Mermaid Boab Tree: Kimberley’s Living Heritage
Tucked away in the remote wilderness of the Kimberley, the Mermaid Boab Tree stands as a powerful reminder of history, exploration, and timeless connection to Country. This place offers more than scenery, it’s a place to pause, reflect, and immerse yourself in a story etched into the land itself.
The Story of the Mermaid Boab Tree: A Search for Australia’s Inland Secrets
In the early 1800s, the Australian government was desperate to find either an inland sea or a great river that would lead to the interior of the continent. Matthew Flinders had already done a remarkable job circumnavigating Australia and helping name it, but the mystery of easy access to the inland still remained.
By 1819, Philip Parker King—just 28 years old—was contracted to continue this work. On his third of four epic voyages, King was tasked with completing the coastal surveys begun by Flinders. A skilled mariner, King carried with him a small but remarkable crew: botanist Allan Cunningham, first mate John Septimus Roe, ship’s surgeon Frederick Bedwell, and the well-known Aboriginal intermediary Bungaree. Altogether, nineteen men set out aboard their vessel, the HMC Mermaid.
The HMC Mermaid
For £2000, King had purchased the Mermaid, an 84-ton, 54-foot cutter built of durable teak in India. Though not ideal for long voyages, she was well-suited for storage and coastal survey work. On their journey north, the Mermaid struck a sandbank off the Queensland coast and suffered damage to her stern post and rudder. As the expedition pressed on to the Kimberley, the damage worsened—forcing King to beach the vessel at Careening Bay in 1820.
Here, at high tide, they laid the ship over to make essential repairs, a process known as careening. Over the course of 18 days, the crew replaced iron nails, patched timbers, and made her seaworthy again. While ashore, Cunningham collected the first known specimen of the frilled-neck lizard and also unknowingly gathered the first Kimberley boab to be recorded by Europeans.
Carvings in the Boab
Following naval tradition, King was instructed to leave an inscription to mark their stay. The crew’s carpenter carved “HMC Mermaid 1820” deep into the trunk of a giant boab tree. Two centuries later, the carving is still clearly visible, making the tree a living time capsule of maritime history.
Interestingly, the Mermaid Boab carries more than one story. Alongside King’s inscription is another carving—an outline resembling a small temple. Some believe this may have been made by Macassan trepangers who visited the Kimberley long before Europeans, harvesting sea cucumbers and leaving signs that are thought to point toward Mecca.
Today, the tree has a girth of more than 12 metres and is protected under National Heritage listing so future generations can continue to witness its remarkable story.
Culture and Connection
Long before European explorers arrived, these lands were, and remain, deeply significant to Traditional Owners. The Kimberley is rich with ancient creation stories and cultural ties that stretch back tens of thousands of years. The Mermaid Boab Tree now carries both legacies: Aboriginal connection to land and sea, and the early chapters of European exploration.
Visiting the Mermaid Boab Tree
Modern conservation efforts, including a protective boardwalk, ensure visitors can stand before the Mermaid Boab without harming its fragile ecosystem or historic carvings. When you journey here on one of our small-group Kimberley cruises, you’ll experience it respectfully and without the crowds.
A Journey Through Time and Place
The Mermaid Boab Tree is more than a landmark, it’s a storyteller. From early European voyages searching for Australia’s inland rivers, to Aboriginal custodianship that spans millennia, its presence binds together the many layers of Kimberley history.
Ready to Witness the Mermaid Boab for Yourself?
The Mermaid Boab isn’t just a tree, it’s a living time capsule. A natural monument etched with 200 years of maritime history and countless millennia of cultural connection.
If you’re ready to witness the Mermaid Boab for yourself, join us on a Kimberley cruise that brings you face-to-face with this iconic landmark—where history, culture, and wild beauty meet.
