Stephens Island (Torres Strait)

For other places with the same name, see Stephens Island.
Not to be confused with Stephens Island (Great Barrier Reef).
Stephens Island
Native name: <span class="nickname" ">Ugar

A Landsat image of Stephens Island

A map of the Torres Strait Islands showing Ugar in the northeastern waters of Torres Strait

Etymology Philip Stephens[1]
Geography
Location Northern Australia
Coordinates 9°30′25″S 143°32′42″E / 9.507°S 143.545°E / -9.507; 143.545Coordinates: 9°30′25″S 143°32′42″E / 9.507°S 143.545°E / -9.507; 143.545
Archipelago Torres Strait Islands
Adjacent bodies of water Torres Strait
Administration
State Queensland
Local government area Torres Strait Island Region
Demographics
Ethnic groups Ugarem Le

Stephens Island, called Ugar in the native language, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, located in the eastern section of Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia.[1] The island is administratively managed by the local government area of the Torres Strait Island Region.[2]

Geography

The island is located near the Great Barrier Reef and north of Coconut Island (also called Poruma) and northwest of Murray Island, Torres Strait and west of Darnley Island.

Islanders

The people of Stephens Island call themselves Ugarem Le, and are the same people as the neighbouring Erubam Le of Erub (Darnley Island), the Meriam Le and Nog Le of Mer (Murray), the Dauarab Le of Dauar and the people of Waier. The traditional language of these islands is Meriam Mìr, of which there were formerly two dialects, Erub-Ugar and Mer-Dauar-Waier.

Etymology

The island's European name was bestowed by Captain William Bligh in 1792 during his second breadfruit voyage to the Pacific, after Philip Stephens, First Secretary to the Admiralty.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stephens Island (entry 32342)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Stephens Island (entry 32343)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 April 2014.


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