Rattlesnake Island (Queensland)
 Rattlesnake Island and surrounds | |
 Interactive map of Rattlesnake Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Halifax Bay |
| Coordinates | 19°01′59″S 146°36′36″E / 19.033°S 146.610°E |
| Administration | |
Rattlesnake Island is one of the islands South of the Great Palm Island group, northwest of Magnetic Island and directly east of Rollingstone in the Halifax Bay, northern Queensland, Australia.
RAAF Base Townsville (No. 323 Combat Support Squadron RAAF) conducts live firing with military aircraft on regular occasions. When the RAAF are not live firing, they also conduct survival courses on the island.[1]
A hermit reportedly lived on the island for a number of years.[2]
The island is named to commemorate the work of the survey ship HMS Rattlesnake from 1847 to 1850. During that survey work, the natural historian Thomas Henry Huxley made many significant advances in marine biology.[3]
September 1943 B-25 Mitchell crash
On 23 September 1943, a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed 3 miles off the island, while undergoing a live firing test.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Pushing the limits: Air Force school training survivors". Air Force News. 28 February 2002. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ^ "Chauvel's Cameras Catch the Spirit of the Black Man.", Everyones., Sydney: Everyones Ltd, 20 November 1935, nla.obj-561858422, retrieved 29 March 2024 – via Trove
- ^ "NQ exploration: Valuable work of H.M.S. Rattlesnake (Centenary 1847-1947)". The Townsville Daily Bulletin. 4 September 1947. nla.obj-62906369. Retrieved 10 January 2026 – via Trove.
- ^ Dunn, Peter. "CRASH OF A B-25 MITCHELL AT RATTLESNAKE ISLAND ON 23 SEPTEMBER 1943". www.ozatwar.com. Retrieved 30 January 2013.