Changes in island biota - The Great Barrier Reef: An Environmental History - page 204

144ºE
13ºS

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GREAT

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C ooktown .

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Cairns

BARRIER

Innisfail

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Townsville

REEF

QUEENSLAND

Bowen

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Proserpine

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Island coconut palm plantations

Mackay

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0 KILOMETRES 200

144ºE
22ºS

152ºE
22ºS

Figure 13.2 The distribution of island coconut palm plantations in northern Queensland,
1898. Source: Author, compiled from data provided in MacLean (1898, p1039)

following year, MacLean (1898, p1039) reported that the prospects for the
industry were good, stating:

In these cocoanut [ sic ] plantations the foundation of a profitable industry
has been laid that could be fostered and built up to the advantage of all
concerned without taking into account the great blessing that some of these
palms may prove to any shipwrecked crews that may be thrown upon the
otherwise rocky and barren islands off our coast.

By the end of 1898, the number of established plantations had reached 72,
at separate locations on 47 islands, ranging from the Whitsunday Group to Sir
Charles Hardy Island; the distribution of those islands is shown in Figure 13.2.