Prince of Wales Island (Queensland)

The Prince of Wales Island, called Muralug in the native name, 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 20km north of Muttee Heads which is adjacent to Bamaga and south of Thursday Island.The Prince of Wales Island is administered by the Torres Shire Council. However most of the land has been returned to the Kaurareg people, who are the traditional owners of the island.GeographyWith an area of 204.6km², Prince of Wales Island is the largest of the Torres Strait Islands. Being inhabited only by a few Kaurareg families (population 20 in 2001), it is very sparsely populated. The village in the north is called Muralug, after the native name of the island. The northeastern corner of the island, Kiwain Point, is only 830m away from Vivien Point of Thursday Island, the main and most populous of the Torres Strait Islands, separated by Normanby Sound.HistoryFirst recorded sighting by Europeans of Prince of Wales Island was by the Spanish expedition of Luís Vaez de Torres on 3 October 1606.