Waterhouse Island (Tasmania)

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Waterhouse Island
Waterhouse Island on the right in front of Waterhouse Point
Waterhouse Island on the right in front of Waterhouse Point
Waters Bass Street
Geographical location 40 ° 48 ′ 0 ″  S , 147 ° 37 ′ 0 ″  E Coordinates: 40 ° 48 ′ 0 ″  S , 147 ° 37 ′ 0 ″  E
Waterhouse Island (Tasmania) (Tasmania)
Waterhouse Island (Tasmania)
surface 2.87 km²

Waterhouse Island is an island of 287 hectares in northeast Tasmania , Australia . The island is part of the Waterhouse Island Group .

The island was named after Captain Henry Waterhouse of the HMS Reliance . Nicholas Baudin heads for the island in 1802 because he believed its name suggests fresh water on the island, which was not the case.

Much of the interior of the island is privately leased. On September 28, 2011, 106 hectares of the island became a protected area the: Waterhouse Island Conservation Area. The protected area covers almost the entire island from the point of lowest water level at low tide to about 45 m into the island, as well as an area of ​​35 hectares at the northern tip. A small sandy ledge on the eastern coast appears to be excluded from the protected area, its status is unclear. A lighthouse stands on crown land at the northern tip of the island.

Waterhouse Island has a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean, with warm summers and cooler winters. The precipitation of around 600 mm per year is distributed fairly evenly over the year, with a slight emphasis in the late winter months.

The island has extensive sandy beaches on the east and south sides. The west and north coasts are mainly rocky. The island serves as a shelter for yachts and small boats in Bass Strait . The waters around the island are a popular fishing area.

The island has been used for agriculture since the mid-19th century. Keeping sheep was the main use. There is a house, a sheepfold and two sheds on the island. The buildings are located on the leeward side of the island on the east side.

There is an operational quay on the island and two landing strips for aircraft.

Until 1970, the island's vegetation suffered from pasture use. The following owners of the island fenced off endangered areas and took measures to regenerate the vegetation.

The vegetation of the pastureland consists largely of introduced pasture grass.

The cattle had contributed to the erosion in the past , which affected the seabird colonies in the bank area. Erosion has been brought under control and the number of little penguins and breeding seabirds have increased.

In 2016, Waterhouse Island was sold to a Singapore businessman for AU $ 5.5 million .

fauna

Little penguins and various sea ​​birds breed on the island . Introduced mammals include: sheep , cats , fallow deer, and house mice . The reptiles on the island include various types of skinks, as well as the common tiger otter .

Waterhouse Island Group

In addition to Waterhouse Island, the group includes the following islands:

The group of islands is not a group of islands in the strict sense; Although they are geologically the same, they are not all close to one another. Rather, the group of islands has been grouped together for historical reasons: They were each driven to or discovered by Captain Henry Waterhouse (1770–1812) with the HMS Reliance . As a British officer in the Royal Navy, he had received command of the Reliance during his second visit to Australia in July 1794 and carried out extensive exploratory trips, among others with the new governor John Hunter , with his future brother-in-law George Bass as well as with Matthew Flinders and the Aboriginal Bennelong . Captain Waterhouse is thus closely linked to the early European settlement of Australia.

Individual evidence

  1. Dorset. on parks.tas.gov.au (PDF)
  2. ^ Tasmania. at maps.thelist.tas.gov.au
  3. a b Nigel Brothers , David Pemberton, Helen Pryor, Vanessa Halley: Tasmania's Offshore Islands. Seabirds and other natural features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart 2001, ISBN 0-7246-4816-X .
  4. Tasmania's Waterhouse Island sold to Singaporean businessman for $ 5.5m , abc.net.au, May 31, 2016
  5. Ecosure Proprietary Limited (Ed.): Prioritization of high conservation status of offshore islands. Report to the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts . Ecosure, Cairns, Queensland, Australia 2009, p. 288 ( as PDF ) (English).
  6. ^ Nigel Brothers , David Pemberton: Tasmania's Offshore Islands: Seabirds and Other Natural Features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 2001, ISBN 0-7246-4816-X , pp. 373-408 (English).
  7. a b c Details on Swan Island and the Waterhouse Island Group in general on the web portal ourtasmania.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  8. a b Ecosure Proprietary Limited (Ed.): Prioritization of high conservation status of offshore islands. Report to the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts . Ecosure, Cairns, Queensland, Australia 2009, p. 271 ( as PDF ) (English).
  9. ^ TGP - Tasmanian Gas Pipeline (Ed.): 2011 Summary Environment Plan . Approved by the Department of Primary Industries (Victoria), Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, April 2011, p. 6 ( as PDF ), update from October 2019, p. 34 ( as PDF ) (English).