K'gari

This article is about the island. For the locality, see K'gari, Queensland.
"Fraser Island" redirects here. For the island in Canada's Nunavut Territory, see Fraser Island (Nunavut).

K'gari
Vista of a beach on K'gari as seen from Indian Head
The beach from Indian Head, May 2016
Map of K'gari, including its location in Australia
Map of K'gari, including its location in Australia
Relief map showing the location of K'gari
Relief map showing the location of K'gari
K'gari
Location of K'gari
Relief map showing the location of K'gari
Relief map showing the location of K'gari
K'gari
K'gari (Australia)
EtymologyParadise in Butchulla
Geography
LocationFraser Coast, Queensland
Coordinates25°14′S 153°09′E / 25.24°S 153.15°E / -25.24; 153.15 (K'gari)
Adjacent toGreat Sandy Strait, Coral Sea
Area1,655 km2 (639 sq mi)[1]
Length123 km (76.4 mi)[1]
Width22 km (13.7 mi)[1]
Administration
StateQueensland
RegionWide Bay–Burnett
Local Government AreaFraser Coast
Largest settlementsK'gari, Eurong
Demographics
Population152 (2021 census)[2]
LanguagesAustralian English, Butchulla
Additional information
Time zone
CriteriaNatural: (vii), (viii), (ix)
Reference630
Inscription1992 (16th Session)

K'gari (/ˈɡɑːri/ GAH-ree, lit. 'Paradise'),[3] also known by its former name Fraser Island,[4] is a World Heritage-listed sand island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The island lies approximately 250 km (160 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fraser Coast Region local council area. The world heritage listing includes the island, its surrounding waters and parts of the nearby mainland which make up the Great Sandy National Park. In the 2021 census, the island had a population of 152 people.[2] Up to 500,000 people visit the island each year.

The island is part of the traditional lands of the Butchulla people, under the traditional name of "K'gari".[5] European settlers who arrived in 1847 named the island "Fraser Island" after Captain James Fraser, master of Stirling Castle, who was shipwrecked and died on the island in early August 1836.[6][7][8] On 7 June 2023, the island was officially renamed K'gari by the state government.[8]

  1. ^ a b c "About Fraser Island – K'gari (Fraser Island) Defenders Organisation". Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Census2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "How to Pronounce K'gari". Land Queensland. 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Australian Associated Press (3 February 2024). "Boy in hospital after fourth dingo bite on Queensland's K'gari in as many weeks". The Guardian.
  5. ^ "Traditional Owners—Butchulla people". Parks and Forests: Department of Environment, Science and Innovation. Queensland Government. 10 August 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "SHIP NEWS". The Sydney Herald. Vol. VI, no. 519. New South Wales, Australia. 17 October 1836. p. 2. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ a b "About the name change". Department of Resources. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.