Reclaiming K’gari

Paradise has been reclaimed.

On 7 June 2023, the island formerly known as Fraser Island reclaimed the name used by its Traditional Owners: K’gari. Butchulla Elders say there are generally two accepted pronunciations: ‘GUR-rie’ and ‘Gurri’ (the K is silent).

This significant change honours the cultural heritage of the island's Traditional Owners, the Butchulla peoples. They have generously shared their culture, traditions and the island’s rich history. The name K’gari comes from the Butchulla peoples' creation story.

‘Thankfully, it is now through respect to the Butchulla people that K’gari, her name, has been reclaimed,' said Aunty Gayle Minniecon, Chair of the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation. 'Our oral history, our creation story, will now be told and learnt as it should be.’

K’gari is one of Australia’s World and National Heritage places. Located along the southern Queensland coast, it is a place of exceptional beauty.

K’gari is characterised by:

• Uninterrupted white beaches.
• Strikingly coloured sand cliffs.
• Majestic tall rainforests.
• Crystal-clear freshwater lakes. 

It is also is the largest sand island in the world, stretching 120 kilometres. K'gari features complex dune systems that are still evolving. Its massive sand deposits are a continuous record of climatic and sea-level changes over the past 700,000 years. 

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water works closely with the Queensland Government and Butchulla Traditional Owners to protect, conserve and present the World Heritage values of K’gari. 

K’gari was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values. It was one of 15 World Heritage places included in the National Heritage List on 21 May 2007.