometers east of Cape Grenville. This area is off the coast of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The islands are near important shipping routes like Pollard Channel and Blackwood Channel.

Famous Shipwrecks Near the Islands

The waters around the Sir Charles Hardy Islands have seen several shipwrecks over the years. These stories tell of brave crews and challenging journeys.

The Charles Eaton Shipwreck (1834)

William D'Oyly being taken care of by a native named Oby. Illustration from The tragedy of the seas (1848).

• The Charles Eaton was a large sailing ship, 313 tons in size. It was sailing from Sydney, Australia, to India.
• On August 15, 1834, the ship hit the Great Detached Reef. This reef is part of the outer Barrier Reef.
• Some of the crew managed to escape in a small boat. They tried to reach Timor, an island far away.
• Other survivors built rafts from the wreckage. They hoped to reach the Australian mainland.
• Sadly, many people on the rafts did not survive. Some were found by Torres Strait Islanders.
• The islanders took in four young boys: John Ireland, John Sexton, George D'Oyly (aged seven), and William D'Oyly (aged three).
• The islanders had not met many white people before. They thought the boys might be the spirits of their own ancestors.
• After some months, two of the boys, John Ireland and William D'Oyly, were taken in by a kind couple from Murray Island. Their names were Duppa and Panney.
• The Murray Islanders treated Ireland and William D'Oyly very well. They cared for them for nearly two years.
• News of survivors reached the British government. A rescue mission was sent from New South Wales.
• The schooner Isabella, led by Captain Charles Morgan Lewis, arrived in June 1836.
• Ireland and William D'Oyly were safely returned to Captain Lewis. They then sailed back to Sydney.
• Captain Lewis later took young William D'Oyly back to England to be with his family.

The Island Queen (1854)

• The Island Queen was a schooner, a type of sailing ship.
• It was lost on the Great Detached Reef on July 24, 1854.
• All 27 passengers and crew managed to get into the ship's longboat.
• They bravely set out for the Australian mainland.
• They passed through the Barrier Reef near the Sir Charles Hardy Islands.
• Along their journey, they received help and supplies from other ships.
• Eventually, they boarded a steamer called the Ann. This ship took them safely to Singapore.

The Sapphire (1859)

• The Sapphire was a wooden ship, weighing 749 tons.
• It arrived in Australia in 1859 from Liverpool, England.
• The ship was carrying horses from Gladstone, Australia, to Madras, India.
• On September 22, 1859, the Sapphire was wrecked on a reef near Raine Island, Queensland.
• The crew escaped in their boats. However, they faced dangers while passing through Torres Strait.
• One boat found another ship that seemed empty near the Sir Charles Hardy Islands. It was the Marina.
• The crew repaired the Marina and sailed it for three months to Port Curtis.
• After more repairs, the Marina sank off Cape Moreton in 1860. Luckily, no lives were lost.

HMS Pandora (1791)

• HMS Pandora was a British naval ship.
• It was sent to find the sailors who had mutinied on the famous ship Bounty.
• The Sir Charles Hardy Islands are about 60 miles southwest of Pandora Entrance. This entrance is a passage through the Great Barrier Reef.

The Firefly (1861)

• The Firefly was a 250-ton brig, a type of sailing ship.
• It was hired to help the explorer William Landsborough.
• Landsborough and his team were searching for other explorers, Burke and Wills.
• The Firefly sailed from Melbourne on July 29, 1861.
• It carried 30 horses and supplies for the expedition.
• On August 24, 1861, the ship left Brisbane with another vessel, the HMCSS Victoria.
• A strong storm, like a hurricane, hit near Raine Island.
• The Firefly ran aground near the Sir Charles Hardy Islands during the storm.