St Helena Island - Aboriginal name: Noogoon

• 720BC to 1840 (Approx) Used by Aboriginal tribe, the Nooghies
• 1799 Island described as one of the 'Green Isles' by Matthew Flinders
• 1826 Named St Helena after Aboriginal exiled on Island
• 1850s Fledgling dugong industry
• 1866 Quarantine Station built
• 1867 (14th May) Declared Penal Establishment
• 1875 Construction started on stone causeway
• 1879 Electric telegraph installed (from Lytton Hill Signal Station)
• 1885 Tramway commences operation (first passenger tramcar in Qld)
• 1890 Warder's families removed from Island
• 1891 Leaders of Great Shearer's Strike imprisoned on Island *
• 1905 Sisal Hemp growing started
• 1907 Lash last used
• 1921 Announcement of intended prison closure
• 1921 (to 1932) Became prison farm for low security prisoners
• 1922 Dismantling of buildings commenced (cont'd to 1932)
• 1925 Electric light installed
• 1932 (Dec) Official Prison closure
• 1933 (1st Dec) Opened to the public (under responsibility of Brisbane City Council) First passenger ferry service established from Wynnum Pier (Closed 1934)
• 1939 BCC handed Island back to State Gov't. Leased as dairy farm to 1973
• 1973 Charles Carroll acquires 2 leases on Island (tourism and pasture)
• 1974 Part of North Point leased to 4IP Radio to build radio station
• 1979 (4th Oct) Gazetted National Park
• 1980 (11th Sept) Gazetted Historic Area (First in Qld)
• 1981 First Park Ranger appointed to Island
• 1983 Coral dredging commenced Eastern side of Island (finished 1988)
• 1984 Carroll's leases requisitioned
• 1985 Education Qld involved in guide training and collating archival material
• 1986 (Oct) New jetty opened. First scripted play, St Helena by Night staged on Island 1987 Horse-drawn wagon transport introduced to Island (until 1996)
• 1996 Diesel powered train commenced operation (until 2002)
• 1997 Dramatised 1st person interpretation introduced to day tours
• 1998 A B Sea Cruises won Qld Tourism Award for St H by Day/by Night Tours
• 2000 Establishment of Museum completed

* For an account of this period read Julian Stuart's book, Part of the Glory

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