Dampier Archipelago

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Archipelago of Western Australia

title: "Dampier Archipelago" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dampier-archipelago", "archipelagoes-of-australia"] description: "Archipelago of Western Australia" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dampier_Archipelago" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Archipelago of Western Australia ::

|Indian Ocean |label=Dampier Archipelago |lon_dir=E |lat_dir=S |lat_deg=20|lat_min=32 |lon_deg=116|lon_min=36 |position=left |width=300 |float=right |mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg |marksize=20 |caption=Location of the Dampier Archipelago in the Indian Ocean ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Burrupmap.png" caption="Map of Dampier Archipelago and Burrup Peninsula"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/ISS026-E-12540_-_View_of_Western_Australia.jpg" caption="Satellite image of the Dampier Archipelago on 24 December 2010." alt="Satellite image of the Dampier Archipelago on 24 December 2010."] ::

The Dampier Archipelago is a group of 42 islands near the town of Dampier in Pilbara, Western Australia.

The archipelago is also made up of reefs, shoals, channels and straits and is the traditional home of five Aboriginal language groups. It was formed 7000 years ago when rising sea levels flooded what were once coastal plains. The underlying rocks are among the oldest on Earth, formed in the Archaean period more than 2.4 billion years ago.

It is named after William Dampier, an English buccaneer and explorer who visited in 1699. Dampier named one of the islands Rosemary Island.

Despite being a region through which considerable shipping and industrial activity occurs, the archipelago has considerable marine resources.

History

Dampier Archipelago is the site of some of Australia's oldest domestic structures, estimated to be between 8000 and 9000 years old.{{cite press release|title=People inhabited Dampier Archipelago before last ice age |url=http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201609059000/research/new-find-puts-people-dampier-archipelago-last-ice-age|publisher=University of Western Australia|access-date=18 February 2019|date=5 September 2016}}

The largest island (or peninsula) in the group was known as Murujuga by the Yaburara people. The first British settlers renamed it Dampier Island and it was later officially renamed Burrup Peninsula.

Climate

The archipelago has a tropical desert climate (Köppen: BWh); with a highly erratic rainfall due to receiving precipitation from irregular tropical cyclones. Climate data was sourced from Legendre Island, the northernmost island. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 44.5 C on 21 February 2015 to 13.6 C on 7 July 2012.

|location = Legendre Island () (29 m AMSL) (2005-2025) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 43.9 |Feb record high C = 44.5 |Mar record high C = 40.5 |Apr record high C = 39.0 |May record high C = 35.0 |Jun record high C = 30.3 |Jul record high C = 31.0 |Aug record high C = 33.0 |Sep record high C = 36.2 |Oct record high C = 40.3 |Nov record high C = 43.0 |Dec record high C = 41.5 |Jan high C = 33.0 |Feb high C = 33.6 |Mar high C = 33.9 |Apr high C = 32.5 |May high C = 28.4 |Jun high C = 25.4 |Jul high C = 24.9 |Aug high C = 26.3 |Sep high C = 28.4 |Oct high C = 30.8 |Nov high C = 31.6 |Dec high C = 32.6 |Jan low C = 26.9 |Feb low C = 27.2 |Mar low C = 27.3 |Apr low C = 25.8 |May low C = 22.2 |Jun low C = 19.6 |Jul low C = 18.2 |Aug low C = 19.0 |Sep low C = 20.7 |Oct low C = 23.1 |Nov low C = 24.6 |Dec low C = 26.2 |Jan record low C = 22.8 |Feb record low C = 21.4 |Mar record low C = 20.3 |Apr record low C = 16.9 |May record low C = 15.7 |Jun record low C = 13.9 |Jul record low C = 13.6 |Aug record low C = 14.3 |Sep record low C = 15.7 |Oct record low C = 16.9 |Nov record low C = 20.1 |Dec record low C = 20.8 |source = Bureau of Meteorology (2009-2025){{cite web |url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_004095_All.shtml |title = Legendre Island Climate Statistics (2005-2025) |publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |access-date = January 9, 2026}}

Indigenous heritage

The Yinidbarndi, Yaburara, Mardudhunera, and Woon-goo-tt-oo peoples have lived in the area for approximately 50,000 years.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/22/indigenous-owners-left-out-of-rock-art-sites-world-heritage-listing-talks |title=Indigenous owners 'left out' of rock art site's world heritage listing talks |date=22 March 2018 |work=The Guardian|access-date=21 January 2019}} In 1868, the area was the site of the Flying Foam massacre, in which between 20 and 150 members of the Yaburara are reported to have been killed.

General References

References

References

  1. {{cite Q. Q126680180
  2. Jones, Diana S.. (2003). "Dampier Archipelago down under". [[Landscope]].
  3. "AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database - Jaburara". AusAnthrop.
  4. "Climate classification maps: Köppen - all classes". [[Bureau of Meteorology]].
  5. "Legendre Island Climate (2009-2025)". [[Australian Community Media]].

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