St Helens Island
St Helens Island is on the right hand side of this aerial photo | |
St Helens Island Location of St Helens Island off the coast of Tasmania | |
Geography | |
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Location | Tasman Sea |
Coordinates | 41°20′S 148°20′E / 41.333°S 148.333°ECoordinates: 41°20′S 148°20′E / 41.333°S 148.333°E |
Archipelago | Waterhouse Island Group |
Area | 51 ha (130 acres) |
Administration | |
Australia | |
State | Tasmania |
The St Helens Island, part of the Waterhouse Island Group, is a 51-hectare (130-acre) granite island situated in the Tasman Sea, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia.[1]
Other islands in the Waterhouse Group include Ninth, Tenth, Waterhouse, Little Waterhouse, Maclean, Baynes, Foster, Swan, Little Swan, Cygnet and Paddys islands and Bird Rock and George Rocks islets.[1]
Fauna
The island is a conservation area, though it has been burnt in the past and is still subject to severe rabbit grazing.[1] The island forms part of the St Helens Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance as a breeding site for seabirds and waders.[2]
Recorded breeding seabird species are little penguin, short-tailed shearwater, common diving-petrel, white-faced storm-petrel, Pacific gull and silver gull. European rabbits have been introduced. The metallic skink is present.[1]