Nuyts Archipelago

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Nuyts Archipelago
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Nuyts Archipelago
Geography
Location Great Australian Bight
Administration
Australia
The archipelago is an important breeding site for white-faced storm petrels... Whitefacedstormpetrel1.jpg
The archipelago is an important breeding site for white-faced storm petrels…
...short-tailed shearwaters... Short-tailed Shearwater.jpg
…short-tailed shearwaters…
...and pied oystercatchers... Pied Oystercatcher on beach.jpg
…and pied oystercatchers…
...as well as Australian sea lions Sea lion australia.jpg
…as well as Australian sea lions

The Nuyts Archipelago is an island group located in South Australia in the Great Australian Bight to the south of the town of Ceduna on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consisting of mostly granitic islands and reefs that provide breeding sites for Australian sea lions and support colonies of short-tailed shearwater. It also includes the island group known as the Isles of St Francis. All the islands with exception of a part of Evans Island, are located with the following protected areas - the Nuyts Archipelago Wilderness Protection Area and the Nuyts Archipelago Conservation Park.

Contents

Description

Of the roughly 30 islands and reefs in the archipelago, those lying furthest from the coast of the Eyre Peninsula are known as the Isles of St Francis, after the largest. Most of the islands are formed of calcarenite lying on granite; where the softer calcarenite is close to sea level it has been heavily eroded by wave action.

The area is biologically unique in South Australia due to the influence of the Leeuwin Current, flowing eastwards across the Great Australian Bight and bringing features more typical of western than south-eastern Australia. In and around the archipelago the subtropical Leeuwin Current meets and mixes with the colder waters of the Flinders Current creating a biodiversity hotspot. Examples of the effect of the Leeuwin Current include the presence of plate corals and fish such as the Western Footballer. [1]

History

Prior to the last ice age, approximately 9,800 years ago, the islands formed part of the mainland coastline. [2]

The archipelago was named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders after Dutch diplomat Pieter Nuyts, who was the senior official of the Dutch East India Company on the ship 't Gulden Zeepaert ("The Golden Seahorse"), captained by François Thijssen who mapped 1800km of the southern coastline of Australia from Albany to Ceduna in the course of a 1626–27 voyage from the Netherlands to Formosa and Japan. Nuyts was in the region of the archipelago in January 1627. The remote and desolate islands were later arguably also used as a source in the 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels. [3] Both Flinders and Nicolas Baudin, who also explored the area in 1802-1803, named several of the islands. [4]

During the early 19th century the archipelago and adjacent coast were used as a base for sealing and for whaling, usually by Hobart-based entrepreneurs who established whaling stations on St Peter Island as well as at Fowlers Bay and Streaky Bay. [5] Early interactions by sealers with the mainland native people were usually hostile. [2] Later, the islands were privately purchased in 1925 and used for farming and sheep grazing. [2]

List of constituent islands

St Francis Island

St Francis Island was named in 1627 by Thijssen after his patron saint, at 809 hectares (2,000 acres) it is the second largest island in the archipelago. It is covered by a mix of grassland, saltbush and low shrubland and supports a large population of muttonbirds (estimated at 273,000 pairs). [6] The highest point, 81 metres (266 feet) above sea level, carries an automated lighthouse and radio beacon. It has a long history of agricultural use as well as of guano mining. [4]

Masillon Island

Masillon Island is located about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) south of St Francis, it was named in 1802 in the course of Baudin’s expedition after a Bishop of Clermont, Jean Baptiste Massillon. [4] It is vegetated with heathy shrubland and saltbush, and supports muttonbirds (39,520 pairs). [6]

Fenelon Island

Fenelon Island is located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) south of Masillon, it was named by Baudin after François Fénelon, a French archbishop and theologian. [4] It features heathland on shallow soils and supports a large population of white-faced storm petrels (13,000 pairs), [6] as well as a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Smooth Island

Smooth Island is a dome-shaped island with a covering of dense, low scrub, [6] it lies 200 metres (660 feet) north of St Francis. [4]

Egg Island

Egg Island is located about 400 metres (1,300 feet) north-east of St Francis, it is dome shaped with a high point 41 m above sea level. [4] It has deep soils and muttonbirds (400 pairs). [6]

Dog Island

Dog Island is located about 300 metres (980 feet)east-north-east of St Francis, it has saltbush shrubland and muttonbirds (1816 pairs). [6]

Freeling Island

Freeling Island is located about 100 metres (330 feet) north-east of Dog Island, it was named after Major-General Sir Arthur Henry Freeling, Surveyor General of South Australia. [4] The island first obtained protected area status as a fauna conservation reserve declared under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1966 on 16 March 1967 . [8] It has muttonbirds (112 pairs). [6]

West Island

West Island is located in the open ocean about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) west of St Francis, it features exposed granite surfaces [4] and is used by Cape Barren geese. [6] It supports a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Lacy Island

Lacy Island is located about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) north-east of St Francis, it was named by Flinders on 3 February 1802 after Mr Lacy, a crew member of HMS Investigator. [4] It has low heath, shrubland, and supports muttonbirds (4740 pairs). [6]

Hart Island

Hart Island was named after Captain John Hart, a Premier of South Australia. [4]

Evans Island

Evans Island is located about between the two protected areas but is part of neither. It serves as a lighthouse reserve managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). It features Marsh Saltbush shrubland on deep soils, and supports muttonbirds (29,472 pairs). [6]

St Peter Island

St Peter Island (also called St Peter's Island) is located about 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) in length and 3,429 hectares (8,470 acres) in area, is the largest and most accessible island in the archipelago, and holds the greatest number of muttonbirds (334,800 pairs). It lies only 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) from the mainland and was farmed from 1859 until it was added to the conservation park in 1988. Since sheep grazing ceased the vegetation has become dominated by regenerating native plant communities with patches of mallee woodland. [6] It was named in 1627 by Thijssen after Nuyts' patron saint. [4]

Gliddon Reef

Gliddon Reef is an islet to the south-west of St Peter, it supports a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Purdie Islands

Purdie Islands are little more than a chain of low rocks, [6] they were named by Flinders on 3 February 1802 after Robert Purdie, the surgeon’s assistant on the Investigator. [4] They support a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Lounds Island

Lounds Island is covered by low, dense vegetation, [6] it was named by Flinders on 7 February 1802 after midshipman Sherrard Lound. [4] It supports a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Goat Island

Goat Island is a 303 hectares (750 acres) island lying 2 km south-west of St Peter Island, it supports muttonbirds (94,800 pairs). [4] The wreck of the single-screw steamer, Eleni K (originally Johns Hopkins) lies on the north side of the island. [9]

Breakwater Island

Breakwater Island is an islet to the south-east of Goat Island, it supports a sea lion breeding colony. [7]

Eyre Island

Eyre Island is a sand island supporting large numbers of pied oystercatchers, [6] it was named after explorer Edward John Eyre. [4] The island first obtained protected area status as a fauna conservation reserve declared under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1966 on 16 March 1967 . [8]

Franklin Islands

Franklin Islands – both East and West Franklin Islands are covered by nitre bush on deep soils, with breeding muttonbirds (102,080 pairs). [6] They were named by Flinders on 3 February 1802 after midshipman John Franklin who was later to become well known as a polar explorer. Similar calcarenite-capped plateaus on granite platforms, the islands are joined at low tide by a strip of sand. Once part of the St Francis Island pastoral lease, they were occasionally used for grazing sheep. Public access to the Franklin Islands is prohibited, to safeguard the relict population of stick-nest rats there. [4]

Lilliput and Blefescu Islands

Lilliput and Blefescu Islands are small islets which were only officially named in 2007, lying off East and West Franklin respectively, they both support sea lion breeding colonies. [7]

Other animals

Tiger snakes and southern carpet pythons occur in the archipelago. Greater stick-nest rats are found on the Franklin Islands. An isolated subspecies of the southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus nauticus) is endemic to the archipelago and confined to St Francis and the Franklin Islands. An unsuccessful attempt was made to reestablish a colony of brush-tailed bettongs on St Francis Island, where the species had previously become extinct; a similar introduction to St Peter Island has been more successful. [4] [6] The archipelago is important for Australian sea lions; it contains eight breeding colonies as well as several haul-out sites. [7] southern fur seals also use haul-out sites in the archipelago, while southern right whales migrate along the coast from May to October. [10]

Protected area status and other arrangements

Statutory reserves

The majority of islands within the group are within the Nuyts Archipelago Wilderness Protection Area which was proclaimed on 25 August 2011 and was excised from all of the Isles of St Francis Conservation Park and from the Nuyts Archipelago Conservation with exception to Eyre Island and St Peter Island. Evans Island which was previously unalienated Crown land has only partially included in the wilderness protection area as part of the island is held by AMSA for use as a site for a lighthouse. [11] [4] [12] The waters around the archipelago and adjoining the mainland have been within the 4000 km2 Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park since 2012. [13]

Non-statutory arrangements

Important Bird Area

The archipelago, with the exception of Hart Island, has been identified by BirdLife International as a 110 km2 Important Bird Area (IBA) because it contains over 1% of the world populations of short-tailed shearwaters (with an estimated maximum of 890,740 breeding pairs), white-faced storm-petrels (22,750 breeding pairs) and pied oystercatchers (about 250 individuals). [14] Other birds nesting in the IBA include little penguins (over 1000 pairs), Pacific gulls (about eight pairs), Caspian terns (about 250 pairs) and crested terns (at least 3000 pairs), as well as eastern reef egrets, ospreys, white-bellied sea eagles and hooded plovers. Rock parrots occur on Lounds Island and probably Smooth Island. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Investigator Group Archipelago off the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

The Investigator Group is an archipelago in South Australia that consists of Flinders Island and five island groups located off the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It is named after HMS Investigator by her commander, Matthew Flinders when he explored the area in 1802. The Group lies within the Great Australian Bight. All the islands except Flinders Island, and a part of Pearson Island, are within the Investigator Group Wilderness Protection Area and the Waldegrave Islands Conservation Park.

St Peter Island (South Australia) Island in South Australia

St Peter Island is an island in the Nuyts Archipelago on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia near Ceduna. It is the second largest island in South Australia and about 13 km (8.1 mi) long. It was one of the first parts of South Australia to be discovered and named by Europeans, along with St Francis Island, mapped by François Thijssen in 't Gulden Zeepaert in 1627.

St Francis Island Island in South Australia

St Francis Island is an island on the south coast of South Australia near Ceduna. It is part of the Nuyts Archipelago. It was one of the first parts of South Australia to be discovered and named by Europeans, along with St Peter Island, mapped by François Thijssen in 't Gulden Zeepaert in 1627.

Nuyts Archipelago Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on Eyre Island and St Peter Island in the Nuyts Archipelago located off the west coast of Eyre Peninsula about 10 kilometres south and 25 kilometres south-east respectively of Ceduna.

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Sir Joseph Banks Group

The Sir Joseph Banks Group is an archipelago in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf about 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consists of 21 islands of which eighteen are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park while the surrounding waters are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park. It is considered to be an important seabird breeding site.

Greenly Island (South Australia) Island in South Australia

Greenly Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Great Australian Bight about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west-south-west of Point Whidbey on Eyre Peninsula. The island is uninhabited by humans and provides a haven for marine and terrestrial wildlife. The island and its intertidal zone constitute the Greenly Island Conservation Park. Its adjacent waters are occasionally visited by fishermen targeting yellowtail kingfish.

Williams Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located off the south coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula approximately 34 km (21 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders for Robert Williams who subsequently lost his life along with seven other crew in the capsize of a cutter launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.

Little Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of John Little who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized sometime after being launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.

Smith Island is an island located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia approximately 32 km (20 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of William Smith who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized sometime after being launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.

Lewis Island is an island located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia approximately 29 km (18 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of George Lewis who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized sometime after being launched from HM Sloop Investigator to search for water on 21 February 1802. Since 2004, the island has been part of the Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area.

Owen Island, formerly known as Rabbit Island and also known as Little Taylor Island, is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf off the east coast of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula approximately 18.7 kilometres (11.6 mi) south-east of Port Lincoln. Since 1972, the island has been part of the Lincoln National Park.

Nuyts Archipelago Wilderness Protection Area is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Nuyts Archipelago off the west coast of Eyre Peninsula within 10 kilometres to 75 kilometres south-west of Ceduna.

Smooth Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia located off the west coast of Eyre Peninsula about 52 kilometres south west of the town of Ceduna. It is both part of a local group of islands known as the Isles of St Francis group and a larger group known as the Nuyts Archipelago. It has enjoyed protected area status since the 1960s and since 2011, it has been part of the Nuyts Archipelago Wilderness Protection Area.

Waldegrave Islands Islands in South Australia

Waldegrave Islands is an island group in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Investigator Group about 2.5 kilometres northwest by west of Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. The group consists of Waldegrave Island, Little Waldegrave Island and according to some sources, a pair of rocks known as the Watchers. The group is notable as a breeding site for Australian sea lions and Cape Barren geese. The group has enjoyed protected area status since the 1960s and as of 1972 has been part of the Waldegrave Islands Conservation Park.

Dorothee Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia which is part of the Pearson Isles which itself is part of the larger island grouping known as the Investigator Group. It is located about 69 kilometres west south-west of Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. It was discovered as part of the Pearson Isles by Matthew Flinders on 13 February 1802. The island was given its name in August 1969 in order to preserve a name used within the locality by the Baudin expedition. The island has enjoyed protected area status since at least 1972 and since 2011, it been part of the Investigator Group Wilderness Protection Area.

Veteran Isles is a pair of islands in the Australian state of South Australia which is part of the Pearson Isles which itself is part of the larger island group known as the Investigator Group. It is located about 69 kilometres west south-west of Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. It was discovered as part of the Pearson Isles by Matthew Flinders on 13 February 1802. The island was given its name in August 1969 in order to preserve a name used within the locality by the Baudin expedition. The island has enjoyed protected area status since at least 1972 and since 2011, it been part of the Investigator Group Wilderness Protection Area.

Pearson Island Island in South Australia

Pearson Island is an island located in the Australian state of South Australia within the Pearson Isles an island group located in the larger group known as the Investigator Group about 63 kilometres southwest by west of Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. The group was discovered and named by Matthew Flinders on 13 February 1802. The island group has enjoyed protected area status since the 1960s and since 2011, it has been part of the Investigator Group Wilderness Protection Area. Pearson Island is notable both for its colony of Pearson Island Rock wallaby and for being a destination for scientific research.

Royston Island is an island in the Australian state of South Australia at the northern end of Pondalowie Bay on the south-west extremity of Yorke Peninsula about 13 kilometres north-west of the town of Stenhouse Bay. The island has enjoyed protected area status since 1967 and since 1972, it has been part of the Innes National Park.

Investigator Group Conservation Park Protected area in South Australia

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References

  1. ↑ "Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park" (PDF). Marine Park 2. South Australian Government. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Tales from the Nuyts Archipelago". ABC Radio National. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ↑ SLSA (6 April 2006), Taking it to the edge: Coast: The Dutch, SLSA, retrieved 29 March 2022
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Anon (2006). Island Parks of Western Eyre Peninsula Management Plan (PDF). Adelaide: Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia. ISBN   1-921238-18-6.
  5. ↑ O’Reilly, Rebecca. "St Peters Island". The Archaeology of Whaling in Southern Australia and New Zealand. Flinders University.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Nuyts Archipelago (important bird area)". BirdLife International. 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Goldsworthy, S.D.; Page, B.; Lowther, A.; Shaughnessy, P.D.; Peters, K.P.; Rogers, P.; McKenzie, J. & Bradshaw, C.J.A. (2009). Developing population protocols to determine the abundance of Australian sea lions at key subpopulations in South Australia (PDF). SARDI Research Report No.348. Adelaide: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, South Australia.
  8. 1 2 "CROWN LANDS ACT, 1929-1966: FAUNA CONSERVATION RESERVES DEDICATED" (PDF). THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. Government of South Australia. 16 March 1967. pp. 961–962. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Goat Island". Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (2010), Environmental, Economic and Social Values of the Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, South Australia.
  11. ↑ "Wilderness Protection (Nuyts Archipelago Wilderness Protection Area) Proclamation 2011". The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 25 August 2011. p. 3626. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  12. ↑ "Wilderness Advisory Committee Annual Report 2012-13" (PDF). Annual Report: 18 & 23. September 2013. ISSN   1832-9357 . Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "NUYTS ARCHIPELAGO MARINE PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN 2012" (PDF). Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. p. 5. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "IBA: Nuyts Archipelago". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 5 September 2011.

Coordinates: 32°19′44″S133°37′31″E / 32.32889°S 133.62528°E / -32.32889; 133.62528

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