| Brampton Island | |
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| Nearest town/city | Mackay |
| Area | 4.6 km2[1] |
Brampton Island is an island in the Cumberland Group, off shore from Mackay in Queensland, Australia.[2] The island lies within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, and the majority of the island forms the Brampton Islands National Park, however there is a resort located on the island. The highest point of the island is Brampton Peak, 214 m above sea level.[3]
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The traditional Aboriginal owners of Brampton Island are the Ngaro people, although no permanent population was present when Captain James Cook passed through the area in June 1770. [2][3] The island was eventually given its European name in 1879, when Staff Commander Bedwell of the Royal Navy recognised the group of islands and named each after towns in the county of Cumberland.
In 1916, Joseph Busuttin and his family became the island's first European settlers. The island's resort was first established in December 1933 when two of the Busuttin's sons welcomed passengers from the P&O ship SS Canberra. Busuttin's sons then sold the resort and left in 1959. An airstrip was built on the island in 1965 and a saltwater swimming pool was completed in 1972. In 1985, Trans Australia Airlines purchased Brampton Island, upgraded the resort and then sold it to P&O Resorts in late 1997. $3 million was spent on a major refurbishment of the resort before it was purchased by Voyages.[1][2]
On 1 September 1983, British resort worker Celia Douty was murdered in Dinghy Bay on Brampton Island.[4] The crime remained unsolved until 2001, when it became the first murder in Australia to be solved using DNA profiling.[5][6]
On 3 April 2008, a single engine Piper Cherokee crashed into the ocean just after taking off from Brampton Island. The pilot and four passengers survived and were rescued by helicopter.[7][8]
Most of the island is part of Brampton Islands National Park, which is home to a range of wildlife and plants. There are also 17.8 km of walking tracks and a campsite, which requires a permit to use.[3]
The Brampton Island Resort accommodates up to 220 guests in 106 rooms and is popular with couples. The resort offers a number of free and paid-for activities, including fishing trips, snorkelling and scenic flights.[1][2]
The resort was operated by Voyages until 2010 when it was sold to Brampton Enterprises.[9] In November 2010 Brampton Enterprises announced a major redevelopment of the resort which would involve closing the resort from 24 January 2011, until an expected reopening in December 2011.[9]