It is Monday at 9 am, a time that for any conurbation on the planet would be peak hour. We are walking across Douglas Street the main road on Thursday Island, TI to the locals, and one could shoot the proverbial cannon up the main street and not hit anyone. The temperature is a balmy 26degrees. We arrive at the jetty, our meeting place for our drive around TI and true to island time we wait.
The Torres strait Islands are a chain of 133 islands strewn between the tip of Cape York at the northernmost point of Australia and PNG. Only 14 are inhabited and most of those are centred around TI.
The Torres strait is named after Spanish navigator Luiz Vaz de Torres who sailed through the strait in 1606. In 1770 the redoubtable Captain James Cook landed on Possesion Island around Cape York and claimed the east coast of Australia for England. In 1789 Captain Bligh sailed by after the famous mutiny on the Bounty and names four islands in the area as Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Islands.
The people on TI are a fascinating fusion of nations and cultures. In 1884 a lucrative pearling industry was established at TI. The result was an influx of people not just from Anglo Saxon background but from Japan, Malaya and India. These men settled here and intermarried and the result is a fascinating hybrid of many nations. Also the locals we have spoken too are adamant that racial tolerance is a way of life here.
Uncle Brian our driver and guide takes us around the island pointing out with pride the historic buildings and the infrastructure of note. The Queensland government buildings here are brand spanking new and clearly there has been a significant spend of public monies.
The highlight of any trip to TI is Green Hill Fort situated on a small grassy hill 58 metres above sea level at the western end of TI. The Torres Strait Islands featured in WW2 and Horn Island was bombed repeatedly by the Japanese. Consequently visitors here think that this is a WW2 relic. Nothing could be further from the truth! This fort was built between 1891 and 1893 well before either of the world wars. As improbable as it seems now the fear was actually that of Russian invasion and well before the Soviet era. Living on the Mornington peninsula half a world away the fortifications at Portsea are against the same perceived threat. The views from here over the township, the turquoise sea and the surrounding islands is sublime.
The fascinating cemetery was a punishing after lunch slog over a steep hill in 30 degree heat. The multicultural basis to this society is highlighted by the gravestones frequently hosting English and Asian combinations. There is a memorial to the 19th century pearl fishers. In the lower reaches of the cemetery there is a veritable forest of plain whitewashed posts. Adorned with Japanese calligraphy each represents a 19th century pearl fisher who perished free diving for these treasures. Silent and poignant.
The afternoon sees me back on Green Fort Hill, relaxing on a grassy knoll and enjoying a tropical sunset.
