Mornington Island
Mornington Island from space, September 1991
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 Mornington
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Gulf of Carpentaria |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 16°30′S 139°30′E / 16.500°S 139.500°E |
| Archipelago | Wellesley Islands |
| Total islands | 22 |
| Area | 1,002 km2 (387 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Highest point | unnamed |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| State | Queensland |
| Local Government Area | Shire of Mornington |
| Largest settlement | Gununa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1007 (2001) |
| Pop. density | 1 /km2 (3 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Aboriginal |
Mornington Island is the northernmost of 22 islands that form the Wellesley Islands group. The island is in the Gulf of Carpentaria and is part of the Gulf Country region in the Australian state of Queensland. The Manowar and Rocky Islands Important Bird Area lies about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the north-west. Mornington is the largest of the islands.
The general topography of the island is flat with the maximum elevation of 500 feet (150 metres). The island is fringed by mangrove forests and contains 10 estuaries, all in near pristine condition.
The population was estimated to be 1,007 in 2001 and the majority of the citizens live in the township of Gununa. Mornington Island is included in the Shire of Mornington local government area. The majority of the islanders are Aboriginal.
Lardil are the predominant clan group on Mornington Island and are the traditional owners of the land and surrounding seas. The Kiadilt clan arrived more recently (1947) from nearby Bentinck Island, when that island's water supply was contaminated by salt after a cyclone. Recent re-building work on aboriginal housing has been undertaken by the James Fraser Foundation, a non-profit organisation in Queensland.
Macassan trepangers once travelled thousands of kilometres from Sulawesi to Mornington Island and other Australian mainland destinations in search of sea cucumbers. The eastern cape of the island was named Cape Van Diemen after Anthony van Diemen. Commander Matthew Flinders named the island after Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley who was known as The Earl of Mornington.
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