Editing Green Island National Park (section)

== Park features ==
Green Island is a true coral cay formed over thousands of years by the build-up of sand and coral rubble deposited on the calm side of a platform reef.  The island is covered in tropical vine forest which supports a diversity of birds and insects.  The surrounding coral reef is home to many kinds of corals, clams, fish, stingrays and other reef life.  Green and hawksbill turtles are seen offshore.<ref name="QPWS01"/> More than 60 species of bird are found on the island.<ref name="xqnp">{{cite book |title=Explore Queensland's National Parks |year=2008 |publisher=Explore Australia Publishing |location=Prahran, Victoria |isbn=978-1-74117-245-4 |pages=22 }}</ref> While [[First_voyage_of_James_Cook#Australian_coast|exploring the east coast in 1770]], Lieutenant [[James Cook]] recorded on his chart "a low green woody island" and named the island after his ship's astronomer, [[Charles Green (astronomer)|Charles Green]]. In 1857, the first of many beche-de-mer fishing stations was established on the island. In 1928, the first regular ferry service began in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/green-island/culture.html|title=Non-Indigenous culture and history|website=Queensland Government Parks and Forests|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411060135/https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/green-island/culture.html|archive-date=11 April 2019|url-status=live|access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref> 

Green Island has been a popular tourist resort for more than a century.  The island became a national park in 1937,<ref name="xqnp"/> a marine park in 1974 and part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in 1981.  Today the island, reef and beaches are managed together as a recreation area.<ref name="QPWS01"/>

Camping on the island is not permitted.  A small luxury resort is built on the island with daily ferry services providing access.