European pre-discovery of the Group (close sailbys) During Captain
James Cook's first voyage of discovery he sailed well inside the island group between 21 and 25 May 1770, typically offshore. He then made his second landing in Australia at the town of 1770. Wednesday 23rd Continued our Course a long shore at the distance of about 2 Miles off having from 12 to 9, 8 and 7 fathom water until 5 oClock at which time we were abreast of the South point of a large open bay where in I intended to anchor. accordingly we hauld in close upon a wind and sent a boat a head to sound. after making some trips we anchor'd at 8 oClock in 5 fathom water a Sandy bottom the South point of the Bay bore E3/4 South distance 2 Miles and the north point NW1/4 N and about 2 Miles from the ^shore in the bottom of the bay........... In the AM I went a shore with a party of men in order to examine the Country accompanied by Mr Banks and the other gentlemen. we landed alittle within the South point of the Bay where there is a channel leading into a large Lagoon During
Matthew Flinders' exploration of the Australian coastline in , a 334-ton sloop, to make a survey along the southern coast of the Australian mainland he passed inshore of the island group. WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST 1802, the wind had shifted gradually round, from north to the south-westward; and at noon the north head of Bustard, Bay was brought to bear S. 16° E., four leagues, our latitude being then 23° 48', and longitude 151° 40'. A low island was seen from the mast head, bearing north at the supposed distance of six leagues, of which captain Cook does not make any mention;* and the furthest visible part of the main land was a conspicuous hill, named Mount Larcom, in compliment to captain Larcom of the navy. It bore W. ½° N., ten or eleven leagues; but the coast line between it and the north head of Bustard Bay, seemed to be much broken. [* A cluster of low islands, about fifteen leagues from the coast, was seen in the following year by Mr. Bunker, commander of the Albion, south whaler. He described the cluster to be of considerable extent, and as lying in latitude 23¾°, and longitude about 152½°; or nearly a degree to the eastward of the low isle above mentioned. It is probably to these islands, whose existence captain Cook suspected, that the great flights of boobies he saw in Hervey's Bay retire at night.]
Discovery of the Bunker Group In 1803 Captain
Eber Bunker of the
whaling ship was the first European to discover the region and gave his name to the southern group. The Mitchell Library holds a portrait of Eber Bunker wearing a white waistcoat and white linen ruffled shirt each with stand collars, a white stock at neckline, and a navy blue wool double-breasted jacket with brass buttons titled
Captain Eber Bunker, 1760–1836, The first of the Whalers, Arrived New South Wales 1791.
Charting of the Groups The southern cays and reefs were first chartered between 1819 and 1821 by Lieutenant
Phillip Parker King Royal Navy initially in
Mermaid and later in
Bathurst. July 19, 1820 we steered on, and, a ten o’clock discovered a group of low woody islets. They were named Bunker Isles The main charting exercise for all the islands and reefs was carried out in 1843 under the command of Captain
Francis Price Blackwood in which was accompanied by
Bramble. In 1841 Blackwood was appointed to command the corvette HMS
Flyin the first hydrographic survey commissioned by the Admiralty for exploring and charting the north-east Australian coast.
Fly, fitted with costly instruments, and carrying two scientists, Joseph Jukes, geologist, and John MacGillivray, zoologist, sailed from Falmouth in April 1842 with the cutter
Bramble, under the charge of Lieutenant Charles Yule. After a stop in Hobart Town from August to October, the two ships called at Sydney and began the survey in December 1842. In the next three years
Fly charted from Sandy Cape to Whitsunday Island, including Swain Reefs and Capricorn Islands and the broad passages between. On 7 January 1843, was the first time that the crew of
Fly set foot on the First Bunker Island (
Lady Elliot Island).
Fly then carried on and on 10 January 1843, anchored off
One Tree Island and gave the island its name. The crew of
Fly landed on this island the following day The single tree (which was in fact a small clump of common pandanus of these seas, with its roots exposed above ground)....... On January the 12th We anchored a few miles farther to the N.W. in the centre of a group of reefs and islands, under one thickly wooded island that afterwoods obtained the name if
Heron Island...... Jan 13 to 18 - The Fly, the Bramble and the boats were engaged in surveying the group of islands and reefs about, which, from the tropic of Capricorn running through them, have been called the Capricorn Group...... Jan 18 - Landed with Captain Blackwood on
Wreck Island. This was so named for part of a vessel 6 or 700 tons. The island was about a quarter of a mile long and not more than 100 yards broad; a pile of sand covered by thick bushes. Jan 21 Captain Blackwood and Mr Evans being ashore to "take sights" for the chronometers, found on the island some traces of the wrecked crew. On one tree was cut "The America, June 1831;" on another "Mary Ann Broughton;" on another "Capt. E. David;" and "Nelson November, 1831." There were likewise the soles of a pair of child’s shoes, some bottles, some broken dishes, and an old cask. I believe the wreck was that of a whaler, and that the crew were taken off by another whaler, as there were no signs of either graves or bones. Yet latter during September 1933 the leases and guano rights of Fairfax and Hoskyn Islands, off Gladstone, were sold by auction at Gladstone. They were bought on behalf of the Barrier Reef Phosphate (Guano) Syndicate. It is unsure if the project ever succeed in the removal of guano from Hoskyn Islands.
Early uses – turtle soup canneries Turtle soup canneries operated on North West Island from 1904–14 and 1924–26, and on Heron Island from 1925–29. Old boilers and other remnants from these activities remain on site.
Tourist resorts 1930s A concrete slab is the only remnant of a resort which operated at
Lady Musgrave Island during the 1930s. The island had been a hub for a number of pleasure cruises when eventually more extensive construction of tourist facilities occurred in 1938 and 1939 at Lady Musgrave Island, including six cottages and other facilities. In 1932 Captain Christian Poulsen, engaged in bringing fishing parties to the reef, realised the potential of
Heron Island as a tourist attraction. In 1936 he bought the lease of the island for £290 and set up a tourist resort which is still in operation.
Islands as military target practice 1940s East and West
Fairfax Islands were used as a bombing range by the
Royal Australian Air Force and
Royal Australian Navy from the 1940s through to the 1960s. It is likely that during World War II Lady Musgrave reef was also used for bombing practice "with the reef now practically a marine desert" as reported in 1952. Historic and other shipwrecks, as well as an aircraft wreck, are located on several reefs surrounding the cays.
Current uses A lighthouse was constructed on Lady Musgrave Island in April 1974. Much of this area comes under the
Capricornia Cays National Park with current usages including camping, permitted on three cays up to the following limits: •
North West Island 150 campers •
Lady Musgrave Island 50 campers •
Masthead Island 60 campers (30 from October to March) The area also has many visits by both passing vessels cruising the Queensland cost and day trippers in fast jet catamarans (typically Lady Musgrave Island). The area is also of significances as a fishery particularly for King Prawns. ==Geomorphology and landscape==