Quail Island (Northern Territory)

Quail Island

LANDSAT true color image of
Quail Island Group, Northern Territory, Australia
Geography
Coordinates 12°31′08″S 130°26′06″E / 12.519°S 130.435°E / -12.519; 130.435Coordinates: 12°31′08″S 130°26′06″E / 12.519°S 130.435°E / -12.519; 130.435
Archipelago Quail Island Group
Total islands 3
Administration
Australia
State Northern Territory
Region Top End

Quail Island is 40 km from Port Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.

On 9 October 1881 when SS Brisbane, an 85.8 metres long passenger, cargo and mail ship, built by A & J Inglis, Pointhouse, Glasgow, struck the nearby Fish Reef, while heading there with cargo from Hong Kong.[1]

Quail Island belongs to the Quail Island Group. The other two islands in the archipelago are Bare Sand Island (southwest of Quail Island) and Djadjalbit Island (south).[2]

The islands are known for being a breeding ground for flatback turtles.[3]

Defense training

The Quail Island Air Weapons Range was used a training ground for defense forces from 1945 to 1979.[3] There are large munitions scattered around the island as a result. A three-year clean-up began in 2011 to remove hazards such as unexploded ordnance.[4] Visitors such as tourists and recreational anglers have been banned from the islands during the clean-up process.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "WRECK OF THE BRISBANE.". Illustrated Australian News (311). Victoria, Australia. 5 November 1881. p. 206. Retrieved 30 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 "Northern Territory islands off-limits while ADF clears bombs". The Australian. News Limited. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Quail Island Group". 7:30 NT. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  4. ↑ "Islands closed for unexploded bomb disposal". ntnews.com.au. News Limited. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.


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