Aboriginal people Before the colonial era,
Aboriginal people of the Tyreddeme band of the Oyster Bay tribe journeyed regularly to the island and much evidence of their presence remains, particularly around the bays on either side of the island's isthmus. In 1802, the French expedition led by
Nicolas Baudin encountered the Aboriginal people of Maria Island, as did the
whalers and
seal hunters of the early 19th century.
René Maugé, the zoologist on Baudin's expedition, was buried on Point Maugé on south Maria Island.
Convicts For two periods during the first half of the 19th century, Maria Island hosted convict settlements. The island's first convict era was between 1825 and 1832 and its second – the probation station era – between 1842 and 1850. Among those held during the second era was the
Irish nationalist leader
William Smith O'Brien, exiled for his part in the
Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. His cottage still exists in the nearby former penal colony
Port Arthur to where he was deported after his time on Maria Island. He was later transferred to
New Norfolk on the
Derwent River upstream of
Hobart. Three structures from the first convict era remain in the Darlington area: the Commissariat Store built in 1825 and presently used as the park's reception and visitor centre; the convict penitentiary, completed in 1828 and now used to accommodate visitors rather than detain them; and the convict-built dam on Bernacchis Creek, which still provides Darlington's water.
First convict era 1825–32 Lieutenant Governor Arthur established a penal settlement at
Darlington in 1825 for convicts whose crimes were not of 'so flagrant a nature' that they should be sent to the notorious
Macquarie Harbour settlement on Tasmania's west coast. A small party of soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Peter Murdoch, and fifty male prisoners, arrived at the island aboard the ship
Prince Leopold in March 1825. Initially housing was log and bark huts or tents. After the arrival of a new Commandant, Major Thomas Lord, in August, more permanent buildings were erected using bricks made on the island and sandstone excavated from the sea cliffs. The
commissariat store (1825) and the
penitentiary (1830) can still be seen today and are the only surviving buildings from this era. Industries such as cloth, blanket and shoe-making, tanning, timber cutting, and pottery were fostered. Frequent escape attempts, complaints about relaxed discipline and the opening of
Port Arthur in 1830 led to the decision to abandon the settlement in 1832.
Second convict era 1842–50 The second convict era commenced in 1842. Under the probation system of the 1840s, convicts were withdrawn from private service and grouped together in government stations. Probation stations were established at Darlington and Point Lesueur (10 kilometres south-southwest of Darlington and also known as Long Point). Agricultural work was a key activity for convicts, particularly as there were in excess of of crops to maintain. Officials and 600 male convicts in Darlington were housed in old and altered structures re-used from the first convict era, and new buildings were also erected. Overcrowding and ill-adapted buildings were constant problems.
Industry and farming Sealing was conducted on the island from at least 1805. Shore-based bay whaling was conducted in the 1830s and 1840s at four locations on the island: Darlington, Isle du Nord, Whalers Cove and Haunted Bay. In the 19th century, whaling ships sometimes anchored off shore and hunted for whales. From the 1880s, the Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi set up island enterprises, including silk and wine production and a
cement factory, quarrying
limestone deposits at the Fossil Cliffs for the raw material. A substantial cement works was built at Darlington in the early 1920s, with a
2 ft gauge tramway linking the quarries to the cement works and a new jetty. At the height of its fortunes in the early 20th century, Darlington had hundreds of residents and several hotels. The design and layout of the company town established by Bernacchi reflected prevailing ideas of paternalism, though archaeological survey found that the workers cottages had been individualised by their inhabitants. By July 1930, all of those ventures had failed for a number of reasons, including the
Great Depression, poor quality limestone, and competition from mainland producers who were not burdened with high costs of transport.
First industrial era 1888–96 Maria Island's potential for wine and silk production, fruit-growing and tourist developments attracted an Italian entrepreneur, Diego Bernacchi. In 1884 Bernacchi secured a long-term lease of the island from the Tasmanian Government and the 'Maria Island Company' was formed. Bernacchi renamed Darlington "San Diego", and the little town soon had in excess of 250 residents of a variety of different nationalities. Bernacchi established a small cement works which made use of the island's limestone deposits. The opening of the Grand Hotel in 1888, complete with dining, billiard and accommodation rooms, saw the promotion of the island as a pleasure resort and
sanatorium. Also constructed during this era were the Coffee Palace, a row of workers' cottages known as the 'Twelve Apostles' and six terraced cottages, built using bricks from the demolished convict separate apartment cells. Some of the old convict buildings were re-modelled to house workers, managers and shops. Bernacchi's family resided in the old religious instructor's house for a time. The 208-cell apartment block from the second convict era was demolished and the bricks used to build other buildings and roads. Only two photographs exist today of this building. Although Bernacchi was enthusiastic, the Maria Island Company went into liquidation in 1892. Bernacchi promoted the island's cement industry and formed a new company for that purpose. It was short-lived, and in 1896 Bernacchi and his family left for
Melbourne, and subsequently London. Afterwards, tourists continued to frequent the island where Rosa Adkins ran a boarding house in the former Coffee Palace.
Second industrial era 1925–30 Diego Bernacchi returned to Maria Island, determined to exploit the limestone deposits for cement and expand on his initial plans. The National Portland Cement Company Ltd was formed in 1920. The annual report for 1923 revealed that a new pier had been constructed and that buildings were being erected, including a high chimney stack of reinforced concrete. A railway line conveyed limestone to the works. Machinery worth over £125,000 had been imported from Copenhagen and London. The works were officially opened in February 1924. Community life prospered for the 500 or so residents. Social and sports clubs sprang up, dances were held and the old chapel was used as a cinema. A school was erected for the employees' children. The schoolmaster's house of this period is now the Ranger's Office. Unfortunately, production problems were experienced at the works from an early stage, and together with the effects of the
Great Depression, caused the cessation of business in 1930.
Farming era 1930–72 For a period of 40 years until the late 1960s, the island was dominated by
farming. The South Island was farmed by John Robey, a
South African, with his wife Hilda. Robey's Farm is located on the west side of the south island, and although essentially complete in a "just walked away" fashion as late as the early 1980s, the location has since been extensively vandalised, and the farmhouse further damaged by weather and neglect by the Parks and Wildlife Service. After the conclusion of the second industrial era, Maria Island became a quiet home to a few farming families. In particular, the Adkins, French, Howell, Robey, Hunt and Haigh families spent many years on the island. The Adkins family in particular have a longer association with the island than any other name, with four generations of them calling the island home - commencing in the 1880s and continuing until the 1960s. A number of these families' names are cemented into the island's history by having buildings, farms or sites that still have their name. These include the Adkins' house (burnt down in recent years), French's Farm, Robey's Farm, Hunt's Cottage, Howell's Farm and Haigh's Farm (site only). Farming ended when the Tasmanian Government began purchasing properties from their owners in preparation for declaring the island a national park.
National Park The
Tasmanian Government resumed all of the island's freehold land and established the national park, proclaimed in 1971 and extended in 1991, to include part of the surrounding sea. From the late 1960s various species of fauna were released onto the island, including mammals and birds such as
Cape Barren geese and
emus (from mainland Australia). Emu numbers increased to an estimated 20–30 by the early 1980s, by which time it was decided they were a risk to visitors and efforts were made to eradicate them. The last emu is thought to have been shot during the first of the Kangaroo culls in 1994. They have not been sighted since. The island's first ranger was Rex Gatenby. Prior to the island being declared a national park, many of the historical cement works buildings were demolished due to the danger the government thought the buildings would present to tourists. At this time such buildings were not generally considered historically significant. ==Environment==