Great Dog Island (Tasmania)

Last updated

Great Dog Island
Nickname: Big Dog Island
Cape barren island.jpg
Great Dog Island (centre) from space, January 1997
Relief Map of Tasmania.png
Red pog.svg
Great Dog Island
Location of the Great Dog Island in Bass Strait
Geography
Location Bass Strait
Coordinates 40°18′00″S147°54′36″E / 40.30000°S 147.91000°E / -40.30000; 147.91000 [1] Coordinates: 40°18′00″S147°54′36″E / 40.30000°S 147.91000°E / -40.30000; 147.91000 [2]
ArchipelagoGreat Dog Group, part of the Furneaux Group
Area3.75 km2 (1.45 sq mi)
Administration
Australia
State Tasmania
LGA Municipality of Flinders Island
Largest settlementGreat Dog Island village(pop. 10)
Demographics
Population10 (2014)
Pop. density2.67/km2 (6.92/sq mi)

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. [3] [4]

Contents

The island is private property and has been severely affected by grazing livestock, fire, muttonbirding and the introduction of exotic animals. [5] [6] The island is part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species. [7]

History

George Robinson visited the island in the 1830s and records sealers taking mutton birds there in 1837. [8]

Great Dog Island Group

The Great Dog Island Group includes:

Flora and fauna

Great Dog Island viewed from the air, from the east Great Dog Isand aerial.jpg
Great Dog Island viewed from the air, from the east

The island's vegetation is dominated by the grass Poa poiformis , aided by the burrowing and fertilising activities of the shearwaters in conjunction with regular burning-off. However, at the north-eastern side of the island, there is a remnant mixed forest community, rare within the Furneaux Group, of manna gum and Acacia verticillata with various species of Allocasuarina , Melaleuca and Leptospermum .

Recorded breeding seabird and wader species are short-tailed shearwater (about 300,000 pairs), white-faced storm-petrel, sooty oystercatcher and pied oystercatcher. Reptiles present include the metallic skink, spotted skink, eastern three-lined skink, eastern blue-tongued lizard, lowland copperhead and tiger snake. A native mammal recorded from the island is the rakali, along with introduced mice, rats and feral cats. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Little Green Island Island in Tasmania, Australia

Little Green Island is a granite island, with an area of 87 hectares, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Great Dog Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. It is partly a conservation area, and partly private property, used for grazing livestock. The island has been degraded by repeated burning and grazing. Commercial muttonbirding took place until 1957, and recreational muttonbirding since then. The island is part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.

The Goose Island, part of the Badger Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 109-hectare (270-acre) unpopulated elongated granite island, located in Bass Strait, lying west of the Flinders and Cape Barren islands, Tasmania, south of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia.

Long Island (Tasmania) Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Long Island, part of the Long Island Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 313-hectare (770-acre) unpopulated granite and dolerite island, located in Bass Strait, lying north-west of the Cape Barren Island in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. The island is part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.

The Oyster Rocks are a close pair of small granite islands, with a combined area of about 6 ha, in south-eastern Australia. They are part of Tasmania’s Tin Kettle Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. They are a conservation area. The islands are part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.

South West Isle (Tasmania)

The South West Isle, part of the Kent Group, is an unpopulated 19.09-hectare (47.2-acre) granite island, located in the Bass Strait, lying off the north-east coast of Tasmania, between the Furneaux Group and Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Australia.

Hogan Island

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 .

Long Islet (Tasmania) Island of Tasmania, Australia

The Long Islet, part of the Hogan Group, is a 22.85-hectare (56.5-acre) unpopulated long, narrow granite island, located in northern Bass Strait, lying north of the Furneaux Group in Tasmania and south of Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, in south-eastern Australia.

Passage Island (Tasmania) 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.

Badger Island, part of the Badger Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 1,242-hectare (3,070-acre) unpopulated low-lying granite and limestone island, located in Bass Strait, lying west of the Flinders and Cape Barren islands, Tasmania, south of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia.

The Mount Chappell Island, part of the Badger Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 323-hectare (800-acre) unpopulated granite island with a distinctive central hill, located in Bass Strait, lying west of the Flinders and Cape Barren islands, Tasmania, south of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia.

The Little Goose Island, part of the Badger Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 3.6-hectare (8.9-acre) unpopulated flat, round granite island, located in Bass Strait, lying west of the Flinders and Cape Barren islands, Tasmania, south of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia. The island is contained within a nature reserve and is part of the Chalky, Big Green and Badger Island Groups Important Bird Area.

Anderson Island (Tasmania) Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Anderson Island, also known as Woody Island, part of the Tin Kettle Island Group of the Furneaux Group, is a 166-hectare (410-acre) granite island, located in Bass Strait, lying northeast of Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. Anderson Island lies between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands and is partly a pastoral lease used for grazing sheep and cattle. The island is joined at low tide to nearby Little Anderson and Tin Kettle Islands by extensive intertidal mudflats. The island is supposed to be named after John Anderson, a sealer living on the island by 1842.

Little Dog Island Island in Tasmania, Australia

Little Dog Island is a square, flat granite island, with an area of 83 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Great Dog Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. It is a game reserve. It was previously grazed, a usage now ceased. The island is part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.

Billy Goat Reefs Islands in Tasmania, Australia

The Billy Goat Reefs, part of the Great Dog Group within the Furneaux Group, are a close group of four small islands, joined at low tide, with a combined area of 1.3 hectares, located in the Bass Strait between the Flinders and Cape Barren islands, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia.

Spences Reefs Islets in Tasmania, Australia

Spences Reefs is a pair of reefs consisting of two islets, with a combined area of 0.65 ha, in Tasmania, Australia.

Pelican Island (Tasmania) Island in Tasmania, Australia

Pelican Island is an island, with an area of 6.8 ha including an associated reef joined to it at low tide, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Vansittart Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. Until 1984 it was leased for grazing. The island is part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.

The East Kangaroo Island, part of the Big Green Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 157-hectare (390-acre) unpopulated limestone island with granite outcrops and dolerite dykes, located in the Bass Strait, west of the Flinders Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia.

The Big Green Island, part of the Big Green Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 122-hectare (300-acre) granite island with limestone and dolerite outcrops, located in Bass Strait west of Flinders Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. The island is partly contained within a nature reserve with the rest being used for farming; and is part of the Chalky, Big Green and Badger Island Groups Important Bird Area.

The Little Chalky Island, part of the Big Green Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 5-hectare (12-acre) unpopulated granite island, located in the Bass Strait, west of the Flinders Island and south of Chalky Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. The island is part of the Chalky, Big Green and Badger Island Groups Important Bird Area.

Chalky Island (Tasmania) Island in Tasmania, Australia

The Chalky Island, part of the Big Green Group within the Furneaux Group, is a 41-hectare (100-acre) unpopulated granite island with limestone outcrops and dolerite dykes, located in the Bass Strait, west of the Flinders Island, in Tasmania, in south-eastern Australia. The island is contained within a conservation area and is part of the Chalky, Big Green and Badger Island Groups Important Bird Area.

References

  1. "Cape Barren Island, Tasmania (Islands & Reefs)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. "Cape Barren Island, Tasmania (Islands & Reefs)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  3. "Great Dog Island (TAS)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  4. "Small Bass Strait Island Reserves. Draft Management Plan". Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment, Tasmanian Government. October 2000. Archived from the original on 30 March 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  5. Hayde, Kevin Anthony (1992). "Ecology of the feral cat Felis catus on Great Dog Island" . Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  6. 1 2 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
  7. "BirdLife Data Zone Franklin Sound Islands". BirdLife International. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  8. Kostoglou, Parry (1996). Sealing in Tasmania (First ed.). Hobart: Parks and Wildlife Service. p. 108.