Possession Island, Queensland, Australia

Possession Island is a small island in the Torres Strait Islands group off the coast of far northern Queensland, Australia. The island is known as Bedanug or Bedhan Lag by its Sovereign Original inhabitants, the Kaurareg people.

Possession Island is located at the centre of the Possession Island National Park, an area of 5.10 km² established as a Protected Area in 1977 and managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

It was here, just before sunset on Wednesday 22nd August 1770, that British navigator Lieut. James Cook came ashore and took possession of the east coast of Australia under the name of South Wales (he later amended it to New South Wales), for the King of England, His Majesty King George III, and set in motion a series of events that resulted in the establishment of the colony of New South Wales and later the commonwealth of Australia. A cairn marks the location.

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Australian Dollar (AUD$)
Language – English
Electricity – 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
Time – GMT plus ten hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 61

Port Location – There is a port located at Thursday island in the Torres Strait Island Group.

Transport Links - There are daily planes from Cairns to Horn Island. From Horn Island you can get a taxi to the wharf, and from the wharf you can get the ferry over to Thursday Island (commonly known as "T.I.") the ferry cost $10 each way. There are regular boats from Thursday Island to most other populated Islands, but you will need to get permission from the appropriate indigenous land council beforehand.

Peddell's Ferries provides twice
daily passenger transport by boat to Thursday Island from Seisia, Cape York. Check their website for up-to-date timetables and fares. Tickets can be booked online.

Those intent on a road trip can get a barge from Seisia on Cape York.