Ruqayyah Snyder
Mer Island, also known as Murray Island, is a small island of volcanic origin in the eastern group of the Torres Strait Islands, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. It is 800km north of Cairns and is the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago. The island is part of the Murray Island Group, which also includes Daua Island (Dowar) and Waier Island (Waier). The town of Murray Island is located on the island's northwest coast. The people of Murray Island speak Torres Strait Creole, Meriam, and English, and have a population of around 400-450 people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Eastern group of Torres Strait Islands |
| Distance from mainland Australia | 800km north of Cairns |
| Population | 406 (2021 census); 450 (2016 census) |
| Highest point | 230m (Gelam Paser) |
| Plateau height | 80m above sea level |
| Origin | Volcanic |
| Inhabitants | Melanesian Meriam people |
| Language | Torres Strait Creole, Meriam, English |
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What You'll Learn
Mer Island is 800km north of Cairns, Australia
Mer Island, also known as Murray Island, is a locality and island in the Murray Island Group of the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. It is 800km north of Cairns, a coastal city in North Queensland, Australia. Cairns is a popular stepping stone for tourists to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the many tropical islands and beaches nearby.
Mer Island is the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. The island is of volcanic origin, formed when the Indo-Australian Plate slid over the East Australia hotspot. The island rises to a plateau 80 metres (260 ft) above mean sea level. The island's highest point is the 230-metre (750 ft) Gelam Paser, the western end of the volcano crater. The island has red, fertile soil and is covered in dense vegetation. It has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season.
The town of Murray Island is on the island's northwest coast. The island has been inhabited for around 2,800 years, with the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot-making with them. The people of Mer, the Melanesian Meriam, maintain their traditional culture. Modern influences such as consumer goods, television, travel and radio are impacting traditional practices and culture. However, song and dance remain an integral part of island life and are demonstrated through celebrations such as Mabo Day, Coming of the Light, Tombstone openings and other cultural events.
Mer Island had a population of 450 people in 2016, according to the census. In the 2021 census, the population was 406. The people of Murray Island speak Torres Strait Creole, Meriam, and English. There are eight tribes on Mer: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, and Piadram/Dauer Meriam. The island's organisation is based on traditional laws of boundary and ownership.
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The island is of volcanic origin
The Murray Islands are located in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. The islands are part of the Murray Group of islands, which includes Erub and Ugar. The Murray Islands comprise three islands: Murray Island (also known as Mer Island), Daua Island (Dowar), and Waier Island (Waier). Mer Island, the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, is of volcanic origin.
Mer Island is a basaltic island formed from an extinct volcano, which was last active over a million years ago. The volcano became extinct when the Indo-Australian Plate slid over the East Australia hotspot. The island rises to a plateau 80 metres (260 feet) above mean sea level. The highest point of the island is the 230-metre (750-foot) Gelam Paser, which forms the western end of the volcano crater. The island has red fertile soil and is covered in dense vegetation.
The island has been inhabited for around 2,800 years, with the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot-making to the region. The modern inhabitants of the island, the Melanesian Meriam people, are organised into eight tribes: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, and Piadram/Dauer. The organisation of the island is based on the traditional laws of boundary and ownership.
Westerners began to settle on the island in 1872 when the London Missionary Society founded a missionary school. Today, the people of Mer Island speak Torres Strait Creole and Meriam and work to maintain their traditional culture, although modern influences are impacting some traditional practices.
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The island's highest point is 230m
Mer Island, also known as Murray Island, is a locality and island in the Murray Island Group of the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. The island is of volcanic origin, formed when the Indo-Australian Plate slid over the East Australia hotspot. This basaltic island was last active over a million years ago.
The island rises to a plateau 80 metres (260 ft) above mean sea level. The island's highest point is the 230-metre (750 ft) Gelam Paser, the western end of the volcano crater. The island has red, fertile soil and is covered in dense vegetation. It has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season.
Murray Island is one of the three islands in the Murray Islands, the others being Daua Island (Dowar) and Waier Island (Waier). The town of Murray Island is on the island's northwest coast. Murray Island has been inhabited for around 2,800 years, the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot-making with them. The island is populated by the Melanesian Meriam people, who speak Torres Strait Creole and Meriam, a member of the Eastern Trans-Fly languages of Trans–New Guinea. There are eight tribes on Mer: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, and Piadram/Dauer. The island's organisation is based on traditional laws of boundary and ownership.
The migration of Islanders to mainland Australia increased as jobs disappeared in the pearling industry. Today, the island has a population of around 406-450 people. The island's most famous resident was trade unionist Eddie Mabo, whose decision to sue the Queensland Government to secure ownership of his land resulted in the "Mabo decision" on 3 June 1992, recognising Mabo's native title rights on his land.
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The island has a population of around 400-450 people
Mer Island, also known as Murray Island, is located in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Murray Island Group of the Torres Strait Island Region, and is the most easterly inhabited island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, just north of the Great Barrier Reef. The island is of volcanic origin, formed when the Indo-Australian Plate slid over the East Australia hotspot. It has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season.
The people of Murray Island speak Torres Strait Creole and Meriam, a member of the Eastern Trans-Fly languages of Trans–New Guinea. English is also spoken by a small minority, with only 3.5% of the population speaking only English at home. The island is home to eight tribes: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, and Piadram/Dauer Meriam. The organisation of the island is based on traditional laws of boundary and ownership, and the people of Murray Island maintain their traditional culture, including song and dance as an integral part of island life.
The island has been inhabited for around 2,800 years, with the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot-making to the region. Regular contact with Europeans and Asians began in the 19th century when the Torres Strait became a passage between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. In 1872, missionaries and Polynesians began to settle on the island, and the London Missionary Society founded a missionary school. The Queensland Government annexed the islands in 1879.
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The island is inhabited by the Melanesian Meriam people
The Murray Islands are a group of islands in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. The islands are inhabited by the Melanesian Meriam people, who speak Torres Strait Creole and Meriam, a member of the Eastern Trans-Fly languages of Trans–New Guinea. The name Mer/Meriam/Maer comes from the native Meriam language.
The Meriam people are one of several indigenous groups who inhabit the islands of Melanesia, which form an arc from northwest to southeast, beginning with New Guinea and continuing through the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), New Caledonia, Fiji, and numerous smaller islands. The name Melanesia comes from the Ancient Greek "melas" and "nesos", meaning "black" and "island" respectively, in reference to the dark skin of the inhabitants.
The Meriam people are organised into eight tribes: Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibri, Meriam-Samsep, and Piadram/Dauer Meriam. The organisation of the island is based on traditional laws of boundary and ownership. The people of Mer maintain their traditional culture, with song and dance remaining an integral part of island life. However, modern influences such as consumer goods, television, travel, and radio are impacting traditional practices and culture.
The Murray Islands have been inhabited for around 2,800 years, with the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot-making to the islands. The Meriam people gained a reputation as fierce warriors and skilled mariners, with warfare and head-hunting being a part of their culture.
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Frequently asked questions
The Murray Islands are located in the Torres Strait, 800km north of Cairns, Australia. They are part of Queensland, Australia.
The population of Mer Island, the main island of the Murray Islands, was 450 in the 2016 census. In the 2021 census, this number decreased to 406.
The highest point on the Murray Islands is Gelam Paser, which rises 230m above sea level.
The Murray Islands have been inhabited for around 2,800 years, with the first settlers being Papuo-Austronesians. The islands were formed from an extinct volcano that was last active over a million years ago.
