Murray Island
| Murray Island (Mer) | |
|---|---|
.png) Murray Island, center, top. |
|
| Waters | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Murray Islands |
| Geographical location | 9 ° 55 '22 " S , 144 ° 3' 45" E |
| length | 2.6 km |
| width | 1.6 km |
| surface | 4.29 km² |
| Highest elevation |
Gelam Paser 230 m |
| Residents | 485 (2006) 113 inhabitants / km² |
| main place | Mer |
 Murray Island, center, right. |
|
Murray Island , called Mer by the locals , is the easternmost inhabited island in the Torres Strait Archipelago . With the uninhabited islands of Dowar Island ( Dauar ) and Wyer Island ( Waier ), 2 kilometers to the south-west, it forms the group of the Murray Islands .
The island is of volcanic origin, oval in shape and about 4.1 km² in size. The main settlement ( Mer ) is on the northwest coast. After the census from 2006 lived there 485 people, according to 431 in the year 2,001th
Administratively, the island belongs to the Eastern Islands , the easternmost island region in the Torres Shire administrative district of Queensland ( Australia ). The island is divided into the tribes Komet, Zagareb, Meuram, Magaram, Geuram, Peibre, Meriam-Samsep, Piadram and Duration Meriam. The tribal area of the Meuram (Meaurem) in the north of Murray Island also includes the islands of Darnley Island and Stephens Island as well as the uninhabited islands north and east of them, up to Bramble Cay .
One of the most famous residents of Murray Island was Eddie Mabo (1936-1992), who was born here and who campaigned intensively in court for the land ownership rights of the Torres Strait Islanders on Murray Island and was awarded a land title by the highest Australian court. This success was of great importance for the land rights of the Aborigines as well .