Dirk Hartog Island
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Dirk Hartog Island, is an island off the north-west coast of Western Australia, within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. It is about 80 kilometres long and between 3 and 15 kilometres wide and is Western Australia's largest and most western island. It covers an area of 620 square kilometres and is approximately 850 km north of Perth.
[edit] Current conditions
The island consists mostly of scrub-covered sand dunes. At times it has been used as a Sheep station and supported 20,000 head of sheep; however, the numbers have been reduced for environmental reasons.
It is within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and it is owned by the Wardle family who run it as an ecotourism destination. The island is regarded as one of the world's finest fishing destinations.
Dirk Hartog Island is the most important nesting site for loggerhead turtles in Western Australia, with Green and loggerhead turtles nesting on the beaches of Dirk Hartog Island and Peron Peninsula.
[edit] History
- See also: Hartog plate
The island was discovered on October 25, 1616 by the Dutch sea captain Dirk Hartog, who was blown off course while sailing in the VOC ship Eendracht from Cape Town to Batavia (Jakarta). Eendrachtsland was the name given by him to the island, which was later named in his honour. Hartog nailed a pewter plate with his name and the date inscribed on it to a tree.
In 1697 the Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh landed on the island and discovered Hartog's plate. He replaced it with one of his own which included Hartog's inscription and took the original plate home to Amsterdam, where it may be seen in the Rijksmuseum. This plate is the oldest European artifact in Australian history.
In 1801 the island was again visited, this time by a French expedition aboard the Naturaliste led by Captain Emmanuel Hamelin. This expedition found de Vlamingh's plate almost buried in the sand, its post having rotted away. The Captain ordered that it be re-erected in its original position.
Recently, two French coins were found in Turtle Bay by an archaeological expedition. These coins are thought to have been left by the French captain François Alense de St Allouarn, who landed ashore in 1772 and claimed the Island in the name of the French King. As proof of his presence the captain buried a parchment in a bottle and two French coins.
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