A Special Discovery…In June 1770, Captain James Cook sailed his ship the Endeavour amidst the small group of islands (including Bedarra) and charted them as the “Family Islands”. He named the largest island of the group “The Father Isle” and titled it Dunk Island after Lord Montagu Dunk the Earl of sandwich and the First Lord of the British Admiralty. The second largest island of the group (Bedarra) he named “The Mother Isle”. The remaining islands were noted as “The Children”.

Richards became the island’s official title on marine charts and early Lands Department maps labelled the island Allason – named after it's first European settler Captain Henry Allason. It was early last century when author E.J. Banfield, the original Dunk Island beachcomber, was thought to have misconstrued the Aboriginal pronunciation of Biagurra as ‘Bedarra'.

In 1913 the first European took up residency on the island. Inspired by reading Banfield’s ‘Confessions of A Beachcomber, Captain Henry Allason purchased Bedarra from the Queensland Lands Department. A purchase price of 20 pounds also granted ownership of the neighbouring Timana Island. Allason and his wife settled on the far side of the island and enjoyed an idyllic existence until the events of World War I forced a return to Europe.During the twenties, Ivan Menzies of Gilbert & Sullivan fame met Allason in France. Menzies’ idea was to make the island a home for underprivileged English boys and persuaded Allason to sell the island for 500 pounds sterling. The project failed to eventuate and in 1934 the island was sold to the Harris Syndicate of London.Australian artist Noel Wood visited the Island in 1936 and negotiated the purchase of a portion of land where he and wife Eleanor could settle. Wood chose a flat spot near the mangroves on the opposite side of the peninsula to Doorila Bay. However, the impact of tides on the area and the inconvenience of not being able to swim at low tide caused him to change his mind and the couple moved to Doorila Bay. Noel lived on the island until 1993 when his parcel of land was subdivided and sold. Eight privately owned houses are now located on this section of Bedarra Island. An example of his art can be seen in the beach house.

Frank Coleman, from the Atherton Tableland, joined the Woods shortly after his arrival. In 1938 he and his family took ownership of the island negotiating purchase from the Harris syndicate.In 1940, artist John Busst leased the southeastern corner of the island from the Coleman brothers – at ten shillings a week. Later that year, Charlie and Arthur Coleman sold the entire island - apart from Noel Wood's section - to Englishman Dick Greatrix and Frenchman, Pierre Huret. Both had been guests on the island. Greatrix and Huret began laying out garden designs and introducing exotic plants to the rainforest. Seven years later, the two Europeans sold the island to John Busst and his sister Phyllis. The Bussts soon sold the section of the island developed by Greatrix and Huret and after numerous changes in ownership, Ken and Cynthia Druitt became the owners. In 1957 the Druitts developed a small tourist resort.

In the same year John Busst sold his section, now known as Bedarra Bay, to Colin Scott - a grazier from Omeo, Victoria. Scott employed several managers over the years to run the property as a private retreat.
In 1979, Bedarra Bay was sold to Tor Hulten, a Swede who converted the property into a small tourist resort, which he called TorAnna Plantation.In 1980, Australian Airlines, owners of neighbouring Dunk Island Resort, purchased the section of the island owned by Ken and Cynthia Druitt. Bedarra Hideaway Resort was opened in August 1981. Earlier the same year, Australian Airlines had also purchased TorAnna Plantation and began operating day trips to Bedarra Island as a day retreat for Dunk Island guests.
In 1988, Bedarra Bay Resort was opened on the site of the old Toranna Plantation and quickly established itself as Australia's most exclusive retreat. Australian Airlines was later taken over by Qantas Airways with Qantas becoming the owner of both resorts on Bedarra Island. Bedarra Hideaway Resort was closed in October 1991.P&O Australian Resorts purchased Bedarra Island Resort in March 1998. The resort closed for a month in June of that year, and again in May 2001, when extensive refurbishments were carried out in all areas of the resort. Whilst the resort is private you can see a glimpse across Doorila Bay.