Darnley Island
Postcode: 4875
Darnley Island (Erub Island) is a volcanic island situated in the eastern section of Torres Strait, near the Great Barrier Reef and just South of the Bligh entrance.
This island is one of the Torres Strait Islands
Christianity was first introduced to Darnley and the Torres Strait region by the London Missionary Society On 1 July 1871.
Before this, pearlers and beche-de-mer gatherers visited the island. Over many years, these industries attracted an influx of seamen from the Pacific Islands, the Philippines and Malaya, many of whom married local women and settled on the island.
Early in the twentieth century, the Queensland Government started installing various facilities such as a school, medical aid, post office and an Island Industries Board store.
Darnley people have been at the forefront of the movement for adequate recognition of Torres Strait Islanders’ rights, with George Mye among the most prominent advocates of Islander interests from the 1960s to the 90s and Carlemo Wacando among the first to challenge the legal notion of terra nullius.