Possession Island, National park on an island in Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia.
Possession Island is a national park on a small, low-lying island in the Torres Strait, the stretch of water between Queensland and Papua New Guinea. It sits among a cluster of other islands in this waterway and has a flat coastal landscape with little elevation.
In 1770, British navigator James Cook stopped here and formally claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Britain by raising the flag and firing a salute. This act set in motion the European settlement of the continent that followed in the decades after.
The Kaurareg people are the traditional owners of this island and maintain a deep connection to it to this day. Their formal recognition in 2001 changed how the place is understood and respected by visitors and authorities alike.
The island can only be reached by boat, so planning ahead is important before setting out from the Queensland coast. Sea conditions in the Torres Strait can shift quickly, so timing a visit for calmer weather makes the crossing more manageable.
A stone monument put up in 1925 on the northwestern shore marks the spot where Cook raised the British flag and made his declaration. The name of the island itself comes directly from that act of taking possession in 1770.
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