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Native name: Mer | |
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![]() A satellite image of Murray Island | |
![]() A map of the Torres Strait Islands showing Mer in the northeastern waters of Torres Strait | |
Geography | |
Location | Northern Australia |
Coordinates | 9°55′S 144°3′E / 9.917°S 144.050°E |
Archipelago | Torres Strait Islands |
Adjacent to | Torres Strait |
Total islands | 3 |
Major islands | 1 |
Area | 4.29 km2 (1.66 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 234 m (768 ft) |
Highest point | Gelam Paser |
Administration | |
Australia | |
State | Queensland |
Regional Authority | Torres Strait Regional Authority |
Local Government Area | Torres Strait Island Region |
Demographics | |
Population | 485 (2006 census) |
Murray Island Queensland | |
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Coordinates | 9°54′50″S 144°02′31″E / 9.914°S 144.042°E |
Population | 406 (2021 census)[1] |
Postcode(s) | 4875 |
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) |
LGA(s) | Torres Strait Island Region |
Murray Island (also known as Mer Island or Maer Island) in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] The island is part of the Murray Island Group in the Torres Strait.[4] The town is on the island's northwest coast and within the locality of Mer Island (the locality boundaries are the island's coastline).[5] The island is of volcanic origin, the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. The name Meer/Mer/Maer comes from the native Meriam language. In the 2021 census, Mer Island had a population of 406 people.[1]
The island is populated by the Melanesian Meriam people. There are eight tribes on Mer: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, Piadram/Dauer. The island's organisation is based on traditional laws of boundary and ownership.
Census2021
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).