▁given ▁land ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁chief s . ▁However , ▁increased ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁outside ▁world ▁brought ▁new ▁dise ases ▁to ▁the ▁islands ▁and , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁a ▁meas les ▁ep ide mic ▁significantly ▁reduced ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Sa ib ai . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Government ▁sought ▁to ▁extend ▁its ▁juris diction ▁and ▁requested ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Government . ▁Let ters ▁Pat ent ▁were ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁creating ▁a ▁new ▁boundary ▁for ▁the ▁col ony ▁which ▁en comp ass ed ▁all ▁islands ▁within ▁a ▁ 6 0 ▁na ut ical ▁mile ▁radius ▁of ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Queensland . ▁This ▁boundary ▁was ▁further ▁extended ▁to ▁ 9 6   km ▁by ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Coast ▁Islands ▁Act ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁( Q ld ) ▁and ▁included ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁Bo igu , ▁D arn ley , ▁Murray ▁and ▁Sa ib ai , ▁which ▁lay ▁beyond ▁the ▁previous ▁ 6 0 ▁na ut ical ▁mile ▁limit . ▁The ▁new ▁legisl ation ▁enabled ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Government ▁to ▁control ▁and ▁reg ulate ▁bases ▁for ▁the ▁be che - de - mer ▁and ▁p ear ling ▁indust ries , ▁which ▁previously ▁had ▁operated ▁outside ▁its ▁juris diction . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁on wards , ▁the ▁coast al ▁communities ▁of ▁Pap ua ▁and ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁Sa ib ai , ▁Bo igu ▁and ▁M t ▁Corn wall