Saint Alouarn Islands
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The Saint Alouarn Islands are a group of islands and rocks south east of Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia.
In 1772 Louis Francois Marie Alesno de St Allouarn in the Gros Ventre was in the region, and subsequently the islands were named in 1792, after Captain de St Alouarn, by French navigator Antoine d'Entrecasteaux.
There is a lookout on the road between Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, that has the islands identified in a brass compass plate that also identifies distances.
The most famous wreck near the islands was that of the Pericles on an un-named rock in 1910, within sight of the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse in daylight hours.
Whale watching boats leaving from Augusta, or Barrack Point (Flinders Bay) tend not to venture into this group of islands and rocks, but travel around Flinders Bay to the east of the islands.
The islands are significant for their bird colonies - with Seal Island and Saint Alouarn being reserves for that purpose.
The named islands, in order of distance from mainland are:
- Seal Island - a large flat brownish rock, 1.5 km south of Point Matthew.
- Seal Island Nature Reserve - National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority
- approx 4 ha in area - Conservation of Fauna reserve
- Saint Alouarn Island 34 24 15 115 11 30
- - 5.5 km south east of Point Matthew
- Created as an A class reserve - May 1960
- Named a Wildlife Sanctuary - December 1972
- Named a Nature Reserve - May 1979
- Saint Alouarn Island Nature Reserve - NPNCA
- approx 8.5 ha in area - Conservation of Fauna reserve
- Flinders Islet - 34 21 00 115 20 00
(also identified by some sources as Flinders Island)
-
- Named Island in Admiralty Chart 1037 of 1878
- - 7 km south east of Point Matthew
- Square Rock - 7.5 km south east of Point Matthew
- South-West Breaker - approximately 9 km ssw of Point Matthew is the furthest rock from the mainland.
Un-named rocks run parallel to the line of named islands above, between Cape Leeuwin and South-West Breaker, with one exception - Spout Rock, west of Flinders Islet.
[edit] References
- Fornasiero, Jean; Monteath, Peter and West-Sooby, John. Encountering Terra Australis: the Australian voyages of Nicholas Baudin and Matthew Flinders, Kent Town, South Australia,Wakefield Press,2004. ISBN 1-86254-625-8
- CALM/DOLA 1996. Land Management Series Map Sheet 1929-3 Leeuwin Edition 11:50000.
- DLI Geographic Names Card Index
