Bedarra

A TALE OF CAPTAIN COOK, ARTISTS & ACQUISITIONS

It was in June of 1770, that Captain James Cook first sailed his ship the Endeavour amidst the small group of islands he would go on to chart as the ‘Family Isles’. He named the largest island of the group ‘The Father Isle’ and titled it Dunk Island after Lord Montagu Dunk, the Earl of Sandwich and First Lord of the British Admiralty. The second largest island of the group (Bedarra) he named ‘The Mother Isle’. The remaining islands were noted as ‘The Children’.

“Richards” became the island’s official title on marine charts and early Lands Department maps labelled the island “Allason”– after its first European settler Captain Henry Allason.

It was early last century when author E.J. Banfield, the original Dunk Island beachcomber, was thought to have misconstrued the Aboriginal pronunciation of Biagurra as ‘Bedarra’.

In 1913 the first European took up residency on the island. Inspired by reading Banfield’s ‘Confessions of A Beachcomber’, Captain Henry Allason purchased Bedarra from the Queensland Lands Department. A purchase price of 20 pounds also granted ownership of neighbouring Timana Island. Allason and his wife settled on the far side of the island and enjoyed an idyllic existence until the events of World War I forced a return to Europe. During the twenties, Ivan Menzies of Gilbert & Sullivan fame met Allason in France. Menzies’ idea was to make the island a home for underprivileged English boys. He persuaded Allason to sell the island for 500 pounds sterling. The project failed to eventuate and in 1934 the island was sold to the Harris Syndicate of London.

Australian artist Noel Wood visited the island in 1936 and negotiated the purchase of a portion of land where he and wife Eleanor could settle. Wood chose a flat spot near the mangroves on the opposite side of the peninsula to Doorila Bay. However, the impact of tides on the area and the inconvenience of not being able to swim at low tide caused him to change his mind and the couple moved to Doorila Bay. Noel lived on the island until 1993 when his parcel of land was subdivided. Eight privately owned houses are located on this section of Bedarra Island. An example of his art can be seen in your Villa today. Frank Coleman, from the Atherton Tableland, joined Wood shortly after his arrival. In 1938 he and his family took ownership of the island, negotiating their purchase from the Harris Syndicate.

In 1940, artist John Busst leased the south-eastern corner of the island from the Coleman brothers at ten shillings a week. Later that year, Charlie and Arthur Coleman sold the entire island apart from Noel Wood’s section to Englishman Dick Greatrix and Frenchman, Pierre Huret. Both had been guests on the island.

Greatrix and Huret began laying out garden designs and introducing exotic plants to the rainforest. Seven years later, the two Europeans sold the island to John Busst and his sister Phyllis. The Bussts soon sold the section of the island developed by Greatrix and Huret and after numerous changes in ownership, Ken and Cynthia Druitt became the owners. In 1957 the Druitts developed a small tourist resort.

In the same year John Busst sold his holding, now known as Bedarra Bay, to Colin Scott–a grazier from Omeo, Victoria. Scott employed several managers over the years to run the property as a private retreat. In 1979, Bedarra Bay was sold to Tor Hulten, a Swede who converted the property into a small tourist resort, which he called Toranna Plantation.

OUR RECENT PAST

In 1980, Australian Airlines, owners of neighbouring Dunk Island Resort, purchased Ken and Cynthia Druitt’s holding. Bedarra Hideaway Resort was opened in August 1981. Earlier the same year, Australian Airlines also purchased Toranna Plantation and began operating day trips to Bedarra as a day retreat for Dunk Island guests.

In 1988, Bedarra Bay Resort was opened on the site of the old Toranna Plantation and quickly established itself as Australia’s most exclusive retreat. Australian Airlines was taken over by Qantas Airways, which became the owner of both resorts on Bedarra Island. Bedarra Hideaway Resort was closed in October 1991.

P&O Australian Resorts purchased Bedarra Island in March 1998. The resort closed for a month in June of that year, and again in May 2001, for extensive refurbishments. The Pavilions were created in October 2002 and ‘The Point 1’ in May 2003. Further refurbishments were completed in May 2004 with the establishment of ‘The Point 14’ adding to the accommodation choices.

Voyages Hotels & Resorts purchased Bedarra Island in August 2004.

In September 2009, an affiliate of the McCall MacBain Foundation became the proud new owners of Bedarra and neighbouring Dunk Island. Plans are to continue revitalizing both island resorts, bringing each of them up to their quintessential best.