Bramble Cay
| Native name: Maizab Kaur | |
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A map of the Torres Strait Islands in the waters of Torres Strait
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| Geography | |
| Location | Torres Strait/Coral Sea |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 9°08′31″S 143°52′30″E / 9.142°S 143.875°E9°8'23"S, 143°52'54"E |
| Archipelago | Torres Strait Islands |
| Major islands | Bramble Cay, Black Rocks |
| Area | 0.0362 km2 (0.0140 sq mi) |
| Length | 0.251 km (0.156 mi) |
| Width | 0.104 km (0.0646 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Sikeran |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| State | Queensland |
| Shire | Shire of Torres |
| Island Region | Eastern Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 7 (Tourists) |
| Pop. density | 0 /km2 (0 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Torres Strait Islanders |
| Additional information | |
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Northernmost point of Australia Green turtle breeding place |
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Bramble Cay, also called Maizab Kaur,Massaramcoer or Baramaki, and located at the northeastern edge of the Torres Strait Islands of Queensland and at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef, is the northernmost point of land of Australia. It is 55 kilometres (34 mi) southeast of the mouth of the Fly River of Papua New Guinea.
The 3.62-hectare (8.9-acre) sand cay is predominately grassland, with 1.72 hectares (4.3 acres) covered in grasses.
After several shipwrecks, the first lighthouse, a 42 feet (13 m) pyramidal steel tower, was finally erected in 1924. It was demolished in 1954 and replaced by the present lighthouse, a 17 metres (56 ft) stainless steel tower, which was equipped with solar power on 6 January 1987. There are maintenance visits by vessels of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority every three to six months.
Bramble Cay is a breeding place for green turtles. The surrounding sea is rich with algae and algae-loving fish such as unicornfish, wrasse and trumpetfish. The island was also home to the Bramble Cay melomys, an isolated species of rodent declared extinct in 2016.
About 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the southwest are the Black Rocks, also called Rebes, which rise one metre above the water. Three kilometres northeast, maps show submerged Nautilus Reef, the existence of which is doubtful.
Bramble Cay and the reefs and rocks close by are separated from other reefs and islets further south by Bligh Channel (Bligh Entrance). To the north and northwest, the Great North East Channel separates them from the coast of Papua New Guinea (Parama Island), which is 48 kilometres (30 mi) to the north.
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Wikipedia