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Border Island
HISTORY
Border Island
Border Island was named in 1879 by Staff Commander E. P. Bedwell, RN, in
SS Llewellyn and is one of the many names from the then English county of
Cumberland he brought to the Whitsundays following James Cook's 1770 designation
of the group as 'The Cumberland Isles'.
The naming by Bedwell of Border Island and its Cateran Bay and Mosstrooper Peak together with nearby Deloraine Island, Minstrel Rock and Esk Island is an example of associated names arising from the 16th and 17th Century history of Cumberland and its turbulent relationship with Scotland across their mutual border. It is significant that this group is the most northerly of the many Cumberland names given by Bedwell and indeed, until Bedwell's visit, Border Island was the most northerly of the Cumberland Islands then remaining un-named. Obviously he thought these northerly locations warranted a name from the north of Cumberland.
Through the years of English/ Scottish history, the border between the two countries has not been merely a line on a map; it has been a distinct historical entity containing the counties on either side of the border, and therein battles and skirmishes occurred constantly. In the area 'border' is spelt with a capital B, and 'Border' and 'Borderers'( those living on either side of the line) figure prominently in history and legend. The name persists today in the south-eastern county of Borders in Scotland and in the Border National Park. It is evident Bedwell drew the name from this association.
Among the skirmishing troops, guerillas, free-booters and irregulars who faced each other across the Border were the Cateran and the Mosstroopers, the former Scottish, the latter either Scottish or English. The role of these troops, often no more than bandits, is summarised in one contemporary description of Mosstroopers:
'A wild and warlike people, they are called mosstroopers because of dwelling in the mosses [the peat bogs and swamps] and riding in troops together. They dwell in the bounds or meetings of the two Kingdoms but obey the laws of neither. They come to church as seldom as the 29th of February comes into the calendar'. Thus the association of Cateran Bay and Mosstrooper Peak with Border Island is obvious. Deloraine Island falls within the same association.
Deloraine is a town and area in the south of Scotland and legend has it that during the 16th and 17th Centuries it was a stronghold of Scottish disaffection with England across the Border and a base for Mosstroopers and Cateran. Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel tells of the times and the feelings and has as a central figure 'Deloraine' (William of Deloraine) probably based on some legendary figure and land-holder in Deloraine. The poem describes Deloraine as 'a stark moss-trooping Scot was he, as e'er couched Border lance by knee' and talks of his exploits against the English.
Again the historical association with Border is obvious and, equally, the naming of Minstrel Rocks relates to the same poem.
As to 'Esk', while there is an Esk in both Cumberland and Scotland, it probably is the Scottish one which is commemorated in the naming of Esk Island, particularly since it is named in The Lay of the Last Minstrel and Sir Walter Scott dwelt for a time on the banks of the Esk River in Scotland.
South-east of Border Island lie Harold and Edward Islands, also named by Bedwell and it is possible these names alsoderive from Sir Walter Scott's writings and other historical associations with Borderthough the author has not been able to establish any credible link to support this thought.
Jester Rock, north of Minstrel Rock, was not named by Bedwell but by
Commander J. H. S. Osborn, RAN, in HMAS Warrego in 1959 with his notation
in his survey report 'in series with Minstrel Rock', that is, following on the
theme of a royal court complete with minstrel and jester.
Settlement
On 8 October 1930 an occupation licence 535 over Border
Island was given to Edmund Frank Spry of Lord Howe Island but nothing came of
this and his rent was refunded on 9 May 1931.
In November 1931, under a scheme to place people suffering unemployment because of the Depression, James Constantine Tripcony was granted an informal tenure of Border Island under which he could occupy it for twelve months rent-free. He was the father of Richard (Perc) Tripcony, the well-known boat builder at Breakfast Creek in Brisbane. The father was not connected with the boat business but was in oyster-farming in Pumice Stone Passage between Bribie Island and the mainland and from this arises Tripcony Bight in that area. He died in 1936. The Tripcony family in 1991 do not know whether their father took up the lease but it seems likely he did not.
Proserpine Shire Council minutes of 21 September 1933 show Border Island selected by L. Williams of Brisbane, and Lands Department records show occupation licence 554 given on 20 June 1933 to Leonard Williams of Clivedon Mansions, Brisbane. Whether Williams occupied the island is not known.
Border Island was declared a national park on 8 September 1938, while Deloraine and Esk Islands were declared in 1940.
The Information on the Whitsunday Islands is reproduced by kind permission of Mr. Ray Blackwood from his book:
" The Whitsunday Islands An Historical Dictionary ".
Please visit his site here. It is well worth the time!