Carnac Island

Coordinates: 32°7′17″S 115°39′46″E / 32.12139°S 115.66278°E / -32.12139; 115.66278
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Carnac Island
Carnac Island seen from the east
Map
Geography
LocationIndian Ocean
Coordinates32°7′17″S 115°39′46″E / 32.12139°S 115.66278°E / -32.12139; 115.66278
Administration

Carnac Island (

Fremantle and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) north of Garden Island in Western Australia
.

History

Carnac Island is

aeolianite limestone remnant of Pleistocene dunes.[1][2][3]

In 1803,

James Stirling changed its name to Pulo Carnac Island in honour of John Rivett Carnac, Second Lieutenant on his ship HMS Success. "Pulo" is Malay
for "Island"; it is not known why Stirling included the term, and it was soon dropped.

From 1836 to 1837, the island served as a whaling station. The whalers transported Perth's first church to the island to be used as a storehouse. It was abandoned within a few years.[2]

From October to November 1838, the island was declared by the Swan River Colony colonial government to be a prison for indigenous Australians. The prison consisted of two guards, an overseer named RM Lyon, and three prisoners named Yagan, Danmera, and Ningina. The solitary conditions resulted in the soldiers assisting the prisoners' escape[4] in a stolen government stores boat.

In 1884, the colonial government gazetted the island as a quarantine station for Fremantle, but it appears never to have been used for that purpose.[2]

In 1916, the

Australian Federal Government assumed control over the island for defence purposes, and the island was transferred back to the State of Western Australia in 1961.[2]

Fauna

The island is home to

New Zealand fur seals are frequent visitors.[2] Rabbits inhabited the island in abundance from 1827 to 1897, but were eradicated in 1969.[2] It is particularly noted for the abundance and size of snakes, particularly tiger snakes, which live there. The island is densely populated with up to three tiger snakes in every 25 square metres (270 square feet).[5] For this reason, very few people venture away from the beach.[citation needed
]

There is no permanent fresh water, providing a challenge for the animals that live there. The origins of the tiger snake colony has attracted significant debate. One example of a theory is that in 1929, a man named Lindsay "Rocky" Vane dumped his tiger snake collection on the island, after snake exhibitions were banned in Western Australia, after Vane's wife and his assistant died from snake bite.

King skinks also inhabit the island, and there is evidence of confrontation between king skinks and tiger snakes.[2]

In November 2006, naturalist David Attenborough visited the island with a BBC film crew to record a reptile documentary, in which Attenborough provided commentary on the blindness of many of the island's tiger snakes. This is caused by birds defending their chicks by pecking at the snakes' eyes. These blind snakes survive and thrive, relying upon scent and eating immobile prey such as seabird chicks. Carnac Island is the only place where this has been observed.[6] Male tiger snakes largely out-number female tiger snakes on the island, which is another curiosity of the island's tiger snake colony.[7]

Carnac Island is classified as an

colony of the vulnerable fairy tern, as well as small numbers of other nesting seabirds.[8]

See also

  • Islands of Perth, Western Australia

Gallery

Sea lions on Carnac Island
Location of Carnac Island, Western Australia

References

  1. ^ Rippey & Hobbs, ME, RJ (March 2002). "The effect of fires and quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) on the vegetation of Rottnest Island" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 86:49-60 (2003). Retrieved 21 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Government of Western Australia, Department of Conservation and Land Management. "Carnac Island Nature Reserve Conservation Plan 2003 (Management Plan #47)" (PDF). Government of Western Australia, Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  3. ^ Beeliar and Yiragan, Dyarlgarro, Derbal (28 June 2012). "About the Whadjuk Region". South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, Kaartijin Noongar (Noongar Knowledge). Retrieved 21 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Seubert, Earle. "Carnac Island - a history". Woodman Point Quarantine Station - The Hidden Community. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  5. ^ Orr, Aleisha (23 October 2013). "Carnac Island: The blind snakes, the showman and the 'Maccas drive thru'". WA Today. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b Pearson and Bonnett, David; Xavier. "L'Ile des Serpents: A twisted tale of "tigers", Frenchmen and Seagulls (extracted from "Landscope")". Researchgate.net. Retrieved 21 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. doi:10.1046/j.1442-9993.2002.01198.x. Retrieved 21 July 2017.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  8. ^ "IBA: Carnac Island". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  • Carnac Island Nature Reserve : management plan [Perth, W.A.] : The Commission, 2003. Management plan (Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management) ; no. 47
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