History
Lady Julia Percy Island was well known to the Aboriginal people of the region; it is understood that the spirits of the dead were conveyed across the sea to the island from a cave called Tarnwirring ("the flowing of the wind") at the top of a rocky sea cliff.
The island was first named "Lady Julia’s Island" in 1800 by Lt James Grant after either the wife or daughter of Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland. In 1802, Matthew Flinders expanded the name to Lady Julia Percy's Island as he sailed past on his ship the Investigator. Also in 1802, Nicolas Baudin sailed past the island in his ship the Géographe, and recorded the island as Ile aux Alouettes, a name that has not persisted.
During the early 19th century, sealing took place with sealing gang living on the island often for months at a time. There are two graves on the island – one of a sealer buried in 1822, and one of a man named Hardman buried in 1828 by Captain Wishart of the Fairy. Guano was mined on the island until 1861 for fertiliser, being transported to Port Fairy in barges.
In January 1936 a scientific expedition from Melbourne University's McCoy Society visited the island for six weeks and carried out a comprehensive ecological survey.
Read more about this topic: Lady Julia Percy Island (Victoria)
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