Damon Mcknight
Australia owns several islands, including the world-renowned Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, and the external territories of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Australia also lays claim to the Indian Ocean Territories, the Coral Sea Islands, and the Australian Antarctic Territory, among others. In total, there are over 8,000 islands within Australia's maritime borders, ranging from small rocks barely peeking above the tide to islands over twice the size of the Australian Capital Territory.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of islands within maritime borders | 8,222 |
| Largest islands by area | Tasmania, Melville Island, Kangaroo Island, Groote Eylandt, Bathurst Island, K'gari, Flinders Island, King Island, Mornington Island |
| External territories | Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island |
| Most populous islands | Bribie Island, Phillip Island, Tasmania |
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What You'll Learn
K'gari, Queensland
K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, is a Queensland island in Australia. It is the world's largest sand island, covering 165,280 hectares (or 1,653 square kilometres) and stretching over 123 kilometres in length and 25 kilometres at its widest point. The island is known for its diverse landscapes, including freshwater lakes, sand dunes, wetlands, crystal-clear lakes, dense rainforests, and its famous coloured sands, which have been stained by decayed vegetation over thousands of years. The Cathedrals on the eastern beach is an excellent example of this.
K'gari has a rich history, with its name deriving from the language of the local Butchulla peoples, and it was once the site of major battles against sand-mining in the 1970s, resulting in an Australian Government ban on this type of mining on the island. Today, it is a popular tourist destination, offering a blend of holiday resorts and wilderness camping. Visitors can drive on its wide-open beaches, explore shifting sand blows, swim in iridescent waters, and observe playful marine life just metres from the shore.
The island is located just off the coast of southern Queensland and is part of the Great Sandy National Park, which covers 52,400 hectares on the northern half of the island. K'gari is also recognised as a World Heritage site, showcasing its unique natural and cultural significance.
In contrast to K'gari, one of Australia's more distant possessions is Macquarie Island, located in the Southern Ocean. Macquarie Island is much smaller, covering 128 square kilometres, and is known for its unique geological features, including pillow basalts and other extrusive rocks.
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Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are two of Australia's most remote and extraordinary destinations. They are both administered by the Australian federal government's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
Christmas Island is known for its tropical rainforests, rare birdlife, coral reefs, and red crabs. The island is also home to secluded beaches, unique nature experiences, and spectacular lookouts. The Dales, one of the island's two Ramsar-protected wetlands, is home to blue crabs, Tahitian chestnut trees, and a permanent flow of freshwater. Christmas Island also has warm, translucent waters, perfect for diving and snorkelling.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago of 27 coral islands, of which only two—West Island and Home Island—are inhabited. The islands offer a range of activities such as snorkelling, diving, fishing, parasailing, and relaxing on the exquisite lagoon. The primary airport, Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airport, is located on West Island, with Virgin Australia operating scheduled flights from Perth Airport twice a week.
A 14-day itinerary is recommended to explore both Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with seven nights spent on each island.
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Norfolk Island
The island is made up of Norfolk Island, Phillip Island, and Nepean Island, which together form the Territory of Norfolk Island. The main settlement and administrative centre of Norfolk Island is Kingston, in the south. The island had a population of 2,188 people in 2021, and its economy is largely based on tourism, with many islanders employed in the operation of hotels, duty-free stores, and other aspects of the industry. About 30,000 tourists visit the island each year, and the island has about 80 kilometres of motor roads and an airport for passenger and air freight service with Australia and New Zealand.
The island is known for its natural beauty, including its towering Norfolk Pines, ancient ferns, and natural sanctuaries that are home to some of the world's rarest birds. The evergreen Norfolk Island pine is a symbol of the island and is pictured on its flag. The pine is also a key export, as it is a popular ornamental tree in Australia and worldwide.
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Melville Island, Northern Territory
Australia owns several islands in the Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans, as well as in the Coral and Timor Seas. These include the Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, the Jervis Bay Territory, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and the Coral Sea Islands.
One of the islands Australia owns is Melville Island, which is part of the Tiwi Islands, along with Bathurst Island and nine smaller uninhabited islands. Melville Island is located in the eastern Timor Sea, off the coast of the Northern Territory, Australia. It is approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Darwin and west of the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land. At 5,786 square kilometres (2,234 square miles), it is the second-largest island in Australia, just outside the 100 largest islands in the world. The island has a tropical climate.
The Tiwi Islands are Aboriginal land, and all visitors are required to have a permit. Visitors who are not part of a tour are required to be hosted by a resident who will arrange permits on their behalf. The Tiwi Land Council is the regional authority. The Tiwi people have occupied the area that became the Tiwi Islands for at least 40,000 years, and their culture continues to flourish. The Tiwi language and beliefs are unique to the region, and objects like tunga (bark baskets) and pukumani poles are only made by the Tiwi people.
The largest settlement on Melville Island is Milikapiti, with a population of 559. The second-largest is Pirlangimpi (Pularumpi, formerly Garden Point), with a population of 440, located 27 kilometres (17 miles) west of Milikapiti, on the west coast of Melville Island. About 30 more people live in five family outstations.
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Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Australia owns several islands, including Tasmania, Melville Island, Kangaroo Island, Groote Eylandt, Bathurst Island, K'gari, Flinders Island, King Island, and Mornington Island. This doesn't include the various external territories Australia has in the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans, as well as the Coral and Timor Seas.
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is located 112 km (70 mi) southwest of Adelaide, with its closest point to the mainland being Snapper Point in Backstairs Passage, just 13.5 km (8.4 mi) from the Fleurieu Peninsula. The island is 145 km (90 mi) long from east to west and 0.94 to 54 km (1 to 34 mi) wide from north to south. Its area covers 4,405 km2 (1,701 sq mi) with a coastline of 540 km (336 mi).
The island was once occupied by a native population of Aboriginal Australians, known as the Kartan people, who disappeared from the archaeological record around 10,000 years ago due to rising sea levels after the Last Glacial Period. From the early 19th century, the island was intermittently settled by sealers and whalers, with a community of sealers and escaped convicts living there from 1802 until South Australia's colonisation in 1836.
Today, Kangaroo Island is known for its spectacular nature and wildlife, food and wine, and unique events. It has a diverse landscape, with its highest point being 307 meters (1007 ft) in Flinders Chase National Park, and a coastline featuring Investigator Strait and the Pages, a group of islets off the eastern end of the island. The biggest town on Kangaroo Island is Kingscote, which was established in 1836 and is South Australia's first colonial settlement. Other towns include Penneshaw, located on the northeastern tip of the Dudley Peninsula, with a population of around 300.
Kangaroo Island offers a range of accommodation options, from five-star suites to tiny house stays, and is accessible by ferry or flight. Visitors can explore the island's nature and wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, lizards, birds, and bees, and learn about the resilience of the Ligurian bees after the devastating bushfires. The island also boasts a southern rock lobster fishery, and its honey, produced by passionate beekeepers, is considered a culinary treasure.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia owns 8,222 islands within its maritime borders.
Some of the larger islands owned by Australia include Tasmania, Melville Island, Kangaroo Island, Groote Eylandt, Bathurst Island, K'gari, Flinders Island, King Island, and Mornington Island.
Some of the external islands owned by Australia include Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Lord Howe Island, and Macquarie Island.
Tasmania, also considered a state of Australia, is the largest island owned by Australia, with a size of 64,519 square kilometres.
Yes, K'gari, also known as the world's largest sand island, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Macquarie Island has also been nominated for inscription on the World Heritage Register for its unique geological features.
