Tuesday, July 14, 2015

PALM ISLAND STORY


In 1914, Australian troops on their way to take possession of German New Guinea  stopped   at  Palm Island , near Townsville , and went  into training  to prepare for the battle. From the Little Darwin  files , the caption on the above  photograph  says it shows a company returning to the Berrima after manoeuvres on  the island .
 
During  that  same year the first step was taken  to turn Palm Island into a controversial  and  oppressive settlement  for Aborigines and  Torres  Strait   Islanders. Today the island  is once again  being promoted as a tourist destination as it was in the l930s when  passenger ships conveying  people fleeing  winter   down  south  came north to see  the  wonders of  the  Barrier Reef.
 
Circa l930s  photographs in the Little Darwin collection   include  one in which a  man who could be   the captain  or  officer of a vessel  and  another well dressed  European pose in  a  large group on  Palm  Island .
 
Few people  would know that  there is a link between   Darwin and Palm  Island through  the  1955  Charles and Elsa  Chauvel  filmJedda  , which will be fleshed out  in a later post. 
Low  tide view of  landing  at  Palm Island  where  ferry passengers from Townsville  come ashore
The  chequered  and troubled  history  of  Palm  Island  is  conveyed in    various  plaques  on   display .
 
 
STRUGGLES  AND  ACHIEVEMENTS