Australia’s Queensland Government announced the official name change of one of the state’s most treasured and culturally significant destinations to its Traditional name ‘K’gari’ (pronounced with K-silent). It was formerly called Fraser Island. Queensland is situated in northeastern Australia.
The announcement formally recognises the Butchulla People’s connection to the island and the creation story that has been passed down for generations, the state shared.
Located just 300 km north of the Queensland capital, Brisbane, K’gari is a popular destination for both domestic and international visitors. In 2022, more than 800,000 visitors travelled to the Fraser Coast, including a record number of interstate visitors from around Australia.
“K’gari is one of those places that is incredibly well known, not just nationally but internationally. We have a huge number of international visitors that come to see K’gari every year. So, what we are doing when we are respecting Indigenous place names, is we are respecting Indigenous culture,” said Dr Rose Barrowcliffe, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and Butchulla Woman, explaining the importance of returning the original place name to Butchulla People in the lead up to the reinstatement of the original name.
The idyllic landscape is a hotspot for tourists, with as many as 450,000 people visiting the island in one year, according to a study by the firm Littomatique.In the spring and summer, the number of visitors can peak to nearly 6,000 in a single day. The influx is also eroding paths leading to the picturesque lighthouse on the island’s north and impacting protected areas.
In traditional Butchulla culture, the island holds immense history in its lakes, waterways, coastline, skies & rainforest. Gaining UNESCO World Heritage Area status in 1992, it was formed from sand accumulation over 750,000 years – becoming the world’s largest sand island. The Butchulla People have understood its significance for an estimated 20,000 years, forging an incredible connection with the land, sea, flora and fauna that live harmoniously, the state said in an official communication.
“Australia has the oldest continuously living cultures in the world. It’s the most unique thing about us as a continent and a destination. So, by honouring indigenous cultures and using place names, we are raising up the culture and saying we are proud of it. And we are showcasing a unique part of our offering to the world,” said Barrowcliffe.
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Patricia O’Callaghan, CEO, Tourism and Events, Queensland, said K’gari was one of Queensland and Australia’s most spectacular places to visit. “K’gari is the world’s largest sand island, and she has ancient stories to tell and breathtaking moments for visitors to enjoy,” said O’Callaghan, adding, “The return to the island’s traditional name is a significant step in its history and reflects Queensland’s unique position as the only place on earth where our two ancient cultures continue to live side-by-side”. Part of the Great Sandy Biosphere designated by UNESCO in 2009, K’gari (pronounced with a silent K) is one of the most unique and naturally stunning places on earth. There are no roads on the island and visitors are guided by the sand tracks and the waterways leading to all corners of this World Heritage Listed Wonder, including the crystal-clear freshwater of Boorangoora (Lake McKenzie) – just one of approximately 100 freshwater lakes on the island.
The world’s largest perched lake, known to the Butchulla People as Lake Boomanjin, is also found on K’gari. At the northern end of the island, visitors can bathe in the bubbling Champagne Rock Pools before trekking along 75 Mile Beach beside towering, coloured sand cliffs and floating down the cool waters of Eli Creek. Finally, turn the compass inland and leave only footprints on tracks to find the only known place in the world where rainforest grows on a sand island.
