The Wallabi Group is the northernmost group of islands in the

Houtman Abrolhos The Houtman Abrolhos (often called the Abrolhos Islands) is a chain of 122 islands and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia, about west of Geraldton, Western Australia. It is the southernmost true coral ...

off the western coast of

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 ...

. it is from the Australian mainland, and about from the

Easter Group The Easter Group is the central of three groups of islands that make up the Houtman Abrolhos island chain. The group measures about 20 kilometres by 12 kilometres, and consists of a number of islands including * Rat Island * W ...

. The group consists of a number of islands arising from a

carbonate platform A carbonate platform is a sedimentary body which possesses topographic relief, and is composed of autochthonic calcareous deposits. Platform growth is mediated by sessile organisms whose skeletons build up the reef or by organisms (usually micr ...

long and up to wide, and also the outlying North Island, located to the northwest of the main platform. They are the most southerly well-established coral reef in the Indian Ocean. The main islands are North Island,

West Wallabi Island West Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia. History West Wallabi Island was important in the story of the '' Batavia'' shipwreck and massacre. Fol ...

East Wallabi Island East Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia. History East Wallabi Island played an important role in the story of the shipwreck and massacre. ...

, Long Island and Beacon Island. The group is part of the Houtman Abrolhos Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for supporting large numbers of breeding seabirds. The Wallabi Group is best known for the shipwreck of the ''

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

'' on

Morning Reef Morning is the period from sunrise to noon. There are no exact times for when morning begins (also true of evening and night) because it can vary according to one's lifestyle and the hours of daylight at each time of year. However, morning strict ...

near Beacon Island in 1629, and the subsequent mutiny and

massacres A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

that took place among the

marooned Marooned may refer to: * Marooning Marooning is the intentional act of abandoning someone in an uninhabited area, such as a desert island, or more generally (usually in passive voice) to be marooned is to be in a place from which one cannot escape ...

survivors. Another wreck for which the location is known is the '' Hadda'', which was wrecked off Beacon Island in April 1877 and now lies about a kilometre north of it.Australia 1:100000 Topographic Survey, Map sheet 1641 (Edition 1): Wallabi

Components of the island group

* Acute Bank *

Assail Bank Assail Bank is a bank in South Passage of the Houtman Abrolhos, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. It is nominally located at .''Gazetteer of Australia The Gazetteer of Australia is an index or dictionary of the location ...

*Beacon Island *East Wallabi Island *Long Island *North Island *

North East Reef North East Reef is a reef in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. Located at ,''Gazetteer of Australia'' (1996). Belconnen, ACT: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group. ...

* Pigeon Island (Houtman Abrolhos) *

Shag Rock (Houtman Abrolhos) Shag Rock is a small rocky island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos. Geography It is located at ,Gazetteer of Australia (1996). Belconnen, ACT: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group. about east of West Wallabi Island.Austra ...

South Passage (Houtman Abrolhos) South Passage is a 14 kilometre (9 mi) wide strait that separates the outlying North Island from other islands in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos island chain, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia.Australia ...

Suda Bay Passage Suda Bay Passage is a channel through reef just north of North Island in the Houtman Abrolhos. Located at ,''Gazetteer of Australia'' (1996). Belconnen, ACT: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group. it is named after the ''Suda Bay'', ...

* The Flat (Houtman Abrolhos) *

Traitors Island Traitors Island is an uninhabited island off the western coast of Australia, near the site of the Batavia shipwreck. About 50 metres long, it is situated near Beacon Island and is part of the Wallabi Group within the Houtman Abrolhos ...

*West Wallabi Island

References

Islands of the Houtman Abrolhos Important Bird Areas of Western Australia Cenozoic Oceania Maritime history of the Dutch East India Company {{WesternAustralia-geo-stub

Components of the island group

See also

References