K'gari
The beach from Indian Head, May 2016 | |
Map of K'gari, including its location in Australia | |
| Etymology | Paradise in Butchulla |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Fraser Coast, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 25°14′S 153°09′E / 25.24°S 153.15°E |
| Adjacent to | Great Sandy Strait, Coral Sea |
| Area | 1,655 km2 (639 sq mi) |
| Length | 123 km (76.4 mi) |
| Width | 22 km (13.7 mi) |
| Administration | |
| State | Queensland |
| Region | Wide Bay–Burnett |
| Local Government Area | Fraser Coast |
| Largest settlements | K'gari, Eurong |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 152 (2021 census) |
| Languages | Australian English, Butchulla |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Criteria | Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix) |
| Reference | 630 |
| Inscription | 1992 (16th Session) |
K'gari (/ˈɡɑːri/ GAH-ree, lit. 'Paradise'), also known by its former name Fraser Island, is a World Heritage-listed sand island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The island lies approximately 250 km (160 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fraser Coast Region local council area. The world heritage listing includes the island, its surrounding waters and parts of the nearby mainland which make up the Great Sandy National Park. In the 2021 census, the island had a population of 152. Up to 500,000 people visit the island each year.
The island is part of the traditional lands of the Butchulla people, under the traditional name of "K'gari". European settlers who arrived in 1847 named the island "Fraser Island" after Captain James Fraser, master of Stirling Castle, who was shipwrecked and died on the island in early August 1836. On 7 June 2023, the island was officially renamed K'gari by the state government.