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Hook Island
HISTORY
Hook Island
The name 'Hook Island' first appeared on Admiralty charts in 1863 on BA347
at which stage almost the entire portrayal of the area was extremely crude, with
individual islands mostly unrecognisable against today's outlines. They had been
drawn from the running surveys of Cook, Flinders and King, the
only detailed survey to that time being by Blackwood and Yule in Fly
and Bramble respectively but confined to the coastal areas
from Cape Palmerston north to Port Molle.
The outline of Hook Island which gave rise to the name first appeared in chart BA1075 1824 edition following King's visits of 1819/ 20/ 21 and was little more than a nominal sketch bearing at best some semblance of the real island on the eastern coast but on the west little more than a parody of the real thing. The resultant shape was a very distinct hook and this no doubt is where the name came from, probably given in a cartographic office rather than by any individual surveyor.
The same nominal shape of the island remained on charts through to BA347 1863 edition on which the name Hook Island first emerges. The real likeness did not appear until 1866 following extensive surveys of the area by Commander G. S. Nares, RN, in HMS Salamander from 1864 to 1867. While the name did not appear officially until 1863 it is evident it was in common usage before that time as it was used by G. E. Dalrymple in his account of his voyage in HMS Spitfire in September 1860 and was mentioned in the remarks book of HMS Pioneer during its visit in October 1862.
In the 1910 decade Arthur Abell, son of Thomas R. Abell and one of the pioneering families at Jubilee Pocket, had a timber lease of the island from which he and some of his brothers supplied log-timber to Bowen. Their main camp was on a beach on the north-west corner of the island opposite Hayman Island, some reports saying they had a saw-mill there but this definitely was not the case (AbellFamily).
In 1930 and 1931 there was talk of setting up a tourist resort in Stonehaven but though some building took place the resort did not proceed, the Depression of those years apparently putting paid to the plans (see Stonehaven).
On 19 June 1934 Monty Embury obtained special lease 8231 for 30 years over the island but this was forfeited on 1 August 1936 (Queensland State Archives LAN/ U21).
In 1959 leases were granted to Frank Lucas over a small area of the shore-line opposite the northern tip of Whitsunday Island and there he constructed the underwater observatory which was opened in May 1969 (see below).
The island was declared a national park in 1936. In November 1978 a light buoy (south cardinal mark) was placed to mark the isolated reef at the south-east tip of the island.
Hook Island underwater observatory
Frank Lucas 1956- 1969
Great Australian Coral Reef Observatories Pty Ltd 1966- 1969
The underwater observatory at the south-east tip of Hook Island was designed
and constructed by Frank Lucas who in 1994 was a resident of
Proserpine.
His permanent involvement with the Whitsundays began in 1956, prior to which he had been involved in the pearling industry in Torres Strait and at Darwin. After disposing of his Darwin interests Lucas became involved as an adviser to Vince Vlassoff in the construction of the Green Island (Cairns) underwater observatory and this gave him the idea that a similar structure elsewhere could be a profitable venture. He investigated the possibility at Magnetic Island and at Swain Reefs but practicalities finally led him to Hook Island and the site where the observatory now stands. In 1956 he started negotiations with the State Government for alease of the site and in 1965 became managing director of a private company, Great Australian Coral Reef Observatories Pty Ltd.
In 1966 the company was granted a speciallease, SL30384, for 30 years from 1 August 1966 over 22 acres of land encompassing the two small bays and beaches to the east and west of the observatory site. A second lease, SL30383 for 30 years from 1 August 1966, was obtained over 235 square metres of sea-bed where the observatory itself now stands.
Meanwhile planning and design of the observatory structure proceeded and in 1965 construction of the steel underwater body and entry/ exit tubes began in Mackay. Preliminary surveys of the sea floor were made from the O'Hara's barge, John Kerr, and later Lucas built his own barge, the 12.6 metre Gacro.
In 1967 the completed underwater body was launched in Mackay and towed on its own bottom to Hook Island where it was winched onto the beach in the western bay of the leased site for further development. This comprised welding 300 x 150 millimetre RSJ's to the bottom of the body, protruding about 3.5 metres beyond the sides of the body. At the same time 550 tons of concrete blocks were cast with rebated bottoms designed to allow the blocks to sit neatly over the RSJs and so to hold the structure down.
The sea floor was blasted to clear a level site, reinforced concrete piles were driven and a concrete slab was poured around and over the tops of the piles to form a level base. The base complete the main structure was floated out to the site and flooded sufficiently to allow it to be jockeyed into its correct position over the base slab. The valves were opened again and the structure settled onto the slab. One by one the previously prepared concrete ballast blocks were lowered into position over the RSJs in a double layer, with the top of the top layer just below the level of the observatory windows. The body was pumped out and the main structure was complete. To provide a habitat for fish and coral two hundred old car bodies were dumped around the structure.
The
superstructure and walk-way were completed and by May 1969 the whole was ready
for business with the official opening on 13 November 1969 by the
Minister for Tourism, Mr. Herbert (Proserpine Guardian 6 June 1969, 21
November 1969).
Several months after the opening the observatory was given a severe structural
test with the arrival of cyclone Ada on 17 January 1970 but
it came through the ordeal barely touched, though windows in the upper portion
were broken and the adjustable landing platform on the seaward side and
its hinged walkway were lost (Frank Lucas; Chris and Iain Heiser).
Great Australian Coral Reef Observatories Pty Ltd 1969- 1980
Lindsay Heiser
At about the time the observatory was nearing completion the Brisbane
solicitor to the company and director, Lindsay Heiser, acquired a majority
shareholding whereupon Lucas sold out his shares and Heiser assumed control and
management. There were a number of other shareholders, among them Brisbane
architect, A. B. Webster; Ipswich butcher Michael Yarrow and Hal Evans,
owner of the vessel Aircloud which conveyed tourists between Shute
Harbour and the observatory.
Heiser sold out his law partnership in Brisbane in 1968 and in his 13.6 metre motor launch Lewana took up residence on a mooring at the observatory, later to be joined by his wife May. In rough weather they would move to the small bay just to the east of Lion Point on Whitsunday Island, this to become known locally as May's Bay.
By 1970 the Heisers had erected a mobile home unit behind the beach where the resort now stands and moved there from the Lewana. In 1971 a second unit was added adjoining the first and Heiser's son, Alan, and his wife Yumiko moved in to assist in running the venture.
The lease to the resort area at that time prohibited the provision of overnight accommodation for tourists but improvements were added by way of a bar and kiosk, a barbecue area, toilets and so on to provide for the day-trippers brought to the observatory by Aircloud.
The
observatory and associated facilities continued under Heiser's direct control
and when in 1975 Alan and his wife returned to Brisbane their place was taken by
Lindsay's oldest son, Iain, and his wife Chris and the family remained there
until in 1980 the venture was bought by Mackay businessman and hotelier, John
Hannay. Lindsay and May returned to live in Brisbane while Iain and Chris took
up residence in Cannon Valley where they still reside in 1996. Lindsay died in
July 1992 (Chris and Iain Heiser).
Oriental Express (Transport) Pty Ltd. 1980- 1983 John Hannay
In December 1980 Oriental Express (Transport) Pty Ltd bought the lease, the
transfer being registered on 9 June 1981. The company was headed up by John
Hannay who earlier had headed up a company which bought the lease to Daydream
Island in March 1979 from Bernard Elsey but encountered various problems
which led to the lease of Daydream reverting to Elsey in 1980. In this new
venture Hannay was supported by Mr George Postle of A. V. Postle and Company,
auctioneers of Brisbane and he proceeded to expand the resort facilities on the
eastern beach and to encourage the inclusion of the resort in day trips by
cruise-boats from Shute Harbour. The new facilities were officially opened on 28
March 1981. Later Hannay purchased the ferry Happy Hooker to transport
trippers from Shute Harbour. However in February 1983 the resort was
re-possessed by United Dominions Corporation and was put up for auction via A.
V. Postle and Company in April and May 1983.
Telford Property Fund Ltd 1983- 1986
In May 1983 the Telford Property Fund Ltd purchased the resort at an auction
in Brisbane. At the time Telford were managing the South Molle Island Resort.
(Mackay Mercury 13 May 1983) However, following financial difficulties
for the fund, the resort, together with South Molle Island resort was taken over
by Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd in 1986.
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!