ABSTRACT
After World War Two, tourism took over as Rottnest’s primary function, and a series of island managers saw to its increasing appeal and accessibility. Most transformative was the period under Desmond Joseph Sullivan, island manager from 1959 to 1984. Fay Smith was the first sister-in-charge of the nursing post from 1961 and married Des Sullivan in 1971. The couple hosted locals as well as national and international visitors, creating and maintaining a family-friendly and egalitarian community, even when their guests were used to regal protocol. Having lived through hardship and knowing the worth of physical work, they never lost sight of the right of everyone to access this natural offshore resource. The Rottnest Island Board later named a beautiful swimming spot Fay’s Bay in recognition of her 11 years of nursing service and her role alongside the so-called “King of Rottnest” in transforming the island from the dry, desolate, and dirty dustbowl left by the army into a marine and terrestrial sanctuary appreciated by visitors from near and far afield. In wanting to recreate the island as a natural paradise for all, however, they also masked its carceral history.
