Kent Group
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| Kent Group National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Nearest town/city: | Launceston |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 165 km² |
| Visitation: | 25,000 (in 1998) |
| Managing authorities: | Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Official site: | Ben Lomond National Park |
The Kent Group of Islands ([1]) lies in Bass Strait, Australia, north-west of the Furneaux Group. They form the Kent Group National Park.[2]
The islands were named Kent's Group by Matthew Flinders, "in honour of my friend captain William Kent, then commander of the Supply" when Flinders passed them on 7 February 1798 in the Francis (on her way to salvage the Sydney Cove).[3]
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[edit] Deal Island
Deal Island ([4]) in the group has the highest lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere, standing up on the island some 305 metres above sealevel. That height caused problems with visibility in low cloud sometimes. The lighthouse was built in 1848 and deactivated in 1992. Management and conservation is presently under the control of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.[5]
[edit] Judgment Rocks
Judgment Rocks ([6]) are small bare rocks west of the group. The rock was named by Flinders (or perhaps collectively by all aboard the Francis, he doesn't make that clear) "from its resemblance to an elevated seat".[3]
Joanna Murray-Smith's novel Judgement Rock is named for the rocks and set among the islands of the Kent Group.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Kent Group. Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
- ^ Kent Group National Park page at the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
- ^ a b A Voyage to Terra Australis by Matthew Flinders, available at Project Gutenberg.
- ^ Deal Island. Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
- ^ Deal Island lighthouse page at Lighthouses of Australia (includes pictures)
- ^ Judgment Rocks. Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
- ^ On lighthouses and writing presentation by Joanna Murray-Smith (transcript at the National Archives of Australia)
[edit] See also
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