THURSDAY ISLAND

island in the Torres Strait off northern Queensland, Australia. It is surrounded by Prince of Wales, Friday, Good's, Hammond, Wednesday, and Horn islands, and it is the administrative centre for the area. The principal town is Port Kennedy, on the eastern shore. The mixed population of Malays, Chinese, Japanese, and Melanesians are engaged mainly in pearling and trochus and bche-de-mer (sea cucumber) fishing. The island has an area of 1 1/4 square miles (3 square km) and a maximum elevation of 374 feet (113 m). With its neighbours, it was annexed to Queensland in the 1870s and was proclaimed a municipality in 1912. Pop. (1981) 2,283.