▁It ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁tour ist ▁att raction ▁on ▁Cape ▁York ▁Pen ins ula ▁in ▁northern ▁Queensland , ▁Australia , ▁near ▁the ▁Great ▁Bar rier ▁Re ef . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Mut um ui ▁and ▁Wal m bar ia ▁tribes . ▁The ▁British ▁first ▁settled ▁Bath urst ▁Bay ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁early - 1 9 th ▁Century . ▁The ▁settlement ▁had ▁few ▁trad able ▁goods ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁climate ▁and ▁terrain . ▁The ▁site ▁became ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁mid - ▁to ▁late - 1 9 th ▁Century ▁as ▁an ▁anch orage ▁for ▁the ▁p ear ling ▁fleet , ▁which ▁was ▁discover ing ▁valuable ▁o yst er ▁p ear ls . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁the ▁p ear ling ▁fleet ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁reason ▁for ▁continued ▁settlement . ▁ ▁The ▁settlement ▁was ▁destroyed ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁when ▁Cy clone ▁Mah ina ▁passed ▁through ▁northern ▁Queensland . ▁Cy clone ▁Mah ina ▁was ▁notable ▁for ▁producing ▁the ▁highest ▁recorded ▁storm ▁sur ge ▁of ▁any ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁in ▁history . ▁The ▁once - ab und ant ▁for ests ▁have ▁not ▁reg rown , ▁mainly ▁because ▁of ▁continu ing ▁salt ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁land ▁by ▁the ▁storm ▁sur ge . ▁Since ▁the ▁Federation ▁of ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁Bath urst ▁Bay ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁popular ▁fish ing ▁area . ▁F ew ▁people ▁have ▁settled ▁the ▁bay ▁area . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Princess ▁Charlotte ▁Bay