Raine Island
Raines Islet on the Great Barrier Reef by Edwin Augustus Porcher, painted 1844 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 11°35′30.24″S 144°2′17.14″E / 11.5917333°S 144.0380944°E |
| Area | 32 ha (79 acres) |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | Queensland |
| Protected Area | Great Barrier Reef Marine Park |
Raine Island is a vegetated coral cay 32 hectares (79 acres) in total area situated on the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef off northeastern Australia. It lies approximately 620 km (390 mi) north-northwest of Cairns in Queensland, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east-northeast of Cape Grenville on the Cape York Peninsula.
Raine Island is the site of the oldest European structure in tropical Australia, a stone beacon built in 1844, and harbours the world's largest remaining population of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). An important environmental icon, the island is totally protected from public access. It got its name from Captain Thomas Raine (1793–1860), the English mariner who discovered it.