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Masig Island, Queensland

April 15, 2024

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Masig Island is an island (also known as Yorke Island) and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Masig Island had a population of 283 people.[3]

Masig Island
Queensland
Masig Island (left) and Kodall Island (right)
Masig Island
Coordinates9°45′10″S 143°24′39″E / 9.7527°S 143.4108°E / -9.7527; 143.4108 (Masig Island (centre of locality))
Population283 (SAL 2021)[1]
Area1.5 km2 (0.6 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Torres Strait Island Region
State electorate(s)Cook
Federal division(s)Leichhardt
Suburbs around Masig Island:
Coral Sea Coral Sea Coral Sea
Coral Sea Masig Island Coral Sea
Coral Sea Coral Sea Coral Sea
A map of the Torres Strait Islands showing Masig in the north-eastern waters of Torres Strait

The name Masig is from the Kalau Lagau Ya language for this coral cay island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, situated in the eastern area of the central island group in the Torres Strait, at the top end of the Great Barrier Reef and northeast of the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. The Masigalgal people, of the Kulkulgal nation of the Central Torres Strait, are recognised as the traditional owners of Masig. They are of Melanesian origin and had followed traditional patterns of hunting, fishing, agriculture and trade for many thousands of years prior to contact with the first European visitors to the region. The Queensland Government moved the people of Aureed to Masig after it was declared an Aboriginal reserve. Luggers owned by Masig families continued to operate until the pearling and shell industry collapsed in the 1960s. The people then shifted successfully into commercial mackerel fishing, prawning and crayfishing. A highly profitable fish factory has operated on the island since the late 1970s, freezing the catch and air freighting it to southern markets.

Masig Island is one of the Yorke Islands (9°44′41″S 143°25′46″E / 9.7446°S 143.4295°E / -9.7446; 143.4295 (Yorke Islands)), the other being Kodall Island (9°44′24″S 143°26′49″E / 9.7400°S 143.4469°E / -9.7400; 143.4469 (Kodall Island)).[4][5][6]

Geography edit

Masig/Yorke Island lies northeast of Coconut/Poruma Island in the central island group and southwest of Stephens/Ugar Island, and Darnley/Erub Island, and northwest of Murray/Mer Island in the eastern island group. It is about 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Thursday Island.[7]

The island is about 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) long and 0.8 kilometres (2,600 ft) at its widest point,[8][9] a very small low-lying coral cay. The topography is very flat, with ground level generally less than 3 metres (9.8 ft) above sea level. More than half the island is covered in undisturbed vegetation, including dense trees on the eastern and western parts of the Island.[7]

Masig Island is near the following sea passages:

The Bourke Isles are to the south of Masig Island (9°51′20″S 143°30′21″E / 9.8556°S 143.5058°E / -9.8556; 143.5058 (Bourke Isles)).[4]

History edit

The Masigalgal people, of the Kulkulgal nation of the Central Torres Strait,[7] are recognised as the traditional owners of Masig.[11]

The Torres Strait Islander people of Masig are of Melanesian origin and had followed traditional patterns of hunting, fishing, agriculture and trade for many thousands of years prior to contact with the first European visitors to the region.[12][13] They are skilled navigators with a detailed knowledge of the reefs and have always occupied a central position in the Straits trading networks.[8]

In September 1792, Captain William Bligh, in charge of the British Navy ships Providence and Assistant, visited Torres Strait and mapped the main reefs and channels.

In the 1860s, beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) and pearling boats began working the reefs of Torres Strait. William Banner established a beche-de-mer station at Warrior Island in 1863 and employed Islander men from Masig to work on his boats as divers and crew.[14]

Before the arrival of teachers from the London Missionary Society in the 1870s, Masig was attracting a diverse community of immigrants, some brought by the pearl and trochus shell industry.

In 1872, the Queensland Government sought to extend its jurisdiction and requested the support of the British Government.[15] Letters Patent  were issued by the British Government in 1872 creating a new boundary for the colony which encompassed all islands within a 60 nautical mile radius of the coast of Queensland.[16] This boundary was further extended by the Queensland Coast Islands Act 1879 (Qld)[17][18] and included the islands of Boigu, Erub, Mer and Saibai, which lay beyond the previous 60 nautical mile limit. The new legislation enabled the Queensland Government to control and regulate bases for the beche-de-mer and pearling industries, which previously had operated outside its jurisdiction.[19]

In 1871, an American whaler from Boston named Edward (Ned) Mosby arrived in Torres Strait. He was commonly known as "Yankee Ned". After working for Frank Jardine on Nagir Island, Edward Mosby established a beche-de-mer station on Yorke in the late 1870s, with his business partner Jack Walker. Mosby and Walker leased half the island from the Queensland Government for their business operations.[20][21][22][23]

Captain Charles Pennefather, in charge of the government survey vessel Pearl, visited Masig in September 1882. Mosby and Walker lodged a complaint with Pennefather against the crew of the beche-de-mer operator Captain Walton, for cutting down Wongai fruit trees on the island for fuel.[24][25] Steam powered ships often stopped at Masig to collect supplies of firewood, resulting in deforestation on the Island.[26]

Torres Strait Islanders refer to the arrival of London Missionary Society (LMS) missionaries in July 1871 as "the Coming of the Light".The Reverend A W Murray and William Wyatt Gill were the first LMS missionaries to visit Masig in 1872.[27][28][29] Around 1900, the LMS missionary the Reverend Walker established a philanthropic business scheme named Papuan Industries Limited. This company encouraged Islander communities to co-operatively rent or purchase their own pearl luggers or "company boats". The company boats, were used to harvest pearl shells and beche-de-mer, which was sold and distributed by the company.

The people of Masig purchased their first company boats around 1905. These boats provided Islanders with income, a sense of community pride and also improved transport and communication between the islands.[30] ‘Yankee,’ Ned Mosby's son, also operated a number of pearl luggers from Masig, including the Yano and Nancy.[31]

In November 1912, the Queensland Government officially gazetted 320 acres of land on Masig as an Aboriginal reserve. Many other Torres Strait Islands were gazetted as Aboriginal reserves at the same time.[32] The Government moved the people of Aureed to Masig after this.[citation needed]

A government school was established on the island in 1912.[33][34] By 1918, a Protector of Aboriginals had been appointed to Thursday Island and, during the 1920s and 1930s, racial legislation was strictly applied to Torres Strait Islanders, enabling the government to remove Islanders to reserves and missions across Queensland.

A world-wide influenza epidemic reached the Torres Strait in 1920, resulting in 96 deaths in the region. The Queensland Government provided the islands of Masig, Iama and Poruma with food relief to help them recover from the outbreak.[35][36] In March 1923, Masig and Poruma were hit by a "violent hurricane" which destroyed local crops and gardens.[37] The Queensland Government subsequently established new facilities on Masig during the 1930s, including an Aboriginal Industries Board store, a court house, and improved roads.[38][39][40][41]

 
Dancers on Masig Island, 1931

In 1936, around 70% of the Torres Strait Islander workforce went on strike in the first organised challenge against government authority made by Torres Strait Islanders. The nine-month strike was an expression of Islanders’ anger and resentment at the increasing government control of their livelihoods. The strike was a protest against government interference in wages, trade and commerce and also called for the lifting of evening curfews, the removal of the permit system for inter-island travel and the recognition of the Islanders’ right to recruit their own boat crews.[42][43]

This strike produced a number of significant reforms and innovations. Unpopular local Aboriginal Protector J.D. McLean was removed and replaced by Cornelius O’Leary, who established a system of regular consultations with elected islander council representatives. The new island councils were given a degree of autonomy, including control over local island police and courts.[44]

On 23 August 1937, O’Leary convened the first Inter Islander Councillors Conference at Masig. Representatives from 14 Torres Strait communities attended. Barney Mosby, Dan Mosby and William represented Masig at the conference. After lengthy discussions, unpopular bylaws, including the evening curfews, were cancelled and a new code of local representation was agreed upon.[45][46][47]

In 1939 the Queensland Government passed the Torres Strait Islander Act 1939, which incorporated many of the recommendations discussed at the conference. A key section of the new act officially recognised Torres Strait Islanders as a separate people from Aboriginal Australians.[48][49]

During World War II, the Australian Government recruited Torres Strait Islander men to serve in the armed forces. Enlisted men from Masig and other island communities formed the Torres Strait Light Infantry. While the Torres Strait Light Infantry were respected as soldiers, they only received one third of the pay given to white Australian servicemen. On 31 December 1943, members of the Torres Strait Light Infantry went on strike, calling for equal pay and equal rights.[50] The Australian Government agreed to increase their pay to two thirds the level received by white servicemen. Full back pay was offered in compensation to the Torres Strait servicemen by the Australian Government in the 1980s.[51][52]

Following World War II, the pearling industry declined across Torres Strait and Islanders were permitted to work and settle on the Australian mainland. Prawning and fishing enterprises were established at Masig in the 1970s. Luggers owned by Masig families continued to operate until the collapse of the pearl industry in the 1960s, after which the people shifted successfully into commercial mackerel fishing, prawning and crayfishing.[53][54]

 
Turtle farm, Masig Island

In 1970, the Australian Government established a turtle farm on the island to provide employment for Torres Strait Islander people. However, turtles take too long to mature and the costs of farming them was greater than their value when sold for eating. The project was later abandoned and the remaining turtles released into the sea.[55][56]

In December 1978, a treaty was signed by the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments that described the boundaries between the two countries and the use of the sea area by both parties.  The Torres Strait Treaty, which commenced operation in February 1985, contains special provision for free movement (without passports or visas) between both countries.[57] Free movement between communities applies to traditional activities such as fishing, trading and family gatherings which occur in a specifically created Protected Zone and nearby areas.[58]

Yorke Island State School opened on 29 January 1985. On 1 January 2007, it became the Yorke Island Campus of Tagai State College.[59]

On 30 March 1985, the Masig community elected 3 councillors to constitute an autonomous Masig Island Council established under the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984. This Act conferred local government-type powers and responsibilities upon Torres Strait Islander councils. The council area, previously an Aboriginal reserve held by the Queensland Government, was transferred on 21 October 1985 to the trusteeship of the council under a Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT).[60][61]

Native title was recognised over Masig in 2000,[62] held in trust by the Masigalgal (Torres Strait Islander) Corporation RNTBC.[7]

In 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission recommended that the 15 Torres Strait Island councils be abolished and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council be established. The first Torres Strait Island Regional Council was elected on 15 March 2008 in elections conducted under the Local Government Act 1993.[63]

Demographics edit

In the 2016 census, Masig Island had a population of 270 people.[64]

In the 2021 census, Masig Island had a population of 283 people.[3]

Education edit

Yorke Island Campus (Masig Muysaw Ngurpay Lag) is a primary (Early Childhood-6) campus of Tagai State College (headquartered at Thursday Island). It is at 131 William Street (9°45′02″S 143°25′00″E / 9.7505°S 143.4166°E / -9.7505; 143.4166 (Tagai State College - Yorke Island Campus)).[65][66]

There is no secondary school on Masig Island. The nearest secondary school is Tagai State College on Thursday Island, approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) away. Distance education or boarding schools are options.[9]

Facilities edit

Yorke Island SES Facility is on Barneys Road (9°45′05″S 143°24′53″E / 9.7514°S 143.4146°E / -9.7514; 143.4146 (Yorke Island SES Facility)).[67]

Masig (Yorke Island) Primary Health Care Centre is at 115 Aous Road (9°45′08″S 143°24′54″E / 9.7522°S 143.4149°E / -9.7522; 143.4149 (health centre)).[68] The health care centre is staffed by a qualified nurse and there is also a doctor based there, who provides medical services to three other islands in the central island cluster (Coconut, Yam and Warraber).

There is an IBIS store on the island and also a Mini-Mart.

Transport edit

Yorke Island Airfield is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long and lies diagonally between the north and south side of the island (9°45′09″S 143°24′19″E / 9.7526°S 143.4054°E / -9.7526; 143.4054 (Yorke Island Airfield)).[69]

A regular scheduled air service is operated by West Wing Aviation from Horn Island, otherwise access to Masig is by charter plane or boat. All goods and mail are delivered by a weekly barge service and via the scheduled air service.

Popular culture edit

Yorke Island was the film location for the Australian television series, RAN Remote Area Nurse.

See also edit

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yorke Islands.
  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Masig Island (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  
  2. ^ "Masig Island – locality in Torres Strait Island Region (entry 46714)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Masig Island (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  4. ^ a b "Island groups - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Yorke Islands – island group (entry 38729)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Kodall Island – island in the Torres Shire (entry 46928)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d "Masig calendar - Indigenous Weather Knowledge". Bureau of Meteorology. from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine licence, as in this note 16 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ a b "Masig". Torres Strait Islands Regional Council. from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d "Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ^ Masig People v the State of Queensland [2000] FCA 1067.
  12. ^ R E Johannes & J W MacFarlane, Traditional Fishing in the Torres Strait Islands(CSIRO, 1991) 115-143
  13. ^ M Fuary, In So Many Words: An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island, Torres Strait (PhD Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville, 1991) 68-71.
  14. ^ R Ganter, The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait (Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1994) 19-20.
  15. ^ S B Kaye, Jurisdictional Patchwork: Law of the Sea and Native Title Issues in the Torres Strait (2001) 2, Melbourne Journal of International Law, 1.
  16. ^ Queensland, Queensland Statutes (1963) vol 2, 712.
  17. ^ See also Colonial Boundaries Act 1895 (Imp)
  18. ^ Wacando v Commonwealth(1981) 148 CLR 1.
  19. ^ S Mullins, Torres Strait, A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864-1897 (Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton, 1994) 139-161.
  20. ^ R Ganter, The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait (Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1994), 27-28, 247
  21. ^ J Foley, Timeless Isle, An Illustrated History of Thursday Island (Torres Strait Historical Society, Thursday Island, 2003) 3
  22. ^ S Mullins, Torres Strait, A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864-1897 (Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton, 1994), 169.
  23. ^ "DEATH OF "YANKEE NED."". Evening News. No. 13, 802. New South Wales, Australia. 2 September 1911. p. 8. from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ Queensland State Archives, Colonial Secretary's Correspondence, COL/A349, 1882/5869
  25. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993) 26.
  26. ^ M Fuary, In So Many Words: An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island, Torres Strait (PhD Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville, 1991), 145
  27. ^ R Ganter, The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait (Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1994) 68-75
  28. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1905 (1906) 29
  29. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993), 158-161.
  30. ^ S Mullins, Torres Strait, A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864-1897 (Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton, 1994), 121
  31. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1916 (1917) 9.
  32. ^ Queensland, Queensland Government Gazette, vol.99, no.138 (1912) 1330.
  33. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1912(1913) 21
  34. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector for 1913 (1914) 13.
  35. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1920(1921) 7
  36. ^ M Fuary, In So Many Words: An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island, Torres Strait (PhD Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville, 1991), 148.
  37. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1923(1924) 6.
  38. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1932(1933) 13
  39. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993), 184
  40. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1931 (1932), 9
  41. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Department of Native Affairs for 1938 (1939) 14.
  42. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993), 181-186, 278
  43. ^ Beckett, Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 1987)
  44. ^ Beckett, Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 1987), 54-55.
  45. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993), 210-214
  46. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Department of Native Affairs for 1937 (1938) 13
  47. ^ Queensland State Archives, A/3941 Minutes of Torres Strait Councillors Conference held at Yorke Island 23–25 August 1937.
  48. ^ Sections 3 (a) – (c) of the Torres Strait Islander Act (Qld) 1939. See also the Queensland, Annual Report Department of Native Affairs for 1939 (1940) 1
  49. ^ N Sharp, Stars of Tagai, The Torres Strait Islanders (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1993), 214-216.
  50. ^ Australian War Memorial website, Wartime Issue 12 ‘One Ilan Man’, http://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/12/article.asp 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine .
  51. ^ Beckett, Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 1987), 64-65
  52. ^ Australian War Memorial website, Wartime Issue 12 ‘One Ilan Man’, http://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/12/article.asp 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine .
  53. ^ Beckett, Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 1987), 182
  54. ^ R E Johannes & J W MacFarlane, Traditional Fishing in the Torres Strait Islands(CSIRO, 1991), 117-118.
  55. ^ "Escape to Masig Island". www.weekendnotes.com. from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  56. ^ Thomson, J. M. (5 December 1979). "The turtle farming project in Torres Strait, North Queensland" (PDF). Joint SPCNMFS Workshop on Marine Turtles in the Tropical Pacific Island. (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  57. ^ Under Art. 11.
  58. ^ See also Art 12.
  59. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  60. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Department of Community Services for 1986(1987) 3
  61. ^ Queensland, Annual Report of the Department of Community Services for 1987 (1988) 29.
  62. ^ "Masigalgal (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation RNTBC". PBC. 15 May 2000. from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  63. ^ In the elections conducted under the Local Government Act 1993 members of the 15 communities comprising the TSIRC local government area each voted for a local councillor and a Mayor to constitute a council consisting of 15 councillors plus a mayor.
  64. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Masig Island (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  65. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  66. ^ "Tagai State College - Yorke Island Campus". from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  67. ^ "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  68. ^ "Landmark Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  69. ^ "Airports - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 22 October 2020. from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

Attribution edit

This Wikipedia article contains material from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community histories: Yorke Island (Masig). Published by The State of Queensland under CC-BY-4.0, accessed on 3 July 2017.

Further reading edit

  • Bowie, B., Mosby, E., Pearson, G., Teske, T. (1991). Coconut, Warraber and Yorke : central islands, island of Torres Strait. Far Northern Schools Development Unit. ISBN 0724244727. — full text online

April 15, 2024
masig, island, queensland, coordinates, using, openstreetmap, download, coordinates, coordinates, primary, coordinates, secondary, coordinates, masig, island, island, also, known, yorke, island, locality, torres, strait, island, region, queensland, australia, . Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Masig Island is an island also known as Yorke Island and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region Queensland Australia 2 In the 2021 census Masig Island had a population of 283 people 3 Masig Island QueenslandMasig Island left and Kodall Island right Masig IslandCoordinates9 45 10 S 143 24 39 E 9 7527 S 143 4108 E 9 7527 143 4108 Masig Island centre of locality Population283 SAL 2021 1 Area1 5 km2 0 6 sq mi Time zoneAEST UTC 10 00 LGA s Torres Strait Island RegionState electorate s CookFederal division s LeichhardtSuburbs around Masig Island Coral Sea Coral Sea Coral SeaCoral Sea Masig Island Coral SeaCoral Sea Coral Sea Coral SeaA map of the Torres Strait Islands showing Masig in the north eastern waters of Torres StraitThe name Masig is from the Kalau Lagau Ya language for this coral cay island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago situated in the eastern area of the central island group in the Torres Strait at the top end of the Great Barrier Reef and northeast of the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland Australia The Masigalgal people of the Kulkulgal nation of the Central Torres Strait are recognised as the traditional owners of Masig They are of Melanesian origin and had followed traditional patterns of hunting fishing agriculture and trade for many thousands of years prior to contact with the first European visitors to the region The Queensland Government moved the people of Aureed to Masig after it was declared an Aboriginal reserve Luggers owned by Masig families continued to operate until the pearling and shell industry collapsed in the 1960s The people then shifted successfully into commercial mackerel fishing prawning and crayfishing A highly profitable fish factory has operated on the island since the late 1970s freezing the catch and air freighting it to southern markets Masig Island is one of the Yorke Islands 9 44 41 S 143 25 46 E 9 7446 S 143 4295 E 9 7446 143 4295 Yorke Islands the other being Kodall Island 9 44 24 S 143 26 49 E 9 7400 S 143 4469 E 9 7400 143 4469 Kodall Island 4 5 6 Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Demographics 4 Education 5 Facilities 6 Transport 7 Popular culture 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Attribution 10 Further readingGeography editMasig Yorke Island lies northeast of Coconut Poruma Island in the central island group and southwest of Stephens Ugar Island and Darnley Erub Island and northwest of Murray Mer Island in the eastern island group It is about 160 kilometres 99 mi northeast of Thursday Island 7 The island is about 2 7 kilometres 1 7 mi long and 0 8 kilometres 2 600 ft at its widest point 8 9 a very small low lying coral cay The topography is very flat with ground level generally less than 3 metres 9 8 ft above sea level More than half the island is covered in undisturbed vegetation including dense trees on the eastern and western parts of the Island 7 Masig Island is near the following sea passages Moon Passage to the north west of the island 9 33 22 S 143 07 43 E 9 5561 S 143 1286 E 9 5561 143 1286 Moon Passage 10 Great North East Channel to the north west 9 37 30 S 143 21 11 E 9 6250 S 143 3531 E 9 6250 143 3531 Great North East Channel 10 Cumberland Passage to the south east 10 01 44 S 143 33 00 E 10 0288 S 143 5499 E 10 0288 143 5499 Cumberland Passage 10 Hibernia Passage to the south east 10 05 47 S 143 38 12 E 10 0965 S 143 6368 E 10 0965 143 6368 Hibernia Passage 10 The Bourke Isles are to the south of Masig Island 9 51 20 S 143 30 21 E 9 8556 S 143 5058 E 9 8556 143 5058 Bourke Isles 4 History editThe Masigalgal people of the Kulkulgal nation of the Central Torres Strait 7 are recognised as the traditional owners of Masig 11 The Torres Strait Islander people of Masig are of Melanesian origin and had followed traditional patterns of hunting fishing agriculture and trade for many thousands of years prior to contact with the first European visitors to the region 12 13 They are skilled navigators with a detailed knowledge of the reefs and have always occupied a central position in the Straits trading networks 8 In September 1792 Captain William Bligh in charge of the British Navy ships Providence and Assistant visited Torres Strait and mapped the main reefs and channels In the 1860s beche de mer sea cucumber and pearling boats began working the reefs of Torres Strait William Banner established a beche de mer station at Warrior Island in 1863 and employed Islander men from Masig to work on his boats as divers and crew 14 Before the arrival of teachers from the London Missionary Society in the 1870s Masig was attracting a diverse community of immigrants some brought by the pearl and trochus shell industry In 1872 the Queensland Government sought to extend its jurisdiction and requested the support of the British Government 15 Letters Patent were issued by the British Government in 1872 creating a new boundary for the colony which encompassed all islands within a 60 nautical mile radius of the coast of Queensland 16 This boundary was further extended by the Queensland Coast Islands Act 1879 Qld 17 18 and included the islands of Boigu Erub Mer and Saibai which lay beyond the previous 60 nautical mile limit The new legislation enabled the Queensland Government to control and regulate bases for the beche de mer and pearling industries which previously had operated outside its jurisdiction 19 In 1871 an American whaler from Boston named Edward Ned Mosby arrived in Torres Strait He was commonly known as Yankee Ned After working for Frank Jardine on Nagir Island Edward Mosby established a beche de mer station on Yorke in the late 1870s with his business partner Jack Walker Mosby and Walker leased half the island from the Queensland Government for their business operations 20 21 22 23 Captain Charles Pennefather in charge of the government survey vessel Pearl visited Masig in September 1882 Mosby and Walker lodged a complaint with Pennefather against the crew of the beche de mer operator Captain Walton for cutting down Wongai fruit trees on the island for fuel 24 25 Steam powered ships often stopped at Masig to collect supplies of firewood resulting in deforestation on the Island 26 Torres Strait Islanders refer to the arrival of London Missionary Society LMS missionaries in July 1871 as the Coming of the Light The Reverend A W Murray and William Wyatt Gill were the first LMS missionaries to visit Masig in 1872 27 28 29 Around 1900 the LMS missionary the Reverend Walker established a philanthropic business scheme named Papuan Industries Limited This company encouraged Islander communities to co operatively rent or purchase their own pearl luggers or company boats The company boats were used to harvest pearl shells and beche de mer which was sold and distributed by the company The people of Masig purchased their first company boats around 1905 These boats provided Islanders with income a sense of community pride and also improved transport and communication between the islands 30 Yankee Ned Mosby s son also operated a number of pearl luggers from Masig including the Yano and Nancy 31 In November 1912 the Queensland Government officially gazetted 320 acres of land on Masig as an Aboriginal reserve Many other Torres Strait Islands were gazetted as Aboriginal reserves at the same time 32 The Government moved the people of Aureed to Masig after this citation needed A government school was established on the island in 1912 33 34 By 1918 a Protector of Aboriginals had been appointed to Thursday Island and during the 1920s and 1930s racial legislation was strictly applied to Torres Strait Islanders enabling the government to remove Islanders to reserves and missions across Queensland A world wide influenza epidemic reached the Torres Strait in 1920 resulting in 96 deaths in the region The Queensland Government provided the islands of Masig Iama and Poruma with food relief to help them recover from the outbreak 35 36 In March 1923 Masig and Poruma were hit by a violent hurricane which destroyed local crops and gardens 37 The Queensland Government subsequently established new facilities on Masig during the 1930s including an Aboriginal Industries Board store a court house and improved roads 38 39 40 41 nbsp Dancers on Masig Island 1931In 1936 around 70 of the Torres Strait Islander workforce went on strike in the first organised challenge against government authority made by Torres Strait Islanders The nine month strike was an expression of Islanders anger and resentment at the increasing government control of their livelihoods The strike was a protest against government interference in wages trade and commerce and also called for the lifting of evening curfews the removal of the permit system for inter island travel and the recognition of the Islanders right to recruit their own boat crews 42 43 This strike produced a number of significant reforms and innovations Unpopular local Aboriginal Protector J D McLean was removed and replaced by Cornelius O Leary who established a system of regular consultations with elected islander council representatives The new island councils were given a degree of autonomy including control over local island police and courts 44 On 23 August 1937 O Leary convened the first Inter Islander Councillors Conference at Masig Representatives from 14 Torres Strait communities attended Barney Mosby Dan Mosby and William represented Masig at the conference After lengthy discussions unpopular bylaws including the evening curfews were cancelled and a new code of local representation was agreed upon 45 46 47 In 1939 the Queensland Government passed the Torres Strait Islander Act 1939 which incorporated many of the recommendations discussed at the conference A key section of the new act officially recognised Torres Strait Islanders as a separate people from Aboriginal Australians 48 49 During World War II the Australian Government recruited Torres Strait Islander men to serve in the armed forces Enlisted men from Masig and other island communities formed the Torres Strait Light Infantry While the Torres Strait Light Infantry were respected as soldiers they only received one third of the pay given to white Australian servicemen On 31 December 1943 members of the Torres Strait Light Infantry went on strike calling for equal pay and equal rights 50 The Australian Government agreed to increase their pay to two thirds the level received by white servicemen Full back pay was offered in compensation to the Torres Strait servicemen by the Australian Government in the 1980s 51 52 Following World War II the pearling industry declined across Torres Strait and Islanders were permitted to work and settle on the Australian mainland Prawning and fishing enterprises were established at Masig in the 1970s Luggers owned by Masig families continued to operate until the collapse of the pearl industry in the 1960s after which the people shifted successfully into commercial mackerel fishing prawning and crayfishing 53 54 nbsp Turtle farm Masig IslandIn 1970 the Australian Government established a turtle farm on the island to provide employment for Torres Strait Islander people However turtles take too long to mature and the costs of farming them was greater than their value when sold for eating The project was later abandoned and the remaining turtles released into the sea 55 56 In December 1978 a treaty was signed by the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments that described the boundaries between the two countries and the use of the sea area by both parties The Torres Strait Treaty which commenced operation in February 1985 contains special provision for free movement without passports or visas between both countries 57 Free movement between communities applies to traditional activities such as fishing trading and family gatherings which occur in a specifically created Protected Zone and nearby areas 58 Yorke Island State School opened on 29 January 1985 On 1 January 2007 it became the Yorke Island Campus of Tagai State College 59 On 30 March 1985 the Masig community elected 3 councillors to constitute an autonomous Masig Island Council established under the Community Services Torres Strait Act 1984 This Act conferred local government type powers and responsibilities upon Torres Strait Islander councils The council area previously an Aboriginal reserve held by the Queensland Government was transferred on 21 October 1985 to the trusteeship of the council under a Deed of Grant in Trust DOGIT 60 61 Native title was recognised over Masig in 2000 62 held in trust by the Masigalgal Torres Strait Islander Corporation RNTBC 7 In 2007 the Local Government Reform Commission recommended that the 15 Torres Strait Island councils be abolished and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council be established The first Torres Strait Island Regional Council was elected on 15 March 2008 in elections conducted under the Local Government Act 1993 63 Demographics editIn the 2016 census Masig Island had a population of 270 people 64 In the 2021 census Masig Island had a population of 283 people 3 Education editYorke Island Campus Masig Muysaw Ngurpay Lag is a primary Early Childhood 6 campus of Tagai State College headquartered at Thursday Island It is at 131 William Street 9 45 02 S 143 25 00 E 9 7505 S 143 4166 E 9 7505 143 4166 Tagai State College Yorke Island Campus 65 66 There is no secondary school on Masig Island The nearest secondary school is Tagai State College on Thursday Island approximately 150 kilometres 93 mi away Distance education or boarding schools are options 9 Facilities editYorke Island SES Facility is on Barneys Road 9 45 05 S 143 24 53 E 9 7514 S 143 4146 E 9 7514 143 4146 Yorke Island SES Facility 67 Masig Yorke Island Primary Health Care Centre is at 115 Aous Road 9 45 08 S 143 24 54 E 9 7522 S 143 4149 E 9 7522 143 4149 health centre 68 The health care centre is staffed by a qualified nurse and there is also a doctor based there who provides medical services to three other islands in the central island cluster Coconut Yam and Warraber There is an IBIS store on the island and also a Mini Mart Transport editYorke Island Airfield is 1 kilometre 0 62 mi long and lies diagonally between the north and south side of the island 9 45 09 S 143 24 19 E 9 7526 S 143 4054 E 9 7526 143 4054 Yorke Island Airfield 69 A regular scheduled air service is operated by West Wing Aviation from Horn Island otherwise access to Masig is by charter plane or boat All goods and mail are delivered by a weekly barge service and via the scheduled air service Popular culture editYorke Island was the film location for the Australian television series RAN Remote Area Nurse See also edit nbsp Queensland portal nbsp Islands portalTorres Strait Islands Climate change List of Torres Strait Islands Yorke Island AirportReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yorke Islands Australian Bureau of Statistics 28 June 2022 Masig Island suburb and locality Australian Census 2021 QuickStats Retrieved 28 June 2022 nbsp Masig Island locality in Torres Strait Island Region entry 46714 Queensland Place Names Queensland Government Retrieved 15 December 2020 a b Australian Bureau of Statistics 28 June 2022 Masig Island SAL 2021 Census QuickStats Retrieved 28 February 2023 nbsp a b Island groups Queensland Queensland Open Data Queensland Government 12 November 2020 Archived from the original on 25 November 2020 Retrieved 25 November 2020 Yorke Islands island group entry 38729 Queensland Place Names Queensland Government Retrieved 15 December 2020 Kodall Island island in the Torres Shire entry 46928 Queensland Place Names Queensland Government Retrieved 15 December 2020 a b c d Masig calendar Indigenous Weather Knowledge Bureau of Meteorology Archived from the original on 16 July 2020 Retrieved 16 July 2020 nbsp Text was copied from this source which is available under a Attribution 3 0 Australia CC BY 3 0 AU Archived 5 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine licence as in this note Archived 16 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine a b Masig Torres Strait Islands Regional Council Archived from the original on 20 June 2017 Retrieved 3 July 2017 a b Queensland Globe State of Queensland Retrieved 15 December 2020 a b c d Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages Queensland Queensland Open Data Queensland Government 12 November 2020 Archived from the original on 25 November 2020 Retrieved 25 November 2020 Masig People v the State of Queensland 2000 FCA 1067 R E Johannes amp J W MacFarlane Traditional Fishing in the Torres Strait Islands CSIRO 1991 115 143 M Fuary In So Many Words An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island Torres Strait PhD Thesis James Cook University Townsville 1991 68 71 R Ganter The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait Melbourne University Press Melbourne 1994 19 20 S B Kaye Jurisdictional Patchwork Law of the Sea and Native Title Issues in the Torres Strait 2001 2 Melbourne Journal of International Law 1 Queensland Queensland Statutes 1963 vol 2 712 See also Colonial Boundaries Act 1895 Imp Wacando v Commonwealth 1981 148 CLR 1 S Mullins Torres Strait A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864 1897 Central Queensland University Press Rockhampton 1994 139 161 R Ganter The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait Melbourne University Press Melbourne 1994 27 28 247 J Foley Timeless Isle An Illustrated History of Thursday Island Torres Strait Historical Society Thursday Island 2003 3 S Mullins Torres Strait A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864 1897 Central Queensland University Press Rockhampton 1994 169 DEATH OF YANKEE NED Evening News No 13 802 New South Wales Australia 2 September 1911 p 8 Archived from the original on 14 July 2023 Retrieved 19 July 2017 via National Library of Australia Queensland State Archives Colonial Secretary s Correspondence COL A349 1882 5869 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 26 M Fuary In So Many Words An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island Torres Strait PhD Thesis James Cook University Townsville 1991 145 R Ganter The Pearl Shellers of Torres Strait Melbourne University Press Melbourne 1994 68 75 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1905 1906 29 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 158 161 S Mullins Torres Strait A History of Colonial Occupation and Culture Contact 1864 1897 Central Queensland University Press Rockhampton 1994 121 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1916 1917 9 Queensland Queensland Government Gazette vol 99 no 138 1912 1330 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1912 1913 21 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector for 1913 1914 13 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1920 1921 7 M Fuary In So Many Words An Ethnography of Life and Identity on Yam Island Torres Strait PhD Thesis James Cook University Townsville 1991 148 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1923 1924 6 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1932 1933 13 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 184 Queensland Annual Report of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals for 1931 1932 9 Queensland Annual Report of the Department of Native Affairs for 1938 1939 14 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 181 186 278 Beckett Torres Strait Islanders Custom and Colonialism Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1987 Beckett Torres Strait Islanders Custom and Colonialism Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1987 54 55 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 210 214 Queensland Annual Report of the Department of Native Affairs for 1937 1938 13 Queensland State Archives A 3941 Minutes of Torres Strait Councillors Conference held at Yorke Island 23 25 August 1937 Sections 3 a c of the Torres Strait Islander Act Qld 1939 See also the Queensland Annual Report Department of Native Affairs for 1939 1940 1 N Sharp Stars of Tagai The Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal Studies Press Canberra 1993 214 216 Australian War Memorial website Wartime Issue 12 One Ilan Man http www awm gov au wartime 12 article asp Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Beckett Torres Strait Islanders Custom and Colonialism Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1987 64 65 Australian War Memorial website Wartime Issue 12 One Ilan Man http www awm gov au wartime 12 article asp Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Beckett Torres Strait Islanders Custom and Colonialism Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1987 182 R E Johannes amp J W MacFarlane Traditional Fishing in the Torres Strait Islands CSIRO 1991 117 118 Escape to Masig Island www weekendnotes com Archived from the original on 14 July 2023 Retrieved 14 July 2023 Thomson J M 5 December 1979 The turtle farming project in Torres Strait North Queensland PDF Joint SPCNMFS Workshop on Marine Turtles in the Tropical Pacific Island Archived PDF from the original on 14 July 2023 Retrieved 14 July 2023 Under Art 11 See also Art 12 Queensland Family History Society 2010 Queensland schools past and present Version 1 01 ed Queensland Family History Society ISBN 978 1 921171 26 0 Queensland Annual Report of the Department of Community Services for 1986 1987 3 Queensland Annual Report of the Department of Community Services for 1987 1988 29 Masigalgal Torres Strait Islanders Corporation RNTBC PBC 15 May 2000 Archived from the original on 17 July 2020 Retrieved 16 July 2020 In the elections conducted under the Local Government Act 1993 members of the 15 communities comprising the TSIRC local government area each voted for a local councillor and a Mayor to constitute a council consisting of 15 councillors plus a mayor Australian Bureau of Statistics 27 June 2017 Masig Island SSC 2016 Census QuickStats Retrieved 20 October 2018 nbsp State and non state school details Queensland Government 9 July 2018 Archived from the original on 21 November 2018 Retrieved 21 November 2018 Tagai State College Yorke Island Campus Archived from the original on 14 March 2019 Retrieved 21 November 2018 Emergency services facilities Queensland Queensland Open Data Queensland Government 18 November 2020 Archived from the original on 24 November 2020 Retrieved 24 November 2020 Landmark Areas Queensland Queensland Open Data Queensland Government 18 November 2020 Archived from the original on 21 November 2020 Retrieved 21 October 2020 Airports Queensland Queensland Open Data Queensland Government 22 October 2020 Archived from the original on 15 November 2020 Retrieved 3 November 2020 Attribution edit This Wikipedia article contains material from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community histories Yorke Island Masig Published by The State of Queensland under CC BY 4 0 accessed on 3 July 2017 Further reading editBowie B Mosby E Pearson G Teske T 1991 Coconut Warraber and Yorke central islands island of Torres Strait Far Northern Schools Development Unit ISBN 0724244727 full text online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Masig Island Queensland amp oldid 1167188207, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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