Buccaneer Archipelago

Coordinates: 16°07′S 123°20′E / 16.117°S 123.333°E / -16.117; 123.333
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Buccaneer Archipelago is located in Western Australia
Buccaneer Archipelago
Buccaneer Archipelago
Location of the Buccaneer Archipelago

The Buccaneer Archipelago is a group of islands off the coast of

Bardi located about 54 kilometres (34 mi) from the western end of the island group.[1]

As of 2020[update], a new

Lalang-gaddam Marine Park
.

History

Unggarranggu peoples, although the Bardi people have traditional rights of fishing and trochus.[2]

The archipelago was named after the English

Philip Parker King in August 1821.[3]

Description

The archipelago, covering over 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi).[4] is located at the head of King Sound and is composed of about 800 islands found between King Sound and Collier Bay near Yampi Sound.[5] The area experiences a huge tidal range, of over 12 metres (39 ft), which once wreaked havoc on the pearling fleet that operated in the area last century. The islands' rocks are over 2

billion years old, as is the surrounding coastline. The islands themselves were formed more recently as a result of rising sea levels, creating a drowned coastline. The rocks are ancient Precambrian sandstones. The islands are generally rocky, many with high cliffs. The islands are in almost pristine condition as a result of their isolation and difficulty of access. Some are sparsely vegetated with patches of rain-forest, and areas fringed with mangroves where silt has built up.[6]

New marine park

In December 2020 indicative joint management plans for the creation of a new marine park, co-designed by

Lalang-garram / Horizontal Falls and North Lalang-garram marine parks. The new park is to be gazetted as the Mayala Marine Park. (This is separate from the Maiyalam Marine Park, which will cover other islands of the group, and will become part of four marine parks making up the Lalang-gaddam Marine Park.)[8]

Islands

The Landgate survey of the archipelago excludes "Islands south of Bedford Islands and Hidden Island, including High, Sunday, Mermaid, Long and nearby islands...". It groups the islands by location, as follows:[9]

  • North-east group: Macleay Island(s), Conway Island, King Island, and Crabbe Island.
  • South-east group: McIntyre, Bathurst, Irvine, Flora, Kathleen, Wangania, Tanner, Cockatoo, and Usborne Islands; also, Black Rock.
  • West group: Caffarelli Island, Cleft Island, Fraser, Admiral, Bruen and King Hall, Longitude, Powerful Island and Islands, and numerous others.
  • South-west group: Bedford, Godsmark, Asshlyn, Goat, and Pope Islands.

The

Encyclopaedia Britannica also refers to "four clusters", and cites Macleay Island as the largest in the archipelago.[10]

The following table includes some of the islands mentioned above.

Island Area Location
Admiral Island (Western Australia) 16°04′00″S 123°24′06″E
Bathurst Island (Western Australia) 16°02′41″S 123°31′57″E
Bedford Islands 16°09′29″S 123°20′11″E
Bruen Island 16°04′00″S 123°22′45″E
Byron Island (Buccaneer Archipelago) 16°09′45″S 123°26′55″E
Caffarelli Island 2.12 km2 (0.82 sq mi) 16°02"36'S 123°16"48'E (lighthouse)
Cleft Island (Western Australia) 16°02′16″S 123°21′01″E
Cockatoo Island (Western Australia) 16°05′55″S 123°37′00″E
Fraser Island (Western Australia) 16°03′28″S 123°21′51″E
Goat Island (Western Australia)
Hidden Island 19.7 km2 (8 sq mi) 16°13′32″S 123°28′03″E
Irvine Island 9 km2 (3 sq mi) 16°04′35″S 123°32′14″E
King Hall Island 16°04′52″S 123°24′29″E
Koolan Island 27.1 km2 (10 sq mi) 16°07′31″S 123°44′18″E
Long Island (Western Australia) 11 km2 (4 sq mi).[11] 16°34′26″S 123°22′11″E
Longitude Island 16°03′34″S 123°24′01″E
Powerful Island 16°05′57″S 123°25′50″E
Sunday Island (King Sound) 13.3 km2 (5 sq mi) 16°24′25″S 123°11′13″E

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Buccaneer Archipelago". 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  2. .
  3. ^ King, Phillip Parker (1827). Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia. London: John Murray. http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00028.html#chapter02
  4. ^ "Discover West - Buccaneer Archipelago". 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Ocean Dots - The Island Encyclopedia - Buccaneer Archipelago". 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  6. ^ "Derby Visitor Centre". 2009. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  7. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA). Archived from the original
    on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. . Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  9. )
  10. ^ "Buccaneer Archipelago - archipelago, Western Australia, Australia". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Status Performance Assessment: Biodiversity conservation of Western Australian Islands" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2014.

Further reading

16°07′S 123°20′E / 16.117°S 123.333°E / -16.117; 123.333