Lancelin Island is an island in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
near
Lancelin.
Description
The island occupies an area and is situated from the mainland. The island has a maximum elevation of .
[ It is composed of ]limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and is linked to Edwards Island by intertidal and subtidal reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock o ...
platforms. Both islands are gazetted as A Class nature reserves.
The island has a large beach on the landward side of the island and a smaller beach on the seaward side. The waters off the western side of the island are also a protected area, the Lancelin Island Lagoon Fish Habitat Protection Area, made up of areas of seagrass
Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the or ...
and reef systems.
Along with Edwards Island it is at the southern end of the Turquoise Coast islands nature reserve group, a chain of 40 islands spread over a distance of .
Origin and history
The island was formed approximately 10,000 years ago after large fluctuations in sea levels caused erosion on large areas of the continental shelf during periods of glaciation. Large parallel sand dunes then formed and hardened into limestone, forming islands, most of which have been separated from the mainland for 6,500 years.[
The ]Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...
peoples are the traditional inhabitants of the Lancelin area.
The first European to find and name the island was the French explorer Hamelin in 1801 aboard ''Naturalist''.World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the island was used by the Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
for bombing practice. The crayfishing industry commenced operations in the area in 1947.[
]
Flora and fauna
The island has a high diversity of plants and supports over 50 plant species. The vegetation is mostly close to the ground and composed mostly of salt-tolerant grasses and shrubs. Sandier places are dominated by a low heath with shallower soils over limestone areas supporting herbfields and grasslands. The nitre bush covers the slopes and plateau of the island.
Sea birds are known to inhabit the island with some species using the island as a breeding site.[
The Lancelin Island skink (''Ctenotus lancelini'' ), a threatened species of lizard, is ]endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to and named after the island.
Sea lions
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
are known to visit the island but do not use it as a breeding site.[
The Lancelin Island Lagoon Fish Habitat Protection Area has had over 200 species of flora and fauna that have been identified within the area.]
See also
* List of islands of Western Australia
For lists of islands of Western Australia, please see:
* List of islands of Western Australia, 0–9, A–C
*Islands of Lake Argyle
* List of islands of Western Australia, D–G
* List of islands of Western Australia, H–L
* List of islands of W ...
References
{{coord, 31, 00, 23, S, 115, 19, 00, E, display=title, region:AU_type:isle
Turquoise Coast (Western Australia)
Nature reserves in Western Australia
Islands of the Mid West (Western Australia)