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Looking south-west from point to
Hook Island (left) and Hayman Island (right) |
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Location: This confluence
point is located 7 km north-east of the northern tip of Hook Island
in the Whitsunday Group. It was reached by Cruise Whitsunday vessel Seaflight
from the Hayman Island resort and was located by GPS. The nearest
settlement is the Hayman Island Resort.
The Landscape: At sea.
Point information and photos:
Kirsty Patten (principal) and the students from Hayman Island State
School, 2008.
WITHIN THE DEGREE SQUARE
The Country: Within the
degree square are the islands of the Whitsunday Group (Hayman, Hook,
Whitsunday, Border, Haslewood, Hamilton, Dent, Long, South Molle and
North Molle together with numerous islets and cays); the Lindeman
Group (Lindeman, Shaw, Mansell and Thomas together with smaller
islets and rocks); the peninsula formed by the Conway Range, and the
lowlands of the Proserpine Valley.
The islands, the Conway Range and
most of the Dryander Range are composed of volcanic rocks, mainly of
Early Cretaceous age (141 to 98 million years). Part of the Dryander
Range is granite of much older Triassic age (251 to 205 million
years). Elevations in these areas range from Mt Dryander at 820 m ASL
in the Dryander Range and High Mountain at 565 m ASL in the Conway
Range, to around 400 m ASL on most of the islands. Hook Peak at 459 m
and Whitsunday Peak at 435 m ASL, are representative. These mountain
areas are very steep and have a rugged terrain with numerous massive
rock outcrops.
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Whitsunday Island volcanic rocks
(KG, 2008) |
Conway Range above Airlie Beach
(KG, 2008) |
The coastlines of the two
larger islands (Hook and Whitsunday) are indented by several deep
indentations of drowned coastline caused by block faulting during the
Cainozoic period (less than 65 million years). On Hook Island the two
south-facing fjord-like Nara and Macona Inlets are prominent
features, and on Whitsunday Island, Hill and Gulnare Inlets provide
deep access into the interior from the east and west respectively.
The mainland coast has similar drowned coastline features with tall,
narrow promontories separating bays of various width. George Point in
Dryander National Park, Bluff Point and Pioneer Point near Airlie
Beach, and The Beak near Schutehaven are examples.
One of the most attractive
landscape features in the area is the pure white silicon sands of
Whitehaven Beach just to the south of Hill Inlet on Whitsunday
Island. This sand is the silicon remains of the volcanic rocks of the
island's interior.
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Whitehaven Beach (KG, 2008) |
Whitehaven silica sands (KG, 2008) |
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The Proserpine Valley is low
lying and composed of Quaternary age (less than 2 million years)
alluvium. Much of the valley has been drained and given over to sugar
cane cultivation. |
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Typical cane farm in the
Proserpine Valley (KG, 2008) |
Apart from the Proserpine Valley,
most of the area is heavily vegetated with extensive rainforests and
other forest types. The area is notable for the presence of several
rare and endemic plant species. Vegetation communities within the
area include both closed and open forest communities. The most
widespread are the medium height closed forest on the islands and the
Conway and Dryander Ranges. It is a complex notophyll (i.e. leaves
are between 7.5 and 12.5 cm long) vine forest with species such as
Tulip Oak (Argyrodendron polyandrum) and Lemon-scented Myrtle (Backhousia
citriodora) with Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) emergents. |
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Forests with Hoop Pine emergents
on Hook Island (Ken Granger, 2008) |
On the granites on the western
side of the Dryander Range open forest a community are composed of
eucalypt-dominated medium height and low open forests and on the
summit of Mt Dryander is found a unique forest made up almost
entirely of the endemic Ristantia waterhousei. This is an
evergreen mossy vine forest.
In other areas, depending on the
geology and drainage, eucalypt-dominated medium height open forests
with local dominants including Yellow Stringybark (Eucalyptus acmenoides),
Poplar Gum (E. platyphylla), Moreton Bay Ash (Corymbia tessellaris)
and Pink Bloodwood (C. intermedia) occur. The understory
ranges from tussock grasses to vine thickets. Mangroves form
mid-height to tall closed forest with small areas of samphire and
saltpan along the estuary of the Proserpine River.
Fauna across the area is diverse.
The waters are home to the migratory Humpback Whale during the
spring. The shallower waters around the islands seem to be a
favourite area for these marine mammals to calve and mate while males
and lone females are more likely to be seen in the deeper water of
Whitsunday Passage. Dugong are also present in the shallow waters
where sea grass is plentiful. |
Of the macropods, the Swamp
Wallaby, Wallaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red Legged Pademelon,
Whiptail (or Pretty-face) Wallaby and Agile Wallaby are the most
likely seen. The endangered Proserpine Rock Wallaby is only found in
this area. A wide range of bats and flying fox are also found in the area.
Of the reptiles found in the
area, the Estuarine Crocodile, Taipan, King Brown Snake, Eastern
Brown Snake and Red Bellied Black Snake are undoubtedly the most
dangerous. The area is also home to a wide range of lizards, skinks
and dragons. Several species of turtle including the Green,
Loggerhead and Hawksbill are also found along the coast.
At least 250 species of birds
have been noted in the area including numerous species of migratory
waders. Of the more commonly seen birds are the White Bellied Sea
Eagle, Osprey (often fishing along the coast), Pied Oyster Catcher
(along the beaches and rocky headlands) and Bush Thick-knee (around
the forest edge or in the cane lands).
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Humpback whale in Whitsunday
Passage (KG, 08) |
Pied oyster catchers on
Whitehaven Beach (KG, 08) |
The main forms of land use in the
area are sugar cane growing on the alluvial flats of the Proserpine
Valley, cattle grazing on the drier land on the edges of the Valley
and conservation. There are six national parks wholly or partially
within the square: Whitsunday Islands, Gloucester Island, Molle
Islands, Conway Range, Dryander and Lindeman Islands. There is also a
State Forest area on the western side of the Conway Range and another
on the southern side of Dryander National Park.
The Climate: The climate
of the area is classified as tropical savannah or subtropical with a
distinctly dry winter. It is a maritime climate with temperatures
modified by its closeness to the sea. The climate station on Hayman
Island provides representative statistics for coastal areas and the
station at Proserpine Post Office shows the effect of distance from
the sea.
Hayman Island Resort (site
033031) 1934-2008 (elevation 2 m ASL)
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
|
Mean max
(ºC) |
30.6 |
30.3 |
29.6 |
28.4 |
26.0 |
23.4 |
23.0 |
24.2 |
25.9 |
27.5 |
29.6 |
30.5 |
27.4 |
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Mean min
(ºC) |
24.9 |
24.9 |
24.1 |
22.7 |
20.4 |
17.2 |
16.7 |
17.4 |
19.2 |
21.3 |
23.4 |
24.5 |
21.4 |
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Mean rain
(mm) |
212.1 |
294.1 |
229.6 |
137.1 |
119.8 |
53.3 |
36.7 |
25.7 |
16.7 |
37.4 |
58.7 |
114.4 |
1349.6 |
Proserpine Post Office (site
033061) 1886-1989 (elevation 13 m ASL)
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
|
Mean max
(ºC) |
32.0 |
31.0 |
30.1 |
28.2 |
25.9 |
24.0 |
23.5 |
25.3 |
27.5 |
30.1 |
31.5 |
32.4 |
28.5 |
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Mean min
(ºC) |
22.5 |
22.8 |
21.5 |
19.3 |
16.3 |
12.3 |
11.5 |
12.8 |
14.9 |
18.0 |
20.3 |
21.7 |
17.8 |
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Mean rain
(mm) |
381.6 |
384.2 |
317.6 |
152.7 |
94.8 |
66.1 |
39.8 |
33.6 |
39.0 |
40.5 |
70.7 |
175.2 |
1796.2 |
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The highest temperature ever
recorded at the Hayman Island Resort was 38.6°C in January 1985
while the lowest temperature was 9.7°C in July 1984. Rainfalls
also vary greatly. The highest total of 2269.1 mm was recorded in
1974 and the lowest total of 716.3mm in 1992.
By contrast, the highest
temperature ever recorded at the Proserpine Post Office was
42.4°C in December 1984 while the lowest temperature was
1.4°C also in July 1984. Rainfalls also vary greatly. The
highest total of 3499.2 mm was recorded in 1956 and the lowest total
of 698.4mm in 1923.
Extremes of Nature: The
area is very much subject to the impact of cyclones. The database
maintained by the Bureau of Meteorology shows 67 cyclones have
tracked within 200 km of the confluence point since 1906. Nine
cyclones have tracked within 50 km of the confluence point. They
included: an unnamed cyclone in January 1910; an unnamed cyclone in
February 1943; TC Agnes in March 1956; an unnamed cyclone in
February 1958; TC Ada in January 1970; TC Vera in
January 1974; TC Gordon in January 1979; TC Kerry in
March 1979; and TC Celeste in January 1996. They each produced
destructive winds, heavy rain and high seas.
The most destructive of these
storms was TC Ada, a very small cyclone with the radius of the
eye being only 20 km at Airlie Beach where the central pressure was
recorded as 962 hPa. Ada killed 14 people, some of the on
yachts that had sheltered in Nana Inlet on Hook Island. Most of the
tourist resorts in the area were destroyed and 80% of the buildings
in Airlie Beach were badly damaged. The associated storm tide put sea
water into shops along the Airlie Beach waterfront. There was
widespread damage tone to the forests and crops across the area and
flooding was severe in the Proserpine River.
FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS OF THE 1970
FLOOD WOULD BE WELCOME
Landslides can be experienced in
the steeper country and on occasions have blocked the Proserpine -
Airlie Beach road for a short period.
Over the 19 years 1969 to 1988
Proserpine experienced an average of 10 days a year where the
temperature exceeded 35.0°C - the temperature threshold commonly
used to designate a heatwave. Given that the area also has a high
relative humidity level during the summer, the impact of such
temperatures would be significantly increased. Such extreme
temperatures can cause heat stroke and death if appropriate measures
are not taken such as avoiding strenuous physical effort, keeping as
cool as possible and drinking lots of water. Heat waves kill more
people in Australia than all other natural hazards combined.
There are two earthquake
epicentres within the degree square recorded in the National
Earthquake Database maintained by Geoscience Australia and a further
9 within 100 km of the confluence point. The closes event was a ML
2.3 event on 6 July 1985 located very close to Border Island. The
largest, and potentially damaging event, was a ML 4.7 on 8
February 1985 located about 65 km north-north-east of the confluence
point on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. No damage has been
reported in the degree square from earthquakes.
The Indigenous Story: The
area is the traditional home of the Giya language group. The local
tribe of this group are the Ngaro (or 'Island People'). These people
were traditionally marine hunters and gathers and occupied sites on
many of the islands and along the coast have been dated back at least
8000 years. A rock art site and midden in Nara Inlet on Hook Island
and the South Molle Island quarry site, where stone axes were made,
are the better known of these occupation sites.
MORE INFORMATION WELCOME
European Exploration and
Settlement: The first known Europeans to visit the area were with
Cook on the Endeavour in 1770. Cook sailed through the Whitsunday
Passage, which he named, on 4 June which happened to be Whit Sunday,
the seventh Sunday after Easter. He named all of the islands the
Cumberland Group. Captain Philip Parker King passed through the area
during his 1819 survey in HMS Mermaid. Surveys in the 1870s by
Captain Bedwell in HMS Virago led to the Cumberland Group
being split into their present groupings. Bedwell, for example named
Lindeman Island after his sub-lieutenant George Lindeman.
On the mainland, the first
European exploration was by George Dalrymple in 1859. Dalrymple had a
passionate appreciation for the beauty of the landscapes he explored
and an appreciation of the classics. He was so impressed with the
fertility of this area, for example, that he named it Proserpine, for
the Roman god of fertility - the Greek god Persephone. The area was
first settled in 1861 with cattle and sugar cane the pioneering
industries. The Proserpine sugar mill as opened in 1897. Logging and
sawmilling was also a major pioneering industry. For example, a
sawmill was established on Whitsunday Island in the late 1880s to
exploit the Hoop Pine and other timbers.
It was not until the 1920s that
the tourist industry began to be established on the islands. In 1923
Angus Nicolson established a camp for visitors on Lindeman Island. It
was very primitive and it is said that Angus used to advise his
'campers' - Anytime you run short of bread bring me your flour and
I'll cook you some damper. If you want meat, then shoot a goat. But
don't get shootin' them for sport.
Tourist development was slow,
relying mainly on cruise ships bringing passengers ashore to
galvanized iron huts for 'afternoon tea'. It was not until 1962, with
the construction of the Schutehaven jetty, that the islands became
more accessible.
To mark the unveiling of a cairn
on Daydream Island commemorating the 176th anniversary of Cook's
naming of the Whitsunday Passage, the Royal Geographical Society of
Queensland on 9 June 1946, produced Queensland's first 'pigeongram'.
A flock of homing pigeons, some carrying message holders, were
released from Daydream Island at the time of the dedication. The
flimsy messages carried the inscription:
Carried by Homing Pigeon to
the mainland on the occasion of the unveiling of a Cairn and Plaque,
commemorating the 176th Anniversary of the Discovery and naming of
Whitsunday Passage by Captain James Cook RN.
According to reports, the
majority of birds arrived safely back in Mackay after an hour 'but 13
fell victim to hawks'.
MORE DETAILS NEEDED
Today: The total
population of the degree square at the 2006 national Census was
15,773. The fluctuation of population is in part a reflection of the
vagaries of the sugar industry.
|
Measure |
1996 |
2001 |
2006 |
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Total Population |
17,671 |
20,735 |
15,733 |
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Total Males |
9064 |
10,670 |
8346 |
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Total Females |
8607 |
10,065 |
7387 |
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Under 5 |
974 |
1036 |
859 |
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65 Years and over |
1488 |
1925 |
1297 |
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Indigenous |
130 |
263 |
292 |
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The bulk of the population are
located in three urban areas, the Airlie Beach complex had a
population of 6336, Proserpine had 3315 and Hamilton Island had 1350
at the 2006 census. The predominance of males over females is
probably a reflection of the employment in the agriculture and
construction industries and in some aspects of the tourist industry
such as cruise boat operations.
Tourism and sugar cane remain the
area's major industries. Airlie Beach has grown to be a major tourist
hub and backpacker 'must go there' place. Today there are resorts on
Hayman, Daydream, Hook, Hamilton, South Molle Long and Lindeman
Islands. The airport on Hamilton Island brings visitors directly to
the island, otherwise access is through the Proserpine airport then
by road to Airlie Beach or Schutehaven for boat transport to the islands. |
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Airlie Beach marina (Ken Granger, 2008) |
Schutehaven marina and jetty (Ken
Granger, 2008) |
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Cruising past Hamilton Island
(Ken Granger, 2008) |
Tourist flight at Whitehaven
Beach (KG, 2008) |
The sugar industry is still
dominant in the Proserpine Valley. In the 2007-8 sugar season the
Proserpine Co-Operative Mill had a throughput of 1.75 million tonnes
of cane, a smaller than average crush because of prolonged drought
conditions. In the 2005-6 season by contrast the crush was 2.04
million tonnes. The mill is in the process of diversifying into the
production of furfurol (a bio-fuel) and a cane-based soil conditioner.
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Proserpine sugar mill (Ken
Granger, 2008) |
Proserpine main street (Ken
Granger, 2008) |
Apart from the islands of the
Lindeman Group, the whole area within the degree square lies within
the Whitsunday Regional Council area. The Lindeman Group falls within
the Mackay Regional Council area.
MORE INFORMTION WELCOME
Site Summary:
|
Location |
7km north-east of Hook Island |
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Access |
By boat |
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Nearest town |
Airlie Beach |
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Terrain |
At sea |
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Catchment |
At sea |
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Geology & soils |
Islands and mainland are largely
of volcanic origin |
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Vegetation |
Significant areas of lowland rain
forest on islands and mainland |
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Land use |
Sugar cane growing in Proserpine Valley |
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Climate |
Tropical savannah |
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Population in
degree square |
15733 at the 2006 census |
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Infrastructure |
Airports at Proserpine and
Hamilton Island; marinas at Airlie Beach,
Schutehaven and several island
resorts, extensive road network,
rail link to Brisbane and Cairns,
extensive sugar tramway network |
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National Parks |
Whitsunday Islands, Gloucester
Island, Molle Islands, Conway Range, Dryander and Lindeman Islands
National Parks |
Compiler: Ken Granger, 2009
Sources: Various web sites
including EPA, Bureau of Meteorology, tourist resorts and operators
and the Proserpine sugar mill. |
