Masthead Island is a coral cay located in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 60 kilometres northeast of Gladstone, Queensland. The island is a protected area and forms part of Capricornia Cays National Park. Masthead Island is one of the most undisturbed cays in the national park with lower pressure from humans and feral animals. The cay covers an area of and is surrounded by a coral reef that is partially exposed at low-tide. It is part of the Capricornia Cays Important Bird Area.
The island is closed to the public from mid-October to Easter to protect nesting seabirds and turtle hatchlings. At other times, the island is open for camping. However there are no facilities available.
Masthead Island was the shooting location for the 2010 film Uninhabited.
Geomorphology and landscape Beach rock is well developed along the southern beach and an occurrence of older beach rock is situated some distance from the beach on the north western corner of the cay. Vegetation is similar to that occurring on Heron island.
The vegetation and tree heights and trunk diameters can be used to interpret coral cay dynamics and thus the growth of the cay. It is postulated that the 'nucleus' old growth Pisonia grandis forest pattern (with trees up to 23m high and 2.4m trunk diameter) is in the central western part of this cay and is able to provide identification of the older forested sections of the island.Batianoff GN (1999) Floristic, vegetation and shoreline changes on Masthead Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
The Capricorn and Bunker Cays form part of a distinct geomorphic province at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.Hopley, D. (1982) The Geomorphology of the Great Barrier Reef – Quaternary Development of Coral Reefs. Wiley-Interscience Publication, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., New York The cays and their reefs lie on the western marginal shelf, and are separated from the mainland by the Curtis Channel. The cays are not generally visible from the mainland, although Masthead Island may be viewed from Mount Larcom on a clear day.
Geologically, the cays are young, having developed during the Holocene period, and they are mostly around 5000 years old. The sea level was much lower during the last Ice Age (at the end of the Pleistocene period) and the coastal plain on which today's reefs and cays developed was completely exposed. Early in the Holocene (around 10,000 years ago) the sea level began to rise, until it stabilised at its present level around 6000 years ago. Once the sea level stabilised, it was possible for reef flats to expand and provide potential sites for the formation of cays.
Masthead Island Reef is an Elongate Platform Reef.William Graham Henderson Maxwell – Atlas of the Great Barrier Reef Elsevier, 1968
The coral cay is a vegetated sand cayFairbridge, R. W. 1950b. Recent and Pleistocene coral reefs of Australia. J. Geol. 58: 330–401 The sand cay is located to the lee of their reef flat.Mather and Bennett, 1993 A Coral Reef Handbook: a guide to the geology, flora and fauna of the Great Barrier Reef, 3rd Ed. Australian Coral Reef Society Handbook Series
History The explorer Matthew Flinders discovered and named Masthead Island in 1802. Masthead was incorporated into the Capricornia Cays National Park in 1994.
Ecology
Flora The centre of the island is dominated by a dense forest of Pisonia (both birdcatcher pisonia and Pisonia grandis) vegetation while pandanus, velvet soldierbush and she-oaks are found around the island fringes.
A total of 50 taxa of vascular plants have been recorded since first collections in 1909 including 7 naturalised exotic plant species.Batianoff GN (1999) Floristic, vegetation and shoreline changes on Masthead Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
The May 1998 census records 37 native and 3 naturalised plant species. The majority of plant species are dispersed by sea (52%) and seabirds (38%).Batianoff GN (1999) Floristic, vegetation and shoreline changes on Masthead Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
Thirteen percent (27ha) of the total Pisonia grandis closed forest in Australia is located on Masthead Island.Batianoff GN (1999) Floristic, vegetation and shoreline changes on Masthead Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
Fauna Masthead Island is an internationally important rookery for green and loggerhead turtles, who come ashore to lay eggs on the island's beaches during spring and summer, from late October to late February. This is a major breeding site for the turtles, the fifth most important in the South Pacific.
The cay also supports a diverse seabird population. The black noddy and wedge-tailed shearwater are most common, while the black-naped tern, bridled tern, Capricorn silvereye, roseate tern and silver gull are also regularly seen on the island.
The coral reef around the cay is a habitat for a vast array of marine life, the most common including angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, sweetlips, batfish, sting rays, bronze whalers, sea snakes and stonefish.
Masthead was the discovery ground of an entirely new species of fish, the Masthead Island Pipefish.http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=7719/ FishBase
Pests Currently, weeds are a problem on some of the cays. Masthead Island is vulnerable to the encroachment of prickly pear (Opuntia sp.). These prickly pears were introduced from the main land, and were well established over the entire cay in the 1970s. Weed control programs have been implemented to eradicate introduced plants in the region, with a significant reduction of these weeds on Masthead Island.Batianoff GN (1999) Floristic, vegetation and shoreline changes on Masthead Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
Known shipwrecks on the reef Pioneer 10 (12?) March 1866 Masthead Reef or Polmaise Reef 2 Masts Schooner regular coasting schooner during the 1860s; cargo of timber; no lives lost.:Australian shipwrecks Vol. 2 1851–1871 By Loney, J. K. (Jack Kenneth), 1925–1995. Sydney. Reed, 1980 910.4530994 LON Struck an outcrop of Masthead Reef on 12 March, an anchor was dropped but she dragged along the rocks until stopped by a large rock which pierced her bottom and held her upright. The crew launched a boat and sailed to Keppel Bay.
Captain Smith, by the Diamantina, on Thursday, brought intelligence of the total loss of the Pioneer, schooner, which left the port with a cargo of sawn timber for Rockhampton on the 10th instant. Captain Smith reports after leaving Gladstone he met a boat containing the captain and crew of the Pioneer, who informed him that their vessel was wrecked and totally lost on a reef near Mast Head Island, one of the Bunker Group, and they were then on their way to Port Curtis, hoping there to meet with a steamer by which to proceed to Sydney. We could learn no other particulars. We are very sorry to hear that the cargo of timber, worth about £500, was uninsured, and that the heavy loss will therefore fall on Messrs. Gladwell and Greathead. We believe it is not known whether the vessel was insured or not.
The Pioneer was an American built craft, of 88 tons register. She was rigged as a fore and aft schooner, and has seen many years' service in the coasting tradeThe Brisbane Courier Monday 26 March 1866 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1264700?searchTerm=Pioneer
We have been kindly furnished by the Harbour Master, Captain Rundle, with the following particulars of the wreck of the schooner Pioneer. The Pioneer, schooner, 87 tons, Thomas Richie, master, bound from Maryborough to Rockhampton, left the Fairway Buoy, Harvey’s Bay, at 10 a.m. on Saturday last, the 10th instant she passed the Sloping Hummock at 3 p.m., bearing south-west, and distant ; the vessel steered N.W. until opposite Bustard Head, and then altered her course half a point westward, the wind, at the time, blowing hard from S.S.E., and a heavy sea, running. About 4 a.m. on Sunday "breakers ahead" were reported, and the vessel WHS immediately hauled to the -west- ward. Before she could be brought to fore reach she struck upon a reef running out from Mast Head Island, bearing cast from Cape Capricorn. The sea washed clean over her, and she showed Signs of breaking up; the long-boat was launched. The master and crew laid-to off the wreck -until daylight. They managed to get on board again at 1 p.m., and found the vessel full of water, with her decks and most of her broadside started. After several attempts, they found that they could do nothing towards saving the vessel, and all hands sailed for Keppel Bay, where they arrived on Thursday morning.The Brisbane Courier Tuesday 27 March 1866 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1264793?searchTerm=Pioneer
Britons Queen 21 March 1866 Masthead Reef/Polmaise Reef 2 Masts Schooner regular coasting schooner during the 1850s and 1860s; cargo of hides/tallow; 7 passengers.:Australian shipwrecks Vol. 2 1851–1871 By Loney, J. K. (Jack Kenneth), 1925–1995. Sydney. Reed, 1980 910.4530994 LON 14 passengers and crew landed safely on Masthead Island, then proceeded to Rockhampton.
The schooner Briton's Queen, Captain M. R, Brown, was wrecked on Mast-head Island on the 2lst instant. She was bound to Sydney, via Brisbane, from Port Denison, and had on board a quantity of wool, tallow, and hides, besides the following passengers : Mr. and Mrs. Newell, two sons and two daughters; also, J. Butcher in the steerage. Both passengers and crew arrived here in safety in the schooner's boats on the 26th instant. The Briton's Queen was owned in Hobart Town and was uninsured. The wreck was sold by Mr. Wormold on Thursday; it realised as follows: Hull, £50; wool, tallow, and hides, £95; two boats, £27; total, £172. Yesterday the Londonderry towed two lighters to the bay for the purpose of proceeding to the wreck with several shipwrights on boardThe Brisbane Courier Friday 6 April 1866 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1265255?searchTerm=Briton%27s+Queen
Loss of the Briton's Queen.-We are indebted to Mr. W. Newell, a passenger by the Britons' Queen, for the following particulars of the loss of that vessel;-The Britons' Queen, schooner, sailed from Port Denison for Sydney, via Brisbane, with a cargo of wool and tallow, on Tuesday, 13th March, and on the morning of the 21st she went on the reef' extending out from Masthead Island, and became a total wreck. The vessel,-struck on the reef at about 3 o'clock in the morning, the wind blowing fresh at the time, and the night very dark. All attempts to get the vessel off having failed, the boats were got ready, and at daylight the passengers and crew were landed, by means of the smallest boat, on the reef near to where the vessel struck. The shipwrecked people walked along the reef a considerable distance, a mile or a mile and a half, to a point where the larger boat could with safety come alongside to take them in to proceed to Masthead Island,
There were fourteen persons in all, namely, the captain (Malcolm Ross Brown), the mate, five men, Mr. Newell, his wife, two sons and two daughters, and a Captain Butcher. Nine were in the large boat, and five in the small one they arrived at the island in the afternoon and a hard pull of eight hours. The weather was so boisterous they could not leave for a few days
Monday, the 26th they started for Keppel Bay, and arrived the same evening at the pilot station, where "they were Kindly received and entertained' by Captain Warner, pilots Hardy, Smith, and others. On the following day they proceeded on to Rockhampton, and, on arrival, Mr. Newell and family took passage to Sydney by the steamer Boomerang.The Brisbane Courier Monday 16 April 1866 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1265747?searchTerm=Briton%27s+Queen