Lawrence Rocks

For the American chemist, see Lawrence Rocks (chemist).
Lawrence Rocks

Australasian gannet in flight

The Lawrence Rocks are an important breeding site for Australasian gannets
Lawrence Rocks (Shire of Glenelg)
Geography
Location Bass Strait
Coordinates 38°24′30″S 141°40′10″E / 38.40833°S 141.66944°E / -38.40833; 141.66944Coordinates: 38°24′30″S 141°40′10″E / 38.40833°S 141.66944°E / -38.40833; 141.66944
Administration
Australia
State Victoria

The Lawrence Rocks are a group of two rocky islets, 6.8 ha and 1.5 ha in area, with an associated reef, 2.4 km south-east of Point Danger in western Victoria, Australia, and about 6 km south-east of the city of Portland. Geologically, the group is formed from the remnants of an extinct volcano, with the islets composed of basalt and tuff.[1]

The islets were sighted by Lieutenant James Grant on 5 December 1800 from the survey brig HMS Lady Nelson and named[2] for Captain Effingham Lawrence,[3] one of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House.

Fauna

The rocks are protected as a nature reserve and are the site of a breeding colony of Australasian gannets, the overspill from which led to the establishment of a sister colony at Point Danger.[4] The group has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA), because it supports over 10% of the world population of Australasian gannets, being used by over 6000 birds.[5] Other birds recorded on the rocks, and likely to breed there, include little penguins, black-faced cormorants, crested terns, silver gulls, sooty oystercatchers and small numbers of Cape gannets. The rocks are also used as a haul-out site by Australian fur seals.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lawrence Rocks. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 04/08/2011.
  2. Grant, James (1803). The narrative of a voyage of discovery, performed in His Majesty's vessel the Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen: with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales. Printed by C. Roworth for T. Egerton. pp. 7172. ISBN 978-0-7243-0036-5. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  3. Wall, Bruce (1967). "Lawrence, William Effingham (1781–1841)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  4. "Point Danger Australasian Gannet Breeding Colony". Portland Holidays. Archived from the original on 2006-08-19. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  5. "IBA: Lawrence Rocks". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-08-04.


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