George Rocks

Last updated

George Rocks
Relief Map of Tasmania.png
Red pog.svg
George Rocks
Location of Bird Rock off the coast of Tasmania
Geography
LocationBanks Strait, Bass Strait
Coordinates 40°55′S148°19′E / 40.917°S 148.317°E / -40.917; 148.317 Coordinates: 40°55′S148°19′E / 40.917°S 148.317°E / -40.917; 148.317
Archipelago Waterhouse Island Group
Area7 ha (17 acres)
Administration
Australia
State Tasmania
Demographics
Populationuninhabited

The George Rocks, also historically known as King George's Rocks, is part of the Waterhouse Island Group, a group of three adjacent uninhabited granite islets and associated reefs with a combined area of 7 hectares (17 acres), situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. [1]

Contents

Seal hunting took place early in the 19th century. Captain James Kelly took seals there in 1816, and Thomas Tucker is recorded sealing on the rocks in 1827. Captain Kelly applied for a lease to establish a bay whaling station at a small sandy beach on the west side of the largest of the rocks in 1841 [2]

Other islands in the Waterhouse Group include Ninth, Tenth, Waterhouse, Little Waterhouse, Maclean, Baynes, Gygnet, Swan, Foster, Little Swan, St Helens and Paddys islands and Bird Rock islet. [1]

Fauna

Recorded breeding seabird species are little penguin, short-tailed shearwater, white-faced storm-petrel, silver gull, black-faced cormorant and crested tern. Introduced mammals are rabbits and rats (it was announced in February 2021 that all the rats had been eradicated). The metallic skink is present. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterhouse Island (Tasmania)</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

Waterhouse Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 287-hectare (710-acre) granite island situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Needle Rocks</span> Group of islets in Tasmania, Australia

The Needle Rocks, also known as the Needles, are a group of five main rock islets located close to the south-western coast of Tasmania, Australia. With a combined area of approximately 10.5 hectares (0.041 sq mi), the islets are part of the Maatsuyker Islands Group, and comprise part of the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.

The Bird Rock, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is an uninhabited 1-hectare (2.5-acre) granite islet situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogan Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

Hogan Island, the largest island of the Hogan Group, is a 232-hectare (570-acre) granite island, located in northern Bass Strait, that lies between the Furneaux Group in north-east Tasmania, and Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Australia. The island has a maximum elevation of 116 metres (381 ft) AHD .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passage Island (Tasmania)</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Passage Island, part of the Passage Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 253-hectare (630-acre) granite and dolerite island, located in Bass Strait south of Cape Barren Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forsyth Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Forsyth Island, part of the Passage Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 167-hectare (410-acre) granite island, located in Bass Strait south of Cape Barren Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. With the Passage and Gull islands, the Forsyth Island forms part of the Forsyth, Passage and Gull Islands Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports over 1% of the world populations of little penguins and black-faced cormorants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moriarty Rocks</span>

The Moriarty Rocks, part of the Passage Group within the Furneaux Group, are a group of two major unpopulated granite rocks, and several smaller ones, with a combined area of 2.46 hectares, located in Bass Strait, south of Cape Barren Island, west of the Low Islets, and west of the Spike and Clarke islands, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. The rocks are contained within a nature reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Dog Island (Tasmania)</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Great Dog Island, also known as Big Dog Island, and part of the Great Dog Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 354-hectare (870-acre) granite island, located in Bass Strait, lying south of the Flinders Island and north of the Cape Barren Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia.

The Tenth Island, sometimes called Barrenjoey, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 900-square-metre (9,700 sq ft) uninhabited granite islet and nature reserve, situated in Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The islet has no vegetation and much of it is wave-washed in winter storms. The Aboriginal name for the island is recorded as Roobala mangana.

The Ninth Island, officially Tareerpattel-tarerenner / Ninth Island, is a 32-hectare (79-acre) uninhabited granite island situated in Bass Strait as part of the Waterhouse Island Group, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. In November 2018, it was listed for sale for the fourth time, at $1.98 million. The property for sale is a landlocked title within a conservation covenant, preventing access to the island by any means except helicopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Waterhouse Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Little Waterhouse Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) granite island situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

The Maclean Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 1.11-hectare (2.7-acre) uninhabited granite islet, situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

The Baynes Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, are a group of three granite uninhabited islets connected at low tide, with a combined area of 1.62 hectares, situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnet Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Cygnet Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 0.5-hectare (1.2-acre) granite islet situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foster Islands (Tasmania)</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Foster Islands, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, are two small granite islands with a combined area of 48 hectares situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The islands form part of Small Bass Strait Island nature reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Swan Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Little Swan Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 12.64-hectare (31.2-acre) uninhabited granite island situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swan Island (Tasmania)</span> Island in Bass Strait, Tasmania

Swan Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 239-hectare (590-acre) granite island situated in Banks Strait, part of Bass Strait, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helens Island</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

The St Helens Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 51-hectare (130-acre) granite island situated in the Tasman Sea, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

The Paddys Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 4.6-hectare (11-acre) uninhabited granite island situated in the Tasman Sea, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ile des Phoques</span> Island in Tasmania, Australia

Ile des Phoques is a rugged granite island, with an area of 8 ha, part of the Schouten Island Group, lying close to the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia near the Freycinet Peninsula.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; & Halley, Vanessa. (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery: Hobart. ISBN   0-7246-4816-X
  2. Kostoglou, Parry (1996). Sealing in Tasmania historical research project (First ed.). Hobart: Parks & Wildlife Service. pp. 75–6.