Volcanoes
About 200 million years ago, long before the mighty T-Rex roamed the Earth, the rocks on Magnetic Island were born. This was when molten granite burst forth from deep inside the Earth. Volcanic eruptions pushed this granite to the surface, creating the impressive formations we see today. If you look around, you’ll notice these granite outcrops also form the Mount Stuart Range and Mount Elliot near Townsville.
Geologists call this time the Permian period, which took place around 215 million years before Mount Everest appeared. Over time, fractures in the rock were shaped by wind and water, leading to the iconic rock formations we now adore. Can you imagine how breathtaking it must have been when it all first erupted?
Rising Sea Level
Fast forward to about 20,000 years ago, when sea levels were around 120 meters lower than they are today. Then, as the last great ice age ended 12,000 years ago, huge ice sheets melted. This melting ice caused what geologists call the Holocene Transgression, leading to rising oceans and flooding coastal areas.
It’s during this time that Magnetic Island was born! Originally, the island was connected to the mainland between Cape Pallarenda and Kissing Point. As the waters rose, this area turned into a shallow bay called West Channel. If you stand on Cockle Bay Beach today, looking towards Cape Pallarenda, you’ll see that the water there is only about 4 meters deep. The waters surrounding Cleveland Bay, to the east, average around 10 meters deep.
Australia’s First Nations peoples have been here for at least 40,000 years and witnessed all these changes. They have a treasure trove of stories about how land-based Aboriginal groups would walk to the island for ceremonies from Cape Pallarenda. For them, walking and swimming to Cockle Bay was as easy as pie.
Ancient Stories
Australia’s First Nations peoples have been here for at least 40,000 years and witnessed all these changes. They have a treasure trove of stories about how land-based Aboriginal groups would walk to the island for ceremonies from Cape Pallarenda. For them, walking and swimming to Cockle Bay was as easy as pie.
There are even tales of a legendary man named Girugar, who wandered across the land, naming places during a time when it was possible to walk to nearby islands. Imagine how different it was back then! The Yidinj people around Cairns tell stories about the coastline being where the Great Barrier Reef now stands, and the Googanji speak of rivers entering the sea near Fitzroy Island. These stories highlight the rich connection between the land and its people.
Magnetic Island Today
Today, Magnetic Island is the largest continental island in the Northern Brigalow Belt Bioregion and the seventh largest in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). The island boasts a peak height of 493 meters, making it one of the tallest islands in the GBRWHA.
The GBRWHA, which starts just north of Fraser Island, stretches all the way to Cape York Peninsula and includes around 3,000 coral reefs and 617 continental islands. However, 10,000 years ago, most of this area was part of the Australian mainland.
Want to see how this stunning island has transformed? Join one of our tours to explore its breathtaking beauty!
Acknowledgments
With respect and gratitude, we acknowledge the original Aboriginal owners of the stories we cite, even though their identities are largely lost.
References:
Dixon, RM 1980, The Languages of Australia, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Gribble, ER 1933, The Vanishing Aboriginals of Australia, Australian Board of Missions, Sydney.
Nunn, P & Reid, N 2015, ‘Aboriginal Memories of the Inundation of the Australian Coast from More than 7000 years ago‘, Australian Geographer.
Reid, N, Nunn, P & Sharpe, M 2014, Indigenous Australian stories and sea-level change, 2014.