Mount Chappell Island was originally named "Mount Chappelle" by Matthew Flinders for his wife's maiden name.[1] It is a mainly dolerite island, with a distinctive central hill and with an area of 323 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Badger Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait just west of Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. It is private property, used for grazing sheep and Cape Barren Geese, and is a classic example of natural habitat degradation caused by human activities.[2] The island is also part of the Chalky, Big Green and Badger Island Groups Important Bird Area.[3]
The island’s habitats have been severely modified by slashing, ploughing, grazing and burning. Short-tailed Shearwaters breed there. Little Penguins used to breed in large numbers but have since ceased to do so. Apart from sheep, mammals introduced deliberately or inadvertently are the House Mouse, a species of rat and feral cats. Reptiles present include Bougainville's Skink, Spotted Skink, Metallic Skink, Three-lined Skink and Tiger Snake.[2]