Forsyth Island

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.[1][2][3] 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.[4]

This article is about the island in Tasmania, Australia. For the island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, see West Wellesley Islands. For the island in New Zealand, see Forsyth Island (New Zealand).

Forsyth Island
Forsyth Island, pictured top left;
with Passage Island, bottom right.
Forsyth Island is located in Tasmania
Forsyth Island
Forsyth Island
Location of the Forsyth Island in Bass Strait
Geography
LocationBass Strait
Coordinates40°27′00″S 148°10′12″E
ArchipelagoPassage Group, part of the Furneaux Group
Area167 ha (410 acres)
Administration
Australia
StateTasmania

History

Matthew Flinders reported large numbers of fur seals on the island in 1798. Sealers came to the island, which they called Penguin Island, early in the 19th century. At least one was living there in December 1830, with a number of Aboriginal women, when Robinson paid a visit.[5]

Fauna

Recorded breeding seabird and wader species include little penguin (147,000 pairs), short-tailed shearwater, white-faced storm-petrel, Pacific gull and sooty oystercatcher. Recorded mammals are the swamp rat and a species of small mouse. Reptiles present include the eastern blue-tongued lizard and tiger snake.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Forsyth Island (TAS)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. "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.
  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
  4. "IBA: Forsyth, Passage and Gull Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  5. Kostoglou, Parry (1996). Sealing in Tasmania (First ed.). Hobart: Parks and Wildlife Service. p. 101-1.
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