Rottnest

ROTTNEST ISLAND, WA

Rottnest Island ("Rotto" as it is called by the locals) lies about 19 Km (12 miles) off the coast of Fremantle. It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh in 1696. He named the island Rottenest (rat nest) because of the the many "rats" (a marsupial known as Quokkas) that he saw on the island. The Nyoongar (aborigines) called it Wadjemup. The island was settled in 1838 and established as a prison for Aborigines and young boys. The buildings and prison are made from limestone which was mined on the island by the Aborigine prisoners. The immigrant boys that were emprisoned there ranged in age from 8 to 16 years. Their length of stay was from 3-6 months and were taught a trade while there. However it was found that this was not sufficient time to adaquatly teach them so the magistrates decided to lengthen the terms of their stay to about 3 years so that they could be taught properly. These buildings still stand today and are now used as hotel rooms for visitors to the island. The Nyoongar still consider Rottnest as sacred ground because hundreds of their people died there. There are no motor vehicles on the island except for buses and service vehicles. Bicycles are the main form of transportation on the island and can be rented there. Prior to World War II a gun emplacement was built on the island to protect the harbour at Fremantle. This gun emplacement is still there and is open for tours. I went up there on the same train that was used then to transport troups and ammunition to the emplacement. Rottnest is now a popular get away for the people in the area for fishing, boating, and scubba diving. It has some of the southernmost coral in the world and many ship wrecks to explore. Now for some of the pictures I took on this lovely island.