Prince Of Wales

The Prince of Wales Island, or Muralag, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago at the tip of Cape York Peninsula within the Endeavour Strait of Torres Strait in Queensland, Australia.

The Prince of Wales Island, or Muralag, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago at the tip of Cape York Peninsula within the Endeavour Strait of Torres Strait in Queensland, Australia. The island is situated approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of Muttee Heads which is adjacent to Bamaga and south of Thursday Island. It is within the locality of Prince Of Wales within the Shire of Torres. In the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 109 people.Most of the land has been returned to the Kaurareg people, who are the traditional residents on the island.

First recorded sighting by Europeans of Prince of Wales Island was by the Spanish expedition of Luís Vaez de Torres on 3 October 1606.A massacre of Kaurareg people occurred on Muralag and Wednesday Island in 1869 after it was thought that they had attacked and killed the crew of the schooner Sperwer after it was shipwrecked in 1869, and punishments continued for years, decimating the population of Kaurareg people.Sometime between 1885 and 1895 there was what was called the Danish Settlement on Prince of Wales Island, "just opposite the Government residency" on Thursday Island.About the same time a pearling station existed on the island, with four boats attached.In 2019 the Torres Shire council decided to construct a harbour for the island on a site the Kuarareg people claimed to be of vital historical importance. The Kuarareg opposed the plan and obtained a landmark injunction, grounded in native title, barring future projects.The council abandoned its plans.In the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 109 people.