Quokkas on Rottnest Island

These small Marsupials bear the distinction of having an Island named after them. In 1696, when the explorer Willem De Vlaming landed on the Island, he mistook these small animals for rats and named the island 'Rottnest'. These cute, inoffensive creatures have had a somewhat troubled existence over the years.

During the period when Rottnest was a penal settlement, the Aboriginal prisoners hunted quokkas to add variety to their diet. Also in the early days, when the Governor of the Swan River colony spent his summer holidays on the Island, Quokka shoots were common.

However, in 1914, Rottnest was declared an A-Class Reserve. Since then, all birds and animals, including the Quokka, have been totally protected. Today the Quokka population is thriving.