During 2014-15 FIDO and Gympie Graphics developed a logo to describe Fraser Island (Kgari)’s natural values.   It is hoped that this new logo will be taken up to ensure that Fraser Island (K’Gari) is as well badged as other iconic World Heritage sites in Australia.

FIDO is claiming no copyright and no royalties for the use of the badge as long as it is used in reference to Fraser Island (K’Gari).  We would like to see the badge applied widely by the tourist industry.  The more widely it is used in advertising the more it helps K’Gari’s World Heritage values become more widely appreciated.   The logo/badge can be used in alternative formats.

The Symbolism of the Logo

The most significant of all of the values of this greatest island of sand though are its geomorphic attributes particularly the soil profile.  The development of the world’s tallest rainforest growing on sand occur on the world’s largest sand island is related entirely to the soil profile.  Understanding the linkage between the vegetation and the underlying soil profiles is the key to understanding Fraser Island.   That is why the theme of the OUV logo is focussed on the soil profile and the vegetation.

The logo shows the island topography rising from the Pacific Ocean in the East (right) to the centre of the island where the tallest forest grows.  It also shows a thin layer of “B” horizon starting close to the surface and getting progressively thicker and deeper as the soil profile ages and the nutrients are leached ever deeper from the overlying “A” horizon.

The forest develops from a coastal scrub to the rainforest climax and then the canopy gets lower through retrogressive plant succession as the dunes age.  In general, the youngest soil profiles are in the east and the oldest soil with the deepest soil profiles are found on the western side of the island.  This progressive and retrogressive plant succession then is based on the concentration of plant nutrients in the “B” horizon of the soil and how deep in the soil profile the “B” horizon occurs.  After the climax is reached in the rainforest, while the “B” horizon continues getting richer it is driven ever deeper into the soil profile and is so deep that even the roots of the largest trees can’t access it.  The stature of the trees begins to diminish and the forest degenerates into a depauperate heathland, mallee and stunted scribbly gum forest.