Dunk, Queensland

Dunk Queensland
Looking from Mount Kootaloo on Dunk Island across to some of the other islands in Dunk, 2009
Dunk
Coordinates	17°59′20″S146°09′13″E / 17.9888°S 146.1536°E / -17.9888; 146.1536 (Dunk (centre of locality))
Population	23 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.148/km2 (0.385/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4852
Area	154.9 km2 (59.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Cassowary Coast Region
State electorate(s)	Hill Hinchinbrook
Suburbs around Dunk: Wongaling Beach Coral Sea Coral Sea South Mission Beach Dunk Coral Sea Hull Heads Coral Sea Coral Sea

Dunk is an island group locality consisting of the Family Islands in the Coral Sea within the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Dunk had a population of 23 people. ^[1]

Geography

The named islands within the locality include (from north to south): ^[3]

• Mound Island (Purtaboi Island, 17°55′31″S146°08′11″E / 17.9253°S 146.1364°E / -17.9253; 146.1364 (Mound Island) ) ^[4]
• Dunk Island (Coonanglebah, 17°56′43″S146°09′28″E / 17.9453°S 146.1578°E / -17.9453; 146.1578 (Dunk Island) ) ^[5]
• Mung Um Gnackum Island ( 17°57′04″S146°08′31″E / 17.9511°S 146.1419°E / -17.9511; 146.1419 (Mung Um Gnackum Island) ) ^[6]
• Kumboola Island ( 17°57′20″S146°08′32″E / 17.9555°S 146.1421°E / -17.9555; 146.1421 (Kumboola Island) ) ^[7]
• Wolngarin Island ( 17°58′08″S146°10′51″E / 17.9689°S 146.1808°E / -17.9689; 146.1808 (Wolngarin Island) ) ^[8]
• Thorpe Island (Timana, 17°58′56″S146°08′13″E / 17.9821°S 146.1369°E / -17.9821; 146.1369 (Thorpe Island) ) ^[9]
• Bedarra Island (Richards Island, 18°00′15″S146°08′55″E / 18.0042°S 146.1486°E / -18.0042; 146.1486 (Bedarra Island) ) ^[10]
• Pee Rahm Ah Island ( 18°00′22″S146°09′30″E / 18.0062°S 146.1583°E / -18.0062; 146.1583 (Pee Rahm Ah Island) ) ^[11]
• Wheeler Island ( 18°01′34″S146°10′00″E / 18.0261°S 146.1667°E / -18.0261; 146.1667 (Wheeler Island) ) ^[12]
• Smith Island ( 18°02′16″S146°12′00″E / 18.0379°S 146.1999°E / -18.0379; 146.1999 (Smith Island) ) ^[13]
• Coombe Island ( 18°02′24″S146°10′38″E / 18.0400°S 146.1772°E / -18.0400; 146.1772 (Coombe Island) ) ^[14]
• Bowden Island (Budg-Joo Island, 18°02′35″S146°11′50″E / 18.043°S 146.1972°E / -18.043; 146.1972 (Bowden Island) ) ^[15]
• Hudson Island (Coolah, 18°03′01″S146°12′06″E / 18.0503°S 146.2017°E / -18.0503; 146.2017 (Hudson Island) ) ^[16]

Many of the islands are entirely within the Family Islands National Park (from north to south): Mound, Dunk (partially), Mung Um Gnackum, Kumboola, Wolngarin, Pee Rahm Ah Island, Wheeler, Smith, Coombe, Bowden and Hudson. ^[17]

History

The locality presumably takes its name from the largest island, Dunk Island.

HMS Paluma arrived in Brisbane on 7 May 1885. ^[18] Construction cost 35,000 pounds sterling. ^[19] The ship's name was the Aboriginal word for "thunder". ^[20] Over the next eight years, Paluma conducted survey work on the Great Barrier Reef for the Admiralty. ^[21] The European names of many of the islands reflect the names of the officers on the Paluma: Lieutenant G. Richards, commander; Lieutenants Wheeler, Combe and Bowden-Smith; Dr. Thorpe, surgeon, and Mr. Hudson, engineer. ^[22]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Dunk had a population of 21 people. ^[23]

In the 2021 census, Dunk had a population of 23 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Dunk. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school. ^[24]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Dunk (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Dunk – locality in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 45668)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 29 October 2019.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 31 October 2019.
4. "Mound Island (PURTABOI ISLAND) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 42710)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
5. "Dunk Island (Coonanglebah) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 10864)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
6. "Mung Um Gnackum Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 23454)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
7. "Kumboola Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 18600)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
8. "Wolngarin Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 37836)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
9. "Thorpe Island (Timana) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 34338)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
10. "Bedarra Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 2022)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
11. "Pee Rahm Ah Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 26287)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
12. "Wheeler Island (TOOLGBAR ISLAND) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 37203)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
13. "Smith Island (KURRAMBAH ISLAND) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 31199)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
14. "Coombe Island – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 8168)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
15. "Bowden Island (BUDG-JOO ISLAND) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 4095)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
16. "Hudson Island (Coolah Island) – island in the Cassowary Coast Region (entry 16393)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2024.
17. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
18. "HMAS Paluma (I)". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
19. Gillett, Ross (1977). Warships of Australia. illustrated by Colin Graham. Adelaide: Rigby Limited. p. 105. ISBN   978-0-7270-0472-7. OCLC   4466019.
20. Gillett 1977, p. 109.
21. Royal Australian Navy.
22. Venn, Linda (2002), Paluma : the first eighty years 1870s-1950s (PDF), Thuringowa City Council, ISBN   978-0-9577305-5-7, archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2019
23. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Dunk (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
24. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 14 April 2025.