Sweers Island has a long and fascinating history. The first visitors to these shores were most likely the Kaiadilt Aboriginal People who travelled from mainland Australia to live on nearby Bentinck Island. Stone Fishtraps date back to early Aboriginal occupation. Macassan fishermen also visited the islands from Sulawesi in the 17/1800s, in search of beche-de-mer (Trepang/Sea Cucumber); leaving stone fireplaces, pottery and Tamarind trees as evidence of their regular visits. 

The first European to sight the island was most likely the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644, who thought the island was a headland attached to the Gulf mainland. He named the channel between Sweers and Bentinck 'Maet Suykers River' after a member of the Council of Batavia who had authorised his expedition. 

When Flinders arrived approx. 200 years later in 1802, he found that the headland was in fact an island, and as there already was a 'Maet Suykers Island', he named it 'Sweers Island' after another member of the Council - Salomon Sweers. Flinders spent almost a fortnight here recaulking his ship and surveying the island. He dug a well and marked a tree with the name of his ship 'Investigator'. The tree is now in the Mapping & Survey Museum in Brisbane.  At one time the entire settlement of Burketown was evacuated and relocated to Sweers Island due to an outbreak of Gulf Fever, now thought to be an outbreak of malaria. The fever killed many hundreds of people, including the local Indigenous people who had no immunity to such a disease. The Burketown Cemetery has the dubious honour of being the site of Australia's largest mass grave with over 200 victims buried in this simple grave. 

The next visitor was John Lort Stokes in the 'Beagle' in 1841. He also dug a well which is probably one of those in use by the Resort today. Next to arrive were the members of the North Australian Expedition in 1856. They were followed in 1861 by 'HMCS Victoria' and its tender 'Firefly' who were searching for missing explorers Burke and Wills. One of the crew died and is buried here. 

In 1866 malaria hit Burketown, so the administrator William Landsborough decided to move the survivors to Sweers Island. His daughter Sweersena was born on the island and is documented as being the first non-Aboriginal child to be born in the north of Australia. Sweers Island was home to the fever survivors for approximately 18 months before it was deemed safe to return to Burketown. 

Landsborough established a settlement known as Carnarvon, which survived until approximately 1872. The remains of the paddle steamer 'Pioneer' which serviced the town lie on the beach near the resort. The wreck of the Brig 'Governor' lies offshore. Although no buildings remain, there are sheets of iron, broken bottles and crockery, and two marked graves. 

Most of the residents moved to establish Normanton but the Customs House remained until 1884 and the Creffield family and others ran sheep, cattle & goats until the turn of the century. Except for a lime burning operation from 1915 until 1922, the island was virtually uninhabited until the Resort was established in 1987.