The Juarinanda people were recorded as early inhabitants of the island, but they were decimated by disease in the 19th century, with the remainder of the population moving to Drysdale River Mission.
Wunambal, Gaambera and Kwini people made journeys to islands in the area by dugout canoes originally bought from Makassan traders, who began visiting the Kimblerley coast sometime between 1669 and 1763.
A number of hearths are a record of where the trepang was cooked on the beach in large iron pots, with activity especially picking up around 1800.
[2] A LORAN radar site was established on the north west corner of the island during World War II by American and Australian forces.
[4] The island once supported a population of feral pigs, but by 2009 they had died out, apparently from the only fresh water source becoming saline following erosion from a cyclone.