A Day In Paradise

After the mutiny on the Bounty Captain Bligh was set adrift in a 7 meter boat by Lt Fletcher Christian and in 1787 he discovered and named the Islands of the Torres Strait.  He named the first Island Resoration and then continued to name the others after the days of the week starting with Sunday.  That is how Thursday Island got it's name.

Although it is too small for an airport, just over 3 sqr kms,  it is the administrative centre for the Torres Strait Islands.  There are 25000 people living on the 20 Islands of the Torres Strait.  The main industry here is fishing, prawning and the pearling industry which is now declining.

Torres Strait Islanders speak two indiginous languages, Meriam Mer, a Papuan related language in the eastern islands and Kala Lagaw Ya, an aboriginal family of languages is spoken on the rest of the Islands

Torres Strait Islands

Thursday Island is only 39 km off the tip of Cape York Peninsula and is the northern most point of Australia.  It is steeped in history and in 1880 served as a defence centre for Australia when people feared a Russian invasion.  The canons are still there and the Fort on Greenhill is one of TI's tourist attractions.  It is now home to their historical museum.

 

There is also a small Quetta museum attached to the Quetta Cathedral.

Thursday Island truely is paradise populated by beautiful people who 

are proud of their history and their heritage.

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