Wilsons Promontory

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Tidal River as viewed from the summit of Mount Oberon

Looking south from Mount Oberon on Wilsons Promontory towards the southern tip of Australia

Landsat 7 imagery of Wilsons Promontory.

Wilsons Promontory or Wilson's Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at 39°02′S 146°23′E. South Point is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearby South East Point, (39°07′S 146°25′E) is the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse.

[edit] Human History

The first European to see the promontory was George Bass in January 1798.^[1] He initially referred to it as "Furneaux's Land" in his diary, believing it to be what Captain Furneaux had previously seen. But on returning to Port Jackson and consulting with Matthew Flinders he was convinced that the location was so different it could not be that land. Bass and Flinders recommended the name Wilson's Promontory to Governor Hunter, honouring Flinders' friend from London Thomas Wilson. Little is known of Wilson except that he was a merchant engaged in trade with Australia.^[2]

The promontory has been a National Park, to one degree or another, since 1898. Wilsons Promontory National Park, also known locally as "the Prom", contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria. The only settlement within Wilsons Promontory is Tidal River which lies 30 km south of the park boundary and is the focus for tourism and recreation. This park is managed by Parks Victoria [1]

In 2005, controversial government backburning got out of control and devastated 70 square kilometres of the park, causing the evacuation of campers. [2]

[edit] Geography

Coastal features include expansive intertidal mudflats, sandy beaches and sheltered coves interrupted by prominent headlands and plunging granite cliffs in the south, backed by coastal dunes and swamps.