Depuch Island
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Administration | |
| State | Western Australia |
| LGA | City of Karratha |
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Depuch Island (or Warmalana) is a volcanic island located off the north-west coast of Western Australia's Pilbara region, near Port Hedland.
Aboriginal significance
[edit | edit source]The island is of cultural importance to the Ngaluma Aboriginal people, who know it as Warmalana.[1][2][page needed] According to Ngaluma legend, the island was formed during the Dreaming when Matalga, a leading Pilbara spirit man, lifted a large rock and threw it into the sea. The rocks and boulders of the island are covered with Aboriginal engravings and rock art.[3]
European exploration
[edit | edit source]The island was charted in July 1801 by François-Michel Ronsard, the cartographer on a French expedition led by explorer Nicolas Baudin on board the ship Géographe. The island was named Ile Depuch after Louis Depuch, a mineralogist on Baudin's expedition. After a visit to the island, Ronsard established that it was volcanic, and was the first evidence of volcanic activity on the Australian continent the expedition had discovered.[4]
In 1912, a Norwegian steel sailing ship, Crown of England, was shipwrecked as it lay anchored on the island loading copper ore, after the area was struck by a cyclone. Many other ships were sunk in the area, such as the passenger liner SS Koombana.[5] The newly built tug SS Wyola sailing for Fremantle was despatched to rescue the barque Concordia which was left grounded by the storm.[6]
Recent activity
[edit | edit source]The discovery of iron ore deposits in the Pilbara region during the early 1960s saw Depuch Island considered for use as a port for the mining facilities being established in the area. In 1962, however, a survey by the Western Australian Museum discovered thousands of Aboriginal engravings, and the port was moved to the Dampier Archipelago.[7]
References
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- ^ Chart of Depuch Island Archived 31 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Freycinet Collection, State Library of Western Australia.
- ^ Wreck Finder – Koombana Archived August 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Western Australian Museum, 2003.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Archaeology and rock art in the Dampier Archipelago – Industrial development and archaeological investigation, National Trust of Australia.
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