Place: Whitemark

Details

Whitemark, population 170, is the administrative centre of Flinders Island, largest of the Furneaux Group. It contains the Municipality of Flinders Council Chambers, the Multi-Purpose Centre, post office, library, sports club/golf course and shops. The original name, White Mark, came either from a white sand blow settlers used as a navigational aide, a whitish survey mark in a tree indicating a crossing between two lagoons, or a later white sandy track through the coastal scrub. Before a wharf was built in 1905, island trading boats unloaded cargo nearby. Whitemark became one word when a wireless station was built in 1913, as the price of messages was calculated per word. The first buildings were a house/store built by Harold Walker (1900); the school (1911); the Interstate Hotel (1912) and a courthouse (1913).

Kayleen Mort

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