Howick Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the southernmost island in the Howick Group National Park and is about 100 km south-east of Cape Melville, Queensland. It is around 480 hectares or 4.8 square km in size.Howick Island was named Madman's Island by Ion Idriess in 1924. In 1927 he published the book of the same name.