Waldegrave Islands is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

group in the

Australian state The states and territories are federated administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the second level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

located in the

Investigator Group The Investigator Group is an archipelago in South Australia that consists of Flinders Island and five island groups located off the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It is named after by her commander, Matthew Flinders when he explore ...

about northwest by west of

Cape Finniss Cape Finniss (also spelt Cape Finnis) is a headland located at the southern extremity of Anxious Bay on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia about Points of the compass#32 cardinal points, Northwest by west of the town of Elliston ...

on the west coast of

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named af ...

. The group consists of Waldegrave Island, Little Waldegrave Island and according to some sources, a pair of rocks known as the Watchers. The group is notable as a breeding site for Australian sea lions and

Cape Barren geese The Cape Barren goose (''Cereopsis novaehollandiae'') is a large goose resident in southern Australia. Etymology The species' common name is derived from Cape Barren Island, where specimens were first sighted by European explorers. It is known ...

. The group has enjoyed protected area status since the 1960s and as of 1972 has been part of the Waldegrave Islands Conservation Park.

Description

Waldegrave Islands is an island group located about northwest by west of Cape Finniss and about northwest by west of the town of Elliston on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.RAN, 1979 The group consist of the following islands: Waldegrave Island (also called East Waldegrave Island and East Island in some sources), Little Waldegrave Island (also called West Waldegrave Island, West Island and Seal Island in some sources) and according to some sources, a pair of rocks known as the Watchers.Robinson et al, 1996, page 187 Both islands can be accessed via the rocky coast on their northern sides which is sheltered from southerly swells.

Waldegrave Island

Waldegrave Island is a flat topped island with steep sides having a length of about (in the east-west direction), a maximum height in the range of and an area of . Its east coast which is about long is terminated at the north east with a point named McLachlan Point and the south by a point named Point Watson. It overlaps the seaward boundary of

Anxious Bay Anxious Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula about west north-west of Adelaide. It was named by Matthew Flinders on 21 February 1802. It is one of four ‘historic bays’ loca ...

as proclaimed by the

Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...

in 1987 and again in 2006 under the ''Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973''.Robinson et al, 1996, page 479

Little Waldegrave Island

Little Waldegrave Island is located about west of Waldegrave Island. It is a flat topped island with steep sides having a length of about (in the east-west direction), a maximum height in the range of and an area of .

The Watchers

The Watchers are a pair of rocks that are spaced about apart and which are located about west of Little Waldegrave Island. The western rock has a charted height of and is reported in another source as being . The eastern rock is charted chart as an

intertidal The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

reef.

Formation, geology and oceanography

The Waldegrave Islands were formed about 6000 years ago following the rise of sea levels at the start of the

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ...

. The Waldegrave Islands consists of a ‘crystalline basement (covered by calcareous aeolianite of varying thickness)’ which outcrops to a height of on Little Waldegrave Island and which exists as a submerged reef connecting both islands. The Waldegrave Islands are considered to be ‘remnants of a once more prominent Cape Finnis(s)’ with the ‘remains of the bridging isthmus lie as a submerged reef connecting Cape Finnis(s)’ to Waldegrave Island at its north-eastern tip. The Watchers are reported geologically as being ‘two isolated outcrops of crystalline rocks’.Edyvane, 1999, page 51 Waters around Waldegrave and Little Waldegrave Islands drop to depths of within about of its north, west and south coasts. Its east coast drops into water of depths between due to the presence of the submerged reef structure between it and Cape Finniss. The Watchers are associated with a submerged reef system independent of that underlying the Waldegrave and Little Waldegrave Islands. Waters adjoining the Watchers drop to depths of within about immediately south and west of the western rock and about to its north east.DMH, 1985, chart 38

Flora and fauna

Flora

A survey carried out during 1979 on Waldegrave Island found 26 species of plant that occurred in the following ‘five distinctive groupings’: introduced

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or sw ...

, ‘heavy infestations of African Boxthorn and native

shrublands Spring Park is a small area in London, England. It is within the London Borough of Bromley and the London Borough of Croydon, straddling the traditional Kent-Surrey border along The Beck. Spring Park is located north of Addington, west of West ...

of native juniper and coast daisy-bush and

saltbush Saltbush is a vernacular plant name that most often refers to '' Atriplex'', a genus of about 250 plants distributed worldwide from subtropical to subarctic regions. ''Atriplex'' species are native to Australia, North and South America, and Eurasia. ...

.Robinson et al, 1996, page 480 A survey carried out in 1980 on Little Waldegrave Island found southern seaheath, sea celery and nine other species of plant including ‘colonising weeds such as African boxthorn and common iceplant’.

Fauna

A Survey carried out during 1979 on Waldegrave Island found the following species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s: short-tailed shearwater,

, masked plover,

galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the c ...

, white-fronted chat,

little grassbird The little grassbird (''Poodytes gramineus'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in Australia and in West Papua, Indonesia. These sexually monomorphic birds are found in reed beds, rushes, lignum swamps an ...

Nankeen kestrel The nankeen kestrel (''Falco cenchroides''), also known as the Australian kestrel, is a raptor native to Australia and New Guinea. It is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply pe ...

, black-faced shag,

sooty oystercatcher The sooty oystercatcher (''Haematopus fuliginosus'') is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird endemic to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries. All of its fea ...

white-bellied sea eagle The white-bellied sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucogaster''), also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related t ...

, various gulls and terns, and barn owl which prey on the population of

bush rat The bush rat or Australian bush rat (''Rattus fuscipes'') is a small Australian nocturnal animal. It is an omnivore and one of the most common indigenous species of rat on the continent, found in many heathland areas of Victoria and New South ...

. A survey carried out in 1980 on Little Waldegrave Island found a population of Australian sea lions and five species of birds including rock parrot, Cape Barren geese and little penguin.Robinson et al, 1996, page 188Robinson et al, 1996, page 189Robinson et al, 1996, page 388 Surveys carried out on Little Waldegrave Island between February 2001 and May 2006 confirm the presence of the following bird species:

white-faced heron The white-faced heron (''Egretta novaehollandiae'') also known as the white-fronted heron, and incorrectly as the grey heron, or blue crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Ind ...

eastern reef egret The Pacific reef heron (''Egretta sacra''), also known as the eastern reef heron or eastern reef egret, is a species of heron found throughout southern Asia and Oceania. It occurs in two colour morphs with either slaty grey or pure white pluma ...

swamp harrier The swamp harrier (''Circus approximans''), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier, Australasian harrier or swamp-hawk, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia. In New Zealand it is also known as the harrier haw ...

, peregrine falcon,

common greenshank The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...

ruddy turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...

red-necked stint The red-necked stint (''Calidris ruficollis'') is a small migratory wader. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''ruficollis'' is from ...

, masked lapwing, rock parrot,

sacred kingfisher The sacred kingfisher (''Todiramphus sanctus'') is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific. Taxonomy The binomial name ''H ...

, white-fronted chat,

Australian raven The Australian raven (''Corvus coronoides'') is a passerine bird in the genus '' Corvus'' native to much of southern and northeastern Australia. Measuring in length, it has all-black plumage, beak and mouth, as well as strong grey-black legs an ...

Richard's pipit Richard's pipit (''Anthus richardi'') is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in the East Palearctic. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is a rare but ...

welcome swallow The welcome swallow (''Hirundo neoxena'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It is a species native to Australia and nearby islands, and self-introduced into New Zealand in the middle of the twentieth century. It is very similar ...

silvereye The silvereye or wax-eye (''Zosterops lateralis'') is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. In Australia and New Zealand its common name is sometimes white-eye, but this name is more commonly used to refer to all membe ...

and common starling.Shaughnessy et al, 2008, pages 17-19

Australian sea lion

Little Waldegrave Island is the site of a breeding colony of Australian sea lion. As of 1999, the population was reported as being 38.Edyvane, 1999, page 53 On the larger island, Flinders' expedition killed "a few" Australian sea lions.

Cape Barren geese

As of 1996, the Waldegrave Islands were considered to be the ’second most important breeding area’ for Cape Barren geese in South Australia and as having a breeding population of 20 pairs. As of 1999, the geese were reported as having a population of 350 and as staying ‘in the Elliston area for the summer, feeding in swamps around the margins of Lake Newland and on grain in wheat paddocks’.Edyvane, 1999, page 52

Little penguin

The Waldegrave Islands have been reported as the site of a little penguin breeding colony. As of 1999, 300 pairs were reported in 1996 as being present on Waldegrave Island. As of 2006, the populations on Waldegrave and Little Waldegrave Islands were estimated as being respectively 600 in 2006 and as being ‘common’ in 1979.

History

European discovery and use

Matthew Flinders named the island group after

William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock Admiral William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, GCB (9 July 175320 August 1825) was an officer in the Royal Navy and Governor of Newfoundland. Early life and education Waldegrave was the second son of John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave, and ...

on Wednesday, 10 February 1802.Robinson et al, 1996, page 186 The Waldegrave Islands is one of the island sites from which guano was mined under licence from the

South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...

prior to 1919. Prior to 1967, Waldegrave Island was used for

grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and other ...

Protected areas status

The Waldegrave Islands first received protected area status as a fauna conservation reserve declared on 16 March 1967. The Waldegrave Islands along with the Watchers were proclaimed as a conservation park under the ''

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 Protected areas of South Australia consists of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of March 2018, South Australia contains 359 sepa ...

'' in 1972.Robinson et al, 1996, pages 140 & 144DEH, 2006, page 5

Citations and references

Citations

References

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldegrave Islands Islands of South Australia Uninhabited islands of Australia Great Australian Bight