Conducting Blue Light activities in the Torres Strait is a very unique and challenging job.  The Torres Strait is made up of 17 inhabited islands located from the tip of Cape York to within 4kms of Papua New Guinea, covering a vast area of ocean.  

Their combined population is around 8600, with Thursday Island having the largest population of around 2546, and Stephen Island the smallest with only 76.

The biggest challenge in taking Blue Light to the various Islands is simply getting there!  Not only do our Police volunteers have to get themselves there, they have to take all the necessary gear for hosting the dances, movie nights etc.  The original Blue Light trailer was shipped from Island to Island by sea, courtesy of Seaswift, a Cairns based shipping company who has given us free shipping for many years.  Police and civilian volunteers would then fly in a day or so before each event.  These were often chartered flights, funded through a grant from the Department of Communities.

The original Trailer on Boigu Island, with Papua New Guinea in the background.

By 2008, the original trailer had finally succumbed to the harsh environment & constant travel, and had to be replaced.  We decided to do things a little differently, and instead of having a lot of the audio visual gear ‘fixed’ in the trailer, we wanted to be able to transport it independently when needed.  Hence in July of that year Torres Strait Blue Light took delivery of an open layout pantec trailer, funded through a Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant.  The audio visual gear has been cut down into a kit of portable hard cases, which can be transported by air as well as sea.

The new trailer delivered in July 08

The Horn Island Police Airwing & Hanger have been in operation for a couple of years now, and boasts a Britten Norman Islander (BN2A-20) Piston Twin Engine aircraft that seats up to five police, or less if they have the Blue Light kit on board.  Blue Light benefits from this by no longer needing to charter flights.

The impressive vessel pictured right is now based in the Torres Strait.  The PV William Conroy is a Class 1, 22m catamaran that sleeps up to 10 passengers!  It has it’s own desalination unit and a range of 500 nautical miles.  It is used to conduct regular scheduled patrols of the outer islands.  It’s first patrol in July ‘11 will be an 8 day trip out at the Top Western Group.

The Torres Strait Island Flag (left) colours represent the following:

Green:  The Land.

Blue:     The Sea.

White:   Peace.

Black:    The Indigenous peoples.

The white dhari (head dress) represents the Torres Strait Island people.  The white five point star represents the five major island groups, as well as navigation, part of the seafaring culture of the Torres Strait.

Above:  

The Caralus Isua, one of the three smaller vessels held at Horn, Bamaga & Thursday Island.  

For further information on the Torres Strait Blue Light, contact Jane Tanswell at Thursday Island Police on 4069 1520, or send us an email below:

The colours in the Aboriginal Flag (bottom left) represent the following:

Black:    The Aboriginal people of Australia.

Red:    The red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and the Aboriginal people’s             spiritual relation to the land.

Yellow:  The sun, giver of life and protector.

Click on a link below to see more pics & read about these events . . .