King Island was originally part of a land bridge linking Tasmania with the Australian Mainland and was submerged around 12,000 years ago with rising sea levels. While uninhabited at the time of European discovery by Captain Reed in 1799 the first Tasmanians were a very mobile people, especially by water.

King Island, located in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia, has a history defined by isolation, maritime tragedy, and agricultural resilience. It was "discovered" by Europeans in 1797 by Captain Reed, though it was likely known to Indigenous Tasmanians much earlier. During the early 19th century, the island became a hub for sealing and whaling, which nearly decimated local populations of elephant seals. The island is notorious for its treacherous coastline, having claimed over 60 ships and hundreds of lives, most notably the Cataraqui in 1845, Australia's worst maritime disaster. Permanent settlement took root in the late 1800s as the land was cleared for grazing. Today, the island is world-renowned for its high-end dairy products, specifically brie and cheddar, as well as its beef and kelp harvesting industries, evolving from a dangerous shipwreck graveyard into a premium culinary destination with a unique, rugged island culture.