European History of Fraser Island
Who was first?
It is thought that the first Europeans to see Fraser Island were the Portugese, who mapped a similar looking island to Fraser, off the East coast of Terra Australia. This was thought to be around the early 1500's. There have also been old clay pipes found in traditional midden piles on the island. These pipes were thought to be exclusively used by Dutch explorers in the 17th Century.
Both Captain Cook and Matthew Flinders saw what is now known as Fraser Island in 1770 and 1799 respectively. Both explorers thought that the island was connected to the mainland of Australia, with Cook naming the island The Great Sandy Peninsula after seeing the northern end of Fraser and its treacherous sandy bar.
Mackenzie Jetty Fraser Island
The first landing
The first official landing on Fraser Island was by Matthew Flinders in 1802 aboard his aptly named vessel the 'Investigator'. Flinders and fellow botanist Robert Brown landed on Fraser Island to collect flora and fauna samples of which many were previously undiscovered. It wasn t for around 20 years that any interaction was attempted with local aborigines. A few years later another explorer by the name of Edwarson discovered that Fraser was actually an island.
Stranded
In around 1830 it is said that a Vessel by the name of the Stirling Castle ran aground near Cairns, some 1500 kilometres to the north. The crew are thought to have drifted south in a smaller life vessel until reaching what is now Fraser Island. The group was separated and put to work by local aborigines and the Captain, whose wife Eliza was also captured, was eventually speared for being too tired to work. The group were eventually rescued and returned to safety. Eliza went on to write several books on her experiences during the shipwreck and subsequent capture, making a tidy sum. The accuracy of these books have been questioned, however the island was eventually named Fraser, in honour of Eliza and her tribulations on the island.
Timber
Timber logging is said to have begun in 1860's by fellers such as Yankee Jack Piggot, the Mackenzies' and the Hines' from Maryborough. Logging remained on Fraser until 1991 when the island was nominated for World Heritage listing. The timber industry saw a tramline, jetty and sawmills built on the island. Cattle, bullocks and horses were also brought on to the island for commercial purposes. In the early 1900's Central Station was built as the centre and headquarters for the islands logging. Up to 30 houses were built as well as a school for the loggers' children.
Forestry on Fraser Island
The main timber types being felled on Fraser were the Satinay (commonly known as Fraser Island Turpentine), Kauri Pine, Brush Box, Tallowood, Blackbutt and Cypress forest. The Satinay is a timber that is very resistant to marine borers, making it very popular for use in Jetty's and general marine areas. You can even find timber from Fraser Island on jetties in the Suez Canal!
Z-Force
Another interesting chapter in the history of Fraser Island is the use of the area for Commando training during World War 2. The 'Z-Force Commando School' saw up to 100 trainees on Fraser at a time with a hospital, canteen, post office and cinema built for those using it. They used the Maheno wreck for aerial bombing practice during as well as the old timber jetty on the inside of Fraser Island near Kingfisher Bay Resort. The most famous of the missions undertaken by the Z-Force was a raid on a Singapore Harbour that sunk 40,000 tonnes of ships in one night by only 12 men.
1950- Present
In the 1950's Sid Melcham dredged Wangoolba Creek and began taking tours to Fraser Island and basic vacation houses were built. Sid was instrumental in Fraser Island becoming the tourist destination that it now is. In his peak, Sid owned tour companies, resorts and barges.
Sand mining leases were also handed out around the same time, which saw the creation of the Wildlife Preservation Society and the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation. Barges were built and began operation in the late 1960's from Rainbow Beach and Inskip Point by June & Gordon Elmer. It wasn't for another 10 years that more building infrastructure was implemented at Waddy Point, Yidney, Eurong and Happy Valley. Since this time the numbers of visitors to Fraser Island have increased at a great pace. The island was protected under World Heritage in 1992 and is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.