Swainson Islands

Not to be confused with Swainson Island.
Swainson Islands
Swainson Islands

Location off the south western coast of Tasmania

Geography
Location South western Tasmania
Coordinates 43°21′36″S 145°55′12″E / 43.36000°S 145.92000°E / -43.36000; 145.92000Coordinates: 43°21′36″S 145°55′12″E / 43.36000°S 145.92000°E / -43.36000; 145.92000
Adjacent bodies of water
Total islands 5
Major islands
Area 15.76 ha (38.9 acres)
Country
Australia
State Tasmania
Region South West
Demographics
Population Unpopulated

The Swainson Islands are an unpopulated group of five islands and rocks located off the south western coast of Tasmania, Australia. The 15.76-hectare (38.9-acre) group of islands are situated close to the southern end of the western coast of Tasmania, where the mouth of Port Davey meets the Southern Ocean. The Swainson Islands are part of the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.[1][2][3]

The islands that comprise the group are:

Swainson Islands group locations
Name Area Coordinates
ha acre
Big Caroline Rock 2.19 5.4 43°21′36″S 145°54′36″E / 43.36000°S 145.91000°E / -43.36000; 145.91000 (Big Caroline Rock)
Hay Island 1.85 4.6 43°21′36″S 145°56′55″E / 43.36000°S 145.94861°E / -43.36000; 145.94861 (Hay Island)
Lourah Island 4.86 12.0 43°21′00″S 145°58′48″E / 43.35000°S 145.98000°E / -43.35000; 145.98000 (Lourah Island)
Shanks Islands 2.72 6.7 43°20′24″S 145°57′00″E / 43.34000°S 145.95000°E / -43.34000; 145.95000 (Shanks Island)
Swainson Island 4.14 10.2 43°21′36″S 145°55′12″E / 43.36000°S 145.92000°E / -43.36000; 145.92000 (Swainson Island)
Total 15.76 38.9

Fauna

The island group is part of the 163-hectare (400-acre) Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area, identified by BirdLife International because of its importance of supporting more than one percent of the world population of short-tailed shearwater, fairy prion, little penguin and black-faced cormorant.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; Halley, Vanessa (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Hobart: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X.
  2. ↑ "Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002" (PDF). Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
  3. ↑ The Tasmanian:Swainson Island Group Archived 3 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Port Davey Islands". Birdlife Australia. BirdLife International. 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2015.


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