Sue Islet (Queensland)

Sue Islet (or Sue Island), also known as Warraber, is the middle islet of The Three Sisters, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia.[1] This island is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is within the locality of Warraber Islet in the Torres Strait Island Region.[2]

Sue Island
Satellite image
Administration
StateQueensland

Geography

It is in the Vigilant Channel.[2] Situated on a coral cay, Sue Island has an abundance of traditional foods such as wongai and coconuts. Fish, turtles and dugong inhabit the warm waters and coral reefs surrounding the island.

The island is threatened by rising sea levels, and coastal defences have been built on many of the beaches on the island. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that by 2100, tides will rise 30–110cm, depending on the timing and level of cuts to carbon emissions.[3]

History

Warraber Island State School was opened on 29 January 1985.[4] On 1 January 2007 it became the Warraber Island campus of the Tagai State College.[4]

People

The people of Sue Island are part of the Kulkalaig, of the Central Islands of Torres Strait, including Nagi. Specifically, the Nagilgal and of Waraberalgal are the same people. Life on the island remains very traditional and includes hunting, dancing and thayilai (feasts); vital components of contemporary life.

Language

The day-to-day language of Waraber is Brokan (Torres Strait Creole), however, the traditional language of the people of Waraber is Kulkalgau Ya, one of the four dialects of Kalaw Lagaw Ya.

Kulkalagau Ya phrases:

Ni midhadh? How are you?

Ninu nel nga? What is your name?

Stuwa unaga? Where is the store?

Ninu waru ubilaig, au? Do you like turtle?

Ni kulkalgadh yamuleka, au? Do you speak Kulkalgau Ya?

Ni markaidh muleka, au? Do you speak English?

Ina ngau mudh. This is my house.

Kayib mina kapu goeiga. This is a really nice day.

Maal kapu idi. The sea is dead calm.

Inabi ai mina kapu mithalnga. This food is very delicious.

Aye, ngoeba buthuka. Come, let's go to the beach.

Religion

Many Sue Islanders still retain strong links to their traditional religion, centering on ancestor worship, including a totemic clan structure. An important religious figure was Kulka, one of Malo-Bomai's brothers. The inhabitants (Kulkalgal) are named for Kulka.

On 1 July every year the residents of Sue Island observe the "Coming of the Light". On this date in 1871, a Christian reverend named Samuel MacFarlane of the London Missionary Society tried to proselytize the natives of the Torres Strait to Christianity. Currently, there are two main churches on the island, including the more traditional Church of the Torres Strait and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church.

Education

Warraber Island Campus is a primary (Early Childhood-6) campus of Tagai State College (10.2063°S 142.8279°E / -10.2063; 142.8279 (Tagai State College - Warraber Island Campus)).[5][6]

Facilities

Warraber Island has an Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Ganaia Street operated by the Torres Strait Regional Council.[7]

This island houses new ship tracking and communications technologies (Automatic Identification Systems) and ship polling via the INMARSAT C satellite system.

See also

References
  1. "Sue Islet - island in the Torres Strait Island Region (entry 32727)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  2. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. Banister, Jack (1 March 2020). "'It's our right to be here': the Torres Strait Islanders fighting to save their homes from a rising sea". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  4. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  5. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  6. "Tagai State College - Warraber Island Campus". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  7. "Warraber". plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.

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