Double Island, Queensland facts for kids
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Native name:
Wangal Djungay
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View of Double Island from shore, 2005
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| Geography | |
| Location | Ellis Beach, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 16°43′33″S 145°41′01″E / 16.72583°S 145.68361°E |
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Australia
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Double Island (originally Wangal Djungay (Djabugay)) is an island approx 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) off Ellis Beach inside the Great Barrier Reef on the coast of Queensland, Australia.
Geography
The island approximately 1.5 km, north east of Palm Cove, Queensland and about 30 km north of Cairns.
History
The island had been known to, and used by, the local Aboriginal Australians (predecessors of the Djabugay people), for many tens of thousands of years. The Djabugay people (particularly the Yirrgay group) believe it is the resting place of Gudju Gudju, a Rainbow Serpent.
The discovery of gold on the mainland west of the area assured that Double Island became well known in the 1880s and 1890s and it is said that, around this time, a mining company at Irvinebank used the island as a resort for employees. It was also around this time that some local graziers started using the island to graze cattle.
Double Island (Wangal Djungay) was the location of an exclusive resort. Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves have been among the celebrities who stayed on the island.
The resort has been closed to the public for years. In 2012, Benny Wu from Hong Kong bought the island lease and planned a $10 million upgrade to the island’s resort for wealthy tourists. However, by 2023, no maintenance or upgrades had been performed. With the resort having fallen into disrepair, this prompted calls for the lease to be cancelled. In June 2024, Benny Wu's lease was revoked and the island was returned to the state of Queensland.
