Devil's Pool

Devil's Pool or Babinda Boulders is a natural pool at the confluence of three streams among a group of boulders near Babinda, Queensland, Australia.

For other uses, see Devil's pool (disambiguation).
Devil's Pool as seen from its lookout

In 2005, the Australia TV program Message Stick gave an account of the Pool through many interviews and testimonies of witnesses to investigate the prevalence of deaths of young male travellers over the years.[1] The pools have taken approximately 18 lives since 1959.[2][3] The local council urges visitors to stay within a designated swimming area to be safe.

Indigenous Tale

The Devil's Pools are home to a Yidinji Indigenous Legend, which states how the Babinda Boulders were formed.

The tale is about Oolana, a young woman from the Yindinji Tribe. After being promised to a respected tribal elder, she met a handsome young warrior called Dyga from another tribe and fell in love. They fled their tribes and escaped into the wilderness to continue their affair. Elders searched for them and they were captured. Dyga was dragged away. Oolana escaped and was in despair. She threw herself into the Devil's Pools and her anguished cries turned into the pools torrents.

Locals believe that Oolana's spirits still haunts the Devils Pools, pulling young men to their untimely deaths.[4]

Incidents

A sign warns of the dangers of swimming there because the water is deep and fast flowing through channels and over underwater rocks but deaths still occur – some by swimming, others by falling in unexpectedly, many being wedged in a rock "chute". On 30 November 2008, Tasmanian naval seaman James Bennett became the 17th person to drown at the site since 1959.[5]

References
  1. "Babinda Boulders and Surf Dreaming". Message Stick. 27 May 2005. ABC.
  2. Dennien, Matt (9 April 2020). "Search expanded for teen missing at notorious far north Qld swimming spot". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. "Body of 18-year-old Madison Tam found after vanishing from Devil's Pool on Monday". www.9news.com.au. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. "The Devils Pools Legend". Wooroonooran Safaris. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. Rollings, Barry (17 September 2009). "Navy runs for Jimmy" (PDF). Navy News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2009.

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