Low Isles
Queensland
Low Island with the lighthouse with Woody Island beyond, 2013
Low Isles is located in Queensland
Low Isles
Low Isles
Coordinates16°23′20″S 145°33′48″E / 16.3888°S 145.5633°E / -16.3888; 145.5633 (Low Isles (centre of locality))
Population8 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)4873
Area2.0 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Shire of Douglas
State electorate(s)Cook
Suburbs around Low Isles:
Coral Sea Coral Sea Coral Sea
Coral Sea Low Isles Coral Sea
Coral Sea Coral Sea Coral Sea

Low Isles is an offshore locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia.[2] Located in the Coral Sea, the islands are due east of Rocky Point and approximately 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) north-east of Port Douglas on the Queensland mainland coast.[3] In the 2021 census, Low Isles had a population of 8 people.[4]

Geography

The locality consists of a pair of islands:[5]

with the Low Islands Reef between them.[3]

The islands are due east of Rocky Point and approximately 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) north-east of Port Douglas on the Queensland mainland coast.[3]

History

The name comes from Lieutenant James Cook of HMS Endeavour, who wrote in his log on 10 June 1770, "...we hauld off north to get without a small, low island...".[2]

The Low Isles Light station was established in 1874 with the first permanent lighthouse completed in 1878, it was the first lighthouse in Far North Queensland and the first to light the Inner Passage of the Great Barrier Reef.[8]

In 1954, a scientific expedition to Low Isles to monitor water quality was organised by the Geology Department, University of Queensland and led by Dr Fred Whitehouse.[9]

Staff operating the lighthouse lived on the island until it was upgraded to use solar power in 1993, after which it operated automatically.[8]

On 4 September 2006, Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray on Batt Reef to the east of Low Isles. He was rushed to Low Island where he was pronounced dead.[10][11][12]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Low Isles had a population of 0 people.[13]

In the 2021 census, Low Isles had a population of 8 people.[4]

Heritage listings

The Low Island Lighthouse (16°23′03″S 145°33′35″E / 16.3841°S 145.5598°E / -16.3841; 145.5598 (Low Isles Lighthouse)) is listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List.[8]

Education

There are no schools on the islands. Distance education and boarding school would be options.[14]

Attractions

The islands are popular for snorkelling over the reef to see coral, fish and sea turtles. Birdwatching is popular on Woody Island where white heron and migrating species are seen.[15]

Low Island has the Low Isles Lighthouse and a museum.[15]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Low Isles (Queensland).
  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Low Isles (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  2. 1 2 "Low Isles – locality in Shire of Douglas (entry 48733)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Low Isles (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Marine islands - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Low Island – island (entry 20159)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Woody Island – island in Douglas Shire (entry 38013)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 "Low Island and Low Islets Lightstation (Place ID 105367)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  9. ↑ This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Science on the Great Barrier Reef". Blog. State Library of Queensland. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Croc Hunter Irwin killed by stingray". The Age. Australia. 4 September 2006. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 4 September 2006.
  11. ↑ "Farewell to a larrikin adventurer, killed in his prime". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 September 2006. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  12. ↑ Rory Callinan (4 September 2006). "Death of a Crocodile Hunter". Time. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2006.
  13. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Low Isles (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Low Isles". Tourism Port Douglas Daintree. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
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