Palm Island, Queensland

Palm Island is 65km north-east of Townsville, Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Named by explorer Captain Cook in 1770, Palm Island takes in 64km&sup2 of small bays, sandy beaches and steep forested hills rising to a peak of 548 metres. It is a classic "tropical paradise" in its natural endowments, but has had a troubled human history.

Originally used by early European settlers as a leper colony, Palm Island is now home to 4000 Australian Aborigines, making it the largest Aboriginal community in Australia. The community, deriving from about 42 mainland tribes, suffers from chronic alcohol, drug and domestic abuse and has an unemployment rate of 90% and an average life expectancy of 50 years, thirty less than the national average. In 1999, the Guiness Book of Records listed Palm Island as the most violent place on earth outside a combat zone.

The island has a school (Bwgcolman Community School) and a small range of shops and services. There is an airport from which Palm Air flies a 15-seater plane to and from Townsville 4 times a day from Monday to Saturday. There is also a ferry-boat service which makes a return trip from Townsville to Palm Island on Fridays and Sundays.