St Alouarn Islands are a group of islands and rocks south-east of

Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent, in the state of Western Australia. Description A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further in Flinders ...

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 ...

, approximately 11 km south of Augusta in

Flinders Bay Flinders Bay is a bay and locality that is immediately south of the townsite of Augusta, and close to the mouth of the Blackwood River. The locality and bay lies to the north east of Cape Leeuwin which is the most south-westerly mainland poin ...

History

In 1772 Louis de St Alouarn in the ''Le Gros Ventre'' was in the region as part of the expedition of

Kerguelen The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large ...

, and subsequently the islands were named in 1792, after Captain de St Alouarn, by French navigator Antoine d'Entrecasteaux.

Location

The Point Matthew lookout on the road between Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, that has the islands identified in a brass compass plate that also identifies distances. Point Matthew lookout plaque

Wrecks

There are a number of wrecks in the vicinity of Cape Leeuwin. The best-known wreck near the islands was that of the Aberdeen White Star ship SS ''Pericles'' on an uncharted rock on 13 March 1910, within sight of the

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse __NOTOC__ The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the headland of Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point on the mainland of the Australian Continent, in the state of Western Australia. Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was construct ...

in daylight hours.

Whale watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...

boats leaving from Augusta Port tend not to venture into this group of islands and rocks, but travel around Flinders Bay to the east of the islands. The islands are significant for their bird colonies - with Seal Island and St Alouarn Island being reserves for that purpose. The named islands, in order of distance from mainland are:

Named islands and rocks

Seal Island

Seal Island (Augusta, Western Australia) Seal Island () is located near Augusta, Western Australia in the South West region. Gazetteer of Australia (1996). Belconnen, ACT: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group. It is located just east of Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is ...

- is a large flat brownish rock, 1.5 km south of Point Matthew. : possibly named by George Vancouver in 1791, recorded by Archdeacon in 1878 : Status: Seal Island Nature Reserve - National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority : Size: approx 4 ha in area - Conservation of Fauna reserve Seal Island 2013 5747

Saint Alouarn Island

* Saint Alouarn Island :- 5.5 km south east of Point Matthew :: Created as an A class reserve - May 1960 :: Named a Wildlife Sanctuary - December 1972 :: Named a Nature Reserve - May 1979 : Saint Alouarn Island Nature Reserve - : Size: approx 8.5 ha in area - Conservation of Fauna reserve Saint Alouarn Island 5457

Flinders Island

* Flinders Islet (also Flinders Island) - (also identified by some sources as Flinders Island :: Named Island in Admiralty Chart 1037 of 1878 :: Vested as 'Flinders Island and various rocks south of Augusta' as 'A' reserve in 1986. :: Named as part of a sanctuary zone in the

Ngari Capes Marine Park The Ngari Capes Marine Park is a marine protected area on the lower south west coast of Western Australia, located approximately south of . The marine park was gazetted on and the park's western and southern boundaries are the limit of coastal ...

:- 7 km south east of Point Matthew Augusta Boat Harbour November 2013

Rocks

There are a few named rocks in the group * Square Rock - 7.5 km south east of Point Matthew * South-West Breaker - approximately 9 km south-southwest of Point Matthew is the farthest named rock from the mainland. Unnamed rocks run parallel to the line of named islands above, between Cape Leeuwin and South-West Breaker, with one exception - Spout Rock, west of Flinders Islet.

Augusta Port

In 2009, the gazettal of the ''Augusta Port Area'' delineated the port in reference to the northernmost point (at High water level) on Saint Alouarn Island (with truncated spelling), as well as Seal Island, and Point Matthew. In 2013 - 2013, the Western Australian government, through the Royalties for Regions programme, constructed a new harbour outside of the Hardy Inlet area of the Blackwood River mouth. The port is to the south, and within view of Flinders Bay settlement and boat ramp. It is located adjacent to the road that goes to Cape Leeuwin lighthouse. Oceangoing vessels had previously anchored in Flinders Bay, or used the Flinders Bay jetty; however, its short-term operation between the 1890s and 1930s subsequently left the bay with no port facility.