Waterhouse Island (Tasmania)
Waterhouse Island is an island, with an area of 287 hectares (710 acres), in North-eastern Tasmania.
It is part of the Waterhouse Island Group, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania. Most of it has been leased for farming and it contains a homestead, farm buildings and an airstrip. The vegetation is dominated by introduced pasture grasses. Livestock grazing has caused erosion which has affected the shearwater colonies.[1]
The island is named after Captain Henry Waterhouse of the Reliance. Nicholas Baudin stopped at the island in 1802 mistakenly thinking the name meant fresh water could be found there, which was not the case.[2]
Fauna
Recorded breeding seabird species are the little penguin and short-tailed shearwater. Introduced mammals include sheep, cats, fallow deer and house mice. Reptiles present include the metallic skink, spotted skink, three-lined skink, Bougainville's skink, White's skink and tiger snake.[1]
Waterhouse Island Group
Besides Waterhouse Island, the Waterhouse Island Group includes the following:
- Little Waterhouse Island
- Swan Island
- Little Swan Island
- Cygnet Island
- Foster Islands
- St Helens Island
- Ninth Island
- Paddys Island
- Maclean Island
- Baynes Island
- Tenth Island
- Bird Rock
- George Rocks, three adjacent granite islets with their associated reefs, part of the Waterhouse Islands group.
References
Coordinates: 40°48′S 147°37′E / 40.800°S 147.617°E