Palm Island – An Australian mecca of history and culture
A visit to Palm Island is one of the most unique Australian experiences you could possibly get. Rich and untouched, the landscape provides a timeless snapshot of an Australian reef and rainforest wilderness.
Its history is one beleaguered with battle scars, as that of an Aboriginal Reserve opened in 1918, but through the hurt has blossomed a community proud of its heritage and ready to display its strong and vibrant culture to the rest of the world.
Palm Island Open Days
If you’ve been lucky enough to secure a spot on the ferry to one of Palm Island’s Open Days (they typically sell out), you’ve witnessed firsthand the pleasure of an unrivalled cultural experience. From the moment you land on the ferry pontoon to traditional dance and music, to the moment you leave with a full belly of the best fish and chips in Queensland (if not Australia), each moment on Palm Island provides an insight into the day-to-day traditions, handicrafts, textiles and foods of Indigenous Australians.
Visitors have relished the opportunity to see Palm Island for themselves and enjoy the locally made food, entertainment and activities, queuing at stalls and businesses to enjoy island hospitality. Locals have embraced visitors to the island and the chance to meet new people and educate them on the history of the island, and its journey to over the last 100 years.
Underwater Art a Drawcard for Palm Island
In a first for the Southern Hemisphere, acclaimed international artist Jason deCaires Taylor has selected Palm Island as a possible location for his Underwater Art Museum. Renowned for his work in Cancun, Mexico (among others), which saw an increase in annual visitor numbers of almost 400,000, Taylor’s work off the Palm Island coast would promote the diversity and history of the island, featuring pieces based on traditional Indigenous Australian culture, the path towards reconciliation, and pieces to highlight environmental awareness of the Great Barrier Reef.
Participation in Taylor’s Underwater Art Museum has the potential to spark many economic benefits for Palm Island, providing visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Underwater Art Museum, as well as visiting the world heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, and experiencing Indigenous Australian culture – all in one trip.
While still in the development phase, Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey is anticipating great things from the proposed project. “This project may well give the Palm Island community a unique opportunity to further its first people stories,” said Mayor Lacey. “It will also provide a much-needed economic development opportunity.”
100 years of Palm Island
2018 marks the centenary of the first placement of people on Palm Island and the community is embracing this milestone with a series of commemorative events, inviting everyone to “Share our Journey,” acknowledging the past, accepting the present, and planning for the future.
The events take place along the island’s new foreshore development, offering visitors breathtaking views of the Great Barrier Reef, and beachfront footpaths perfect for sunset strolls. A visit to the island would be incomplete without a trip to the new lookout and for those looking to stay a little longer the Palm Island motel has recently undergone a $1million renovation, sporting eight new rooms to its existing 14.
Upcoming celebrations
Accepting the Present
DEADLY DIDGE N DANCE FESTIVAL
20 – 22 APRIL
The Island’s Present will be celebrated with the ‘Deadly Didge ‘n’ Dance Festival, a 3-day, 2-night music festival. Direct from North East Arnhem Land, Indigenous dance and YouTube sensations Djuki Mala are coming to perform, as well as X Factor winner Isaiah. The festival will also feature attempts to break two Guinness World Records, the first the largest Aboriginal dance, and second, the longest didgeridoo. More than 250 dancers are needed to participate in the dance record attempt so prepare to shake a leg! Check out the training video on the Palm centenary website and there will be plenty of opportunities to practice the dance at the festival. The dance is Aboriginal but you don’t have to be.
Planning for the Future
DEADLY FUTURES
7 – 8 JUNE
Looking to the Island’s Future, the celebrations will focus on our young people and include a sustainability forum and careers expo and a health focussed sports carnival. We’ll be focussed on issues facing the island for the next 100 years ensuring the too deadly future for our youth.
Palm Island is a place like no other – a kaleidoscope of pristine scenery, abundant culture and thought-provoking history. A journey to Palm offers one a rare insight into a unique part of Australia’s heritage. It’s a special place for tourists and tourism, without the bells and whistles of a five-star resort but with something so much more important – the opportunity to bask in untouched natural heritage, contribute to the economic blueprint of a remote Aboriginal community and leave with renewed understanding of the journey of Australia’s first people.
