Overlooking Parry's Bay, Whitemark has a rich and fascinating past, with stories of life in a remote and sometimes harsh environment. Whitemark is the main settlement on Flinders Island and with a population of around 150 makes for a peaceful holiday getaway.
Whitemark has a supermarket, butcher, bakery, cafe, general store, service station and Post Office. Accommodation ranges from holiday cabins, self-contained cottages and apartments to hotel and motel style rooms.
There is plenty to do outdoors in Whitemark and across all of Flinders Island. Walk or cycle the Bluff Track Fitness Trail or play a round of golf at the 9-hole golf course, which has only been parred once in its 40-year history! Swim in the warm waters of Parrys Bay or fish from the wharf as the sun sets. Be sure to drop by the bar at the Interstate Hotel on a Friday night to meet the friendly locals. Nearby Strzelecki National Park with its beautiful, sheltered beaches is popular for camping, fishing and diving and there are great walks with spectacular island views. Day and night there is an abundance of wildlife, so have your camera at the ready to capture the perfect photo.
The island has a rich history and sometimes dark past. In 1834, the government moved 134 Aboriginal people from the mainland of Tasmania to the settlement of Wybalenna on Flinders Island. In the following years many of these people were struck down with illnesses that were foreign to them and ultimately only 47 people survived. The Wybalenna Historic Site in the islands north consists of a chapel and a graveyard which contains unmarked aboriginal graves along with those of some of the first European settlers. A visit to Wybalenna is sobering and provides some insight to the way that Aboriginal people were treated by the early European settlers.
Regular flights to Whitemark leave from Launceston in Tasmania, and from Essendon, Victoria. You can also reach Flinders Island by ferry from Bridport in Tasmania and Port Welshpool in Victoria.