in 1964, onslow local residents ian blair and adrian day were granted a lease on thevenard island and direction island by the government of western australia. in 1973, a group of local farmers purchased the business. from there, the accommodation and facilities on the islands developed from beach shacks used by fisherman to a fully fledged tourism operation. the same group of farmers developed the onslow mackerel motel on the mainland in 1997.