West Island was part of the Clunies-Ross plantation and an airstrip was built here during World War II.

In November 2013 it was revealed that the Australian Signals Directorate operates a listening station on West Island.

[2] West Island contains a number of heritage-listed sites, including: West Island experiences a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af, Trewartha: Aral), with hot and humid conditions experiences year round.

[13] Precipitation is moderate to high year round, thanks to its position at the southern edge of the equatorial low pressure belt.

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