Griffiths Island
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Griffiths Island is a small island at the mouth of the Moyne River, in Port Fairy, south-western Victoria, Australia. It is now connected by a short causeway to the mainland, which gives easy public access on foot. Notable features of the island include the Griffiths Island Lighthouse and the Short-tailed Shearwater (or Australian Muttonbird) breeding colony. A walking track, including some beach-walking, circumnavigates the island.
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[edit] Lighthouse
The Griffiths Island Lighthouse is 11 m high and was built in 1859 by John Griffiths, with Scottish stonemasons, from bluestone. Originally built on what was a separate small island known as Rabbit Island, landfill and the construction of a breakwater has made it now part of Griffiths Island. The bluestone cottages built for the lighthouse keepers were demolished following the automation of the light in the early 1950s.
[edit] Shearwater colony
Much of the land area of Griffiths Island is covered by the breeding burrows of an estimated seasonal population of 30,000 Shearwaters. These birds may be seen at nightfall between September and April as they return from foraging trips at sea to incubate their single eggs and subsequently feed their growing chicks. A public viewing platform has been built for visitors to enjoy the spectacle.
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