Houtman Abrolhos
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The Houtman Abrolhos and their surrounding coral reef communities, lie sixty km west of Geraldton, Western Australia () and form a unique marine area.
[edit] Geography, landscape
Nowadays, many of the islets are used by fishermen and are important tourist destinations but the tourists are not allowed to stay overnight.
The Houtman Abrolhos is made up of three main groups, the Wallabi, Pelsaert (or Southern) and the Easter groups. It is the most southern coral reef formation in the world, and has been the subject of intensive marine research. It scores very highly in terms of habitat diversity and species richness, with a unique blend of tropical and temperate species. It is also one of Australia's most important seabird breeding areas.
With 122 islands making up the chain, the sub-tropical reef is warmed by the Leeuwin Current. It serves as a major resource for the local fishing industry, and provides some of the best snorkeling, diving and deep sea fishing in the world, along with some of Australia's most significant historical sights, such as the shipwreck of the Batavia.
[edit] History
The name Abrolhos is apparently a contraction of the Portuguese phrase, abri vossos olhos – keep your eyes open. Dutch captain Frederick de Houtman arrived there in 1619 in the VOC ship Dordrecht, prepending his name. In 1629 and 1630 some of the islands were the scene of a spectacular shipwreck and mutiny. The Dutch ship Batavia under the command of Francisco Pelsaert ran aground and Pelsaert and some men went in an open boat to the town of Batavia (now Jakarta) in order to get help. A group of the men who stayed on some of the islets decided to terrorise and massacre many others, including women. When Pelsaert came back many culprits were executed. In 1727 another Dutch ship, the Zeewijk, ran aground here and many men lived for months on some of the islets until most of them went in open boats to Batavia. In 1837 - after the British had claimed complete Australia and decided to colonise it - the islands were mapped and investigated in an expedition with the HMS Beagle. Later during the 19th century many islets were used by men collecting guano.
[edit] Reference
- Myra Stanbury et al. Abrolhos Islands archaeological sites : interim reportFremantle, W.A. : Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology, 2000. Special publication no. 5. ISBN 1-876465-12-3
