Isle of Girls

An exotic name that started with a mistake by a French cartographer

Eleanor Smith’s 1953 book title Isle of Girls was referencing a once common nick name for Rottnest Island. Some, like me, had thought that it might have come from the range of locations on the island named after girls (who by the way were almost always named for the wives and daughters of the early superintendents of the island). However, it originally came from an error when French cartographers were translating early Dutch maps. The Dutch had named the island Isle of Mists because of the often seen mists surrounding the island. The word for mists is very close to word for miss or girls. The cartographers mistakenly thought its was The Isle of Girls; L’Ile des Filles and labelled the island as such on their maps. The English translated the French maps and followed suit and the name stuck. Its a pity that it subsequently became Rottnest - so much more appropriate!

Eleanor Smith researched the early diaries, pilot’s log and notes of John Watson, an early settler and superintendent. She used these and what was known of the people on the island at the time, to write an historical fiction. There is also a useful glossary of people and places and a list of the early Rottnest boat pilots and their crews.

The cover design is fabulous but sadly uncredited and the book was published by Paterson Brokensha Pty Ltd, 65 Murray St, Perth.

Eleanor Smith 1904-2002 was educated at Perth Girls' School and worked as a nurse and a writer. Her poetry, short stories and articles appeared in a number of Australian literary magazines and she also wrote several unpublished plays.