Montebello Islands

Coordinates: 20°28′S 115°32′E / 20.46°S 115.54°E / -20.46; 115.54
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Montebello Islands is located in Western Australia
Montebello Islands
Montebello Islands
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Location of the Montebello Islands

20°28′S 115°32′E / 20.46°S 115.54°E / -20.46; 115.54

Map of the Montebellos and Barrow Island
Nuclear test mushroom cloud
The mushroom cloud resulting from Trimouille Island's Operation Hurricane detonation

The Montebello Islands, also rendered as the Monte Bello Islands, are an

nuclear weapons tests in 1952 and 1956.[1]

Description

The islands of the archipelago have a collective land area of about 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi). The largest islands, Hermite and Trimouille, have areas of 1,022 ha (2,525 acres) and 522 ha (1,290 acres) respectively. They consist of

Triodia hummock grassland with scattered shrubs, while the sandy areas support grasses, sedges and shrubs, mainly Acacia. Patches of mangroves grow in sheltered bays and channels of the archipelago, especially at Hermite Island. The climate is hot and arid with an annual average rainfall of about 320 mm.[2]

Wildlife

Birds

The islands have been identified by

Yellow white-eyes have been recorded.[2]

Mammals

Shark Bay mice to be translocated to the islands under the conservation management strategy for these threatened species.[2]
They are now common on many of the larger islands.

  • Sooty oystercatcher standing on a rock
    The islands are an important site for sooty oystercatchers
  • Beach stone-curlew
    Beach stone-curlews inhabit the islands
  • Lithograph of a pair of mala
    Mala have been introduced to the islands

History

Archaeological remains show that the islands were visited by indigenous Australians until about 8248 BP, when a period of global warming and rising sea levels caused the Montebellos to become separated from the mainland, and forced abandonment.[4][5]

In 1622

English East India Company-owned East Indiaman, was wrecked on the Tryal Rocks, uncharted submerged rocks about 32 kilometres (20 mi) northwest of the outer edge of the Montebello Islands. The ship's factor Thomas Bright and 35 others sailed a longboat to the Montebello Islands and spent seven days ashore, before sailing the longboat to Bantam in Java. This was the first recorded shipwreck in Australian waters and the first extended stay in Australia by Europeans.[6][7]

In 1801

Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite, and Trimouille Island after French general Louis II de la Trémoille
.

The islands were economically significant for

Second World War.[8]

British nuclear weapons tests

Main article:
British nuclear weapons tests

The Montebello Islands were the site of three atmospheric nuclear weapon tests by the

British military: one in 1952, and two in 1956.[9][10]

HMS Plym, moored in Main Bay on Trimouille Island, was the site of Operation Hurricane, the first-ever atomic weapon tested by the United Kingdom, on 3 October 1952.[11][12]

While

kilotons. Mosaic G2 was later described as an "exceptionally dirty explosion", whose fallout contaminated large areas of mainland Australia, as far away as the Queensland towns of Mount Isa, Julia Creek, Longreach and Rockhampton.[14][15][16]

Islands

Further information: List of named islands in the Montebello Islands archipelago
NASA World Wind
 satellite image of main Montebello Island group

Of the smaller islands, the largest are:

  • North-West Island
  • Primrose Island
  • Bluebell Island
  • Alpha Island
  • Crocus Island
  • Campbell Island
  • Delta Island
  • Renewal Island
  • Ah Chong Island

There are also 10 named groups of small islets, whose individual islands have not yet been named:

  • Corkwood Islands
  • Fig Islands
  • Hakea Islands
  • Jarrah Islands
  • Jasmine Islands
  • Karri Islands
  • Marri Islands
  • Minnieritchie Islands
  • Mulga Islands
  • Quandong Islands

References

  1. ^ "Management Plan for the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserves 2007–2017" (PDF). Perth, WA: Department of Environment and Conservation. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Montebello Islands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/08/2011.
  3. ^ "IBA: Montebello Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  4. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.12.049
    .
  5. ISBN 9781407301037
    . Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  6. JSTOR 1786489
    .
  7. ^ Sainsbury, W. Noel, ed. (1884). Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, East Indies, China and Persia, 1625-1629. London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts. p. 13.
  8. ^ Stansbury, Myra (January 1986). A survey of sites associated with early pearling activities in the Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia (PDF). Fremantle: Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  9. ^ Cooper, M.B.; Hartley, B.M. (April 1979). Residual Radioactive Contamination of the Monte Bello Islands from Nuclear Weapon Tests Conducted in 195 and 1956 (PDF). Australian Radiation Laboratory.
  10. ISBN 978-1-5381-0684-6
    .
  11. ISBN 978-94-017-0496-0
    .
  12. ISBN 978-1-137-60133-9
    .
  13. ^ "British Nuclear Testing". Britain's Nuclear Weapons. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  14. ISSN 0262-4079
    . Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  15. ISBN 978-0-7336-3205-1
    .
  16. ^ Cross, Roger. (2001). Fallout. Wakefield Press. (p.179).

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montebello Islands.
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