East Wallabi Island
Encyclopedia
East Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group
of the Houtman Abrolhos
, located in the Indian Ocean
off the west coast of mainland Australia
.
shipwreck and massacre. Following the shipwreck, a group of soldiers under the command of Wiebbe Hayes
were put ashore on West Wallabi Island
to search for water. The mutineers who took control of the ship left them there in the hope that they would starve or die of thirst. However, the soldiers discovered that they were able to wade to East Wallabi Island, where they eventually discovered a fresh water spring. Furthermore, West and East Wallabi Island are the only islands in the group upon which the Tammar Wallabi lives. Thus the soldiers had access to sources of both food and water that were unavailable to the mutineers.
In the context of the Batavia mutiny and massacre, East Wallabi Island is often referred to as "High island". This was the name given it in contemporary sources, and was used by historians for as long as it remained a lost toponym
.
. It is roughly circular in shape, except for Fish Point
in the north-east. It is approximately 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) long (along the south-eastern edge) and about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) wide, giving it an area of about 321 hectares.
There are two named hills on the island. Flag Hill
is located in the north-east of the island, at the foot of Fish Point; at 15 metres (49.2 ft), it is the highest point in the Houtman Abrolhos. In the south-east is another hill, named Eagle Hill. Other named localities include Fish Point and, on the point's western side, Turtle Bay. Immediately to the west of Flag Hill is an airstrip.
The island is surrounded by submerged coral reef
. This is narrow along the west, north and east shores, giving way to open ocean to the west and north. Beyond the reef on the east side of the island lies Pigeon Island Anchorage
, the main passage and anchorage for Pigeon Island
, a small island 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to the south that is used as a seasonal camp for the Western Rock Lobster
fishery. To the south, the reef is extensive, and much of it is high enough that a person may wade from island to island; islands connected to East Wallabi Island in this way include Barge Rock, Turnstone Island, Seagull Island, Oystercatcher Island and West Wallabi Island
.
, a dense calcretised, coral
limestone
platform that underlies the entire Wallabi Group. This platform, which arises abruptly from a flat shelf, is about 40 metres thick, and is of Quaternary
origin. Reef that formed during the Eemian interglacial
(about 125,000 years ago), when sea levels were higher than at present, are now emergent in places, and constitute the basement of the group's central platform islands, which include East Wallabi Island.
The basement is capped by aeolianite. This ranges from one to three metres thick, and forms an almost continuous pavement on the western half of the island. The aeolianite is in turn overlain by a sand dunes. These are discontinuous in western and northern parts of the island, but in the south-west and east they are extensive and consolidated.
According to a survey published in 2001, 124 plant species occur on East Wallabi Island, the most of any island in the archipelago:
, identified as such by BirdLife International
because of its importance for supporting large numbers of breeding seabirds.
Wallabi Group
The Wallabi Group is the northern-most group of islands in the Houtman Abrolhos. Nominally located at , it is 58 kilometres from the Australian mainland, and about 9 kilometres from the Easter Group....
of the Houtman Abrolhos
Houtman Abrolhos
The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia...
, located in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
off the west coast of mainland Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
East Wallabi Island played an important role in the story of the BataviaBatavia (ship)
Batavia was a ship of the Dutch East India Company . It was built in Amsterdam in 1628, and armed with 24 cast iron cannons and a number of bronze guns. Batavia was shipwrecked on her maiden voyage, and was made famous by the subsequent mutiny and massacre that took place among the survivors...
shipwreck and massacre. Following the shipwreck, a group of soldiers under the command of Wiebbe Hayes
Wiebbe Hayes
Wiebbe Hayes was a colonial soldier from Winschoten, Netherlands. Hayes became a national hero after he led a group of soldiers, sailors and other survivors of the shipwreck of the Batavia against the murderous mutineers led by Jeronimus Cornelisz at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands , off the Western...
were put ashore on West Wallabi Island
West Wallabi Island
West Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia.-History:...
to search for water. The mutineers who took control of the ship left them there in the hope that they would starve or die of thirst. However, the soldiers discovered that they were able to wade to East Wallabi Island, where they eventually discovered a fresh water spring. Furthermore, West and East Wallabi Island are the only islands in the group upon which the Tammar Wallabi lives. Thus the soldiers had access to sources of both food and water that were unavailable to the mutineers.
In the context of the Batavia mutiny and massacre, East Wallabi Island is often referred to as "High island". This was the name given it in contemporary sources, and was used by historians for as long as it remained a lost toponym
Lost toponym
A lost toponym is a name given to a place, which is no longer known or identifiable. For example, in 1618 the crew of the Mauritius explored a river in north-western Australia, which they named Willems Revier . However it is not now known which river they explored, so Willems River cannot be placed...
.
Geography
Nominally located at 28°26′23"S 113°43′33"E, East Wallabi Island is the second-largest island in Houtman Abrolhos archipelago, after West Wallabi IslandWest Wallabi Island
West Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia.-History:...
. It is roughly circular in shape, except for Fish Point
Fish Point (Houtman Abrolhos)
Fish Point is a point in the north-eastern corner of East Wallabi Island in the Houtman Abrolhos island chain off the coast of Western Australia. It is located at...
in the north-east. It is approximately 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) long (along the south-eastern edge) and about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) wide, giving it an area of about 321 hectares.
There are two named hills on the island. Flag Hill
Flag Hill (Houtman Abrolhos)
Flag Hill is the highest hill on East Wallabi Island, and the highest point in the Houtman Abrolhos, an archipelago off the coast of Western Australia. It is located in the north-east of the island; its gazetted location is , but in fact it is located somewhat east of there at about...
is located in the north-east of the island, at the foot of Fish Point; at 15 metres (49.2 ft), it is the highest point in the Houtman Abrolhos. In the south-east is another hill, named Eagle Hill. Other named localities include Fish Point and, on the point's western side, Turtle Bay. Immediately to the west of Flag Hill is an airstrip.
The island is surrounded by submerged coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
. This is narrow along the west, north and east shores, giving way to open ocean to the west and north. Beyond the reef on the east side of the island lies Pigeon Island Anchorage
Pigeon Island Anchorage
Pigeon Island Anchorage is a passage through reef that runs along the northwest wide of Pigeon Island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, an archipelago off the coast of Western Australia. Pigeon Island is seasonally populated by a great many Western Rock Lobster fishers, and Pigeon...
, the main passage and anchorage for Pigeon Island
Pigeon Island (Houtman Abrolhos)
Pigeon Island is a small island located need the middle of the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, an archipelago off the coast of Western Australia. It is almost entirely given over to Western Rock Lobster fishers' camps, and as a result is far more disturbed than most other islands in the...
, a small island 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to the south that is used as a seasonal camp for the Western Rock Lobster
Western rock lobster
Panulirus cygnus is a species of spiny lobster , found off the west coast of Australia. Panulirus cygnus is the basis of Australia's most valuable fishery, making up 20% of value of Australia's total fishing industry, and is identified as the western rock lobster.-Description:The species has five...
fishery. To the south, the reef is extensive, and much of it is high enough that a person may wade from island to island; islands connected to East Wallabi Island in this way include Barge Rock, Turnstone Island, Seagull Island, Oystercatcher Island and West Wallabi Island
West Wallabi Island
West Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia.-History:...
.
Geology and physiography
The basement of East Wallabi Island is the Wallabi LimestoneWallabi Limestone
Wallabi Limestone is the name given to the dense calcretised, limestone platform that underlies the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, an archipelago off the coast of Western Australia. This platform, which arises abruptly from a flat shelf, is about 40 metres thick, and is of marine biogenic...
, a dense calcretised, coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
platform that underlies the entire Wallabi Group. This platform, which arises abruptly from a flat shelf, is about 40 metres thick, and is of Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
origin. Reef that formed during the Eemian interglacial
Eemian interglacial
The Eemian was an interglacial period which began about 130,000 years ago and ended about 114,000 years ago. It was the second-to-latest interglacial period of the current Ice Age, the most recent being the Holocene which extends to the present day. The prevailing Eemian climate is believed to...
(about 125,000 years ago), when sea levels were higher than at present, are now emergent in places, and constitute the basement of the group's central platform islands, which include East Wallabi Island.
The basement is capped by aeolianite. This ranges from one to three metres thick, and forms an almost continuous pavement on the western half of the island. The aeolianite is in turn overlain by a sand dunes. These are discontinuous in western and northern parts of the island, but in the south-west and east they are extensive and consolidated.
Flora
As one of the few islands in the Houtman Abrolhos large enough to support dune systems, East Wallabi Island supports a relatively high diversity of plant life. Both the dunes and the pavement limestone support species-rich vegetation complexes dominated by chenopod shrubs, and these communities have been identified has having species conservation importance, because they are so diverse, yet so easily disturbed and so slow to recover.According to a survey published in 2001, 124 plant species occur on East Wallabi Island, the most of any island in the archipelago:
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Eucalyptus oraria Eucalyptus oraria, also known as Ooragmandee, is a mallee species of Eucalyptus that is native to Western Australia, occurring in coastal and near-coastal areas. Its mature height ranges from 1 to 15 metres.... (Ooragmandee) Euchiton sphaericus Euchiton sphaericus is a herb native to Australia.-Description:It grows as an erect annual herb from 4 to 25 centimetres high, with yellow, cream or brown flowers.-Taxonomy:... Frankenia pauciflora Frankenia pauciflora is a shrub in the Frankeniaceae family, native to southern Australia.... (Seaheath) Galium migrans Galium migrans is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to in the Australian states of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.... Grevillea argyrophylla Grevillea argyrophylla is a shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to south-western Western Australia.... (Silvery-leaved Grevillea) Helichrysum luteoalbum Helichrysum luteoalbum, commonly known as Jersey Cudweed or Weedy Cudweed, is a cosmopolitan weed.-Description:It grows as an erect herb up to 70 centimetres high, branching from the base... (Jersey Cudweed) (naturalised) Hornungia procumbens Hornungia procumbens is a species of herb native to the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Common names include Oval Purse, Slenderweed and Prostrate Hutchinsia.-Description:It is an annual herb with white flowers... (Oval Purse) Juncus bufonius Juncus bufonius, known commonly as toad rush, is a common species of rush found worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places and is considered a weed in many areas. This is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is sometimes described as a complex of variants labeled with one... (Toad Rush) (naturalised) Malva parviflora Malva parviflora is an annual or perennial herb that is native to Northern Africa, Europe and Asia and is widely naturalised elsewhere. Common names include cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, Egyptian mallow, least mallow, little mallow, mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, small-flowered... (Marshmallow) (naturalised) Malva preissiana Malva preissiana is a herbaceous perennial in the family Malvaceae, found in the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland and to a greater extent in South Australia.... (Australian Hollyhock) Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Mesembryanthemum crystallinum is a prostrate succulent plant that is native to Africa, Western Asia and Europe. The plant is covered with large, glistening bladder cells, reflected in its common names of Common Ice Plant, Crystalline Iceplant or Iceplant.-Uses:Its leaves are edible, as with some... (Iceplant) (naturalised) Microtis media Microtis media is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae. It is found in Western Australia, and informally known as the Tall - or Common - Mignonette Orchid or Middle-sized Microtis.- Description :... (Tall Mignonette Orchid) Microtis Microtis is a small genus in the orchid family Orchidaceae.- Description :These orchids occur from South China to Japan, Australia , New Zealand and the south west Pacific, in grassland and scrub.... sp. Myoporum insulare Myoporum insulare is a shrub or small tree which occurs on dunes and coastal cliffs in Australia. Common names include Common Boobialla, Boobialla, Native Juniper and, in Western Australia, Blueberry Tree.... (Blueberry Tree) Nicotiana occidentalis subsp. hesperis Nicotiana occidentalis subsp. hesperis is a short-lived herb native to Australia.-Description:It grows as an erect annual or short-lived perennial herb, from ten to 50 centimetres high, with white flowers.-Taxonomy:... (Native Tobacco) Nitraria billardierei Nitraria billardierei is a perennial salt tolerant shrub. It is often found in saline areas or areas that have been overgrazed. Nitre Bush flowers mainly in spring with small ovoid or oblong fruit that are purple, red or golden... (Nitre Bush) Olearia axillaris Olearia axillaris is a shrub of the Asteraceae family, found in coastal areas of Australia. Commonly known as the Coastal Daisybush, it was one of the first edible plants to be discovered by Europeans.-Description:... (Coastal Daisybush) Orobanche minor Orobanche minor, or Common Broomrape, is a holoparasitic angiosperm belonging to the genus Orobanche; a genus of about 150 non-photosynthetic plants that parasitize other autotrophic plants.-Characteristics and growth requirements:... (Less Broom Rape) (naturalised) Parietaria debilis Parietaria debilis, commonly known as Pellitory or Native Pellitory, is a herb native to Australia and New Zealand.-Description:It grows as an annual herb from 7 to 40 centimetres in height, with green or white flowers... (Pellitory) Pelargonium littorale Pelargonium littorale is a species of Pelargonium found within the southwest botanical province of Australia.-Description :A perennial herb found as an erect or semiprostrate shrub, Pelargonium littorale may be 100 to 500 mm in height... Pimelea microcephala Pimelea microcephala is a dioecious shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Australia.... (Shrubby Riceflower) Plantago debilis Plantago debilis is a species of herb native to Australia. Common names include Shade Plantain and Weak Plantain.-Description:... Poa annua Poa annua, or annual meadow grass , is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Though P. annua is commonly considered a solely annual plant due to its name, perennial bio-types do exist. 'Poa' is Greek for fodder. It is one of the sweetest grasses for green fodder, but less ... (Winter Grass) (naturalised) Polycarpon tetraphyllum Polycarpon tetraphyllum, commonly known as Four-leaved Allseed , is a plant of the family Caryophyllaceae . An annual herb growing to 15 cm in height, it is found on sandy soils, in coastal areas and on wasteland. Native to Europe, it is also naturalised in parts of North America, Australia and... (Fourleaf Allseed) (naturalised) |
Rhagodia baccata Rhagodia baccata, commonly known as Berry Saltbush, is a species of shrub endemic to Western Australia.-Description:It is a spreading shrub up to two metres high, with elliptical leaves, and flowers that occur in a panicle. It bears red berries.... (Berry Saltbush) Sagina apetala Sagina apetala is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names annual pearlwort and dwarf pearlwort. It is native to Europe and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including parts of North America. It grows in many types of disturbed habitat, such as cracks... (Annual Pearlwort) (naturalised) Salsola kali Kali soda is an annual plant that grows in arid soils and in sandy coastal soils. Its original range is Eurasian, but it has become naturalized, and even invasive, in North America, Australia, and elsewhere... (Prickly Saltwort) (naturalised) Sarcocornia quinqueflora Sarcocornia quinqueflora, commonly known as Beaded Samphire, Bead weed or Beaded Glasswort, is a species of succulent halophytic coastal shrub... (Beaded Samphire) Scaevola crassifolia Scaevola crassifolia is a shrub in the family Goodeniaceae, native to Western Australia and South Australia. Common names include Cushion Fanflower, Thick-leaved Fanflower and Thick-leaved Scaevola... (Thick-leaved Fan-flower) Schenkia australis Schenkia australis is a species of annual herb in the Gentianaceae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Description:S. australis grows as an annual, or rarely biannual, herb, from 2 to 30 centimetres high... (naturalised) Senecio glossanthus Senecio glossanthus is an annual herb native to Australia. In Western Australia it is commonly known as Slender Groundsel.-Description:... (Slender Groundsel) Senecio pinnatifolius Senecio pinnatifolius is a species of herb native to Australia. Common names include Coast Groundsel.-Taxonomy:The name Senecio pinnatifolius was first published by Achille Richard in 1834, but it was not immediately taken up. Instead, the species was long treated as the Australian component of... Setaria dielsii Setaria dielsii, commonly known as Diels' Pigeon Grass, is a species of grass native to Australia.-Description:It is an annual grass that grows in tufts from 20 to 130 centimetres high. It has green flowers that occur in an open panicle.... (Diels' Pigeon Grass) Solanum nigrum Solanum nigrum is a species in the Solanum genus, native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas, Australasia and South Africa.-Description:Black... (Black Berry Nightshade) (naturalised) Sonchus oleraceus Sonchus oleraceus is a medicinal plant native to Asia and Europe, which is nutritious food for humans and most livestock.- Nutritive qualities :The common name Sow thistle refers to its... (Common Sowthistle) (naturalised) Spergularia rubra Spergularia rubra, the red sand spurrey or red sandspurry, is a plant species in the pink family. It is native to Europe and Asia, and it is present on other continents, including North and South America and Australia, as an introduced species and in many areas a common weed. It grows in a wide... (Sand Spurry) (naturalised) Spinifex longifolius Spinifex longifolius, commonly known as Beach Spinifex, is a perennial grass that grows along the northern and eastern rim of the Indian Ocean.-Description:It grows as a tussock from 30 centimetres to a metre high, and up to two metres wide... (Beach Spinifex) Spyridium globulosum Spyridium globulosum is a shrub in the family Rhamnaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia where it occurs on coastal dunes and in limestone areas. It grows to between 0.6 and 5 metres in height and produces white flowers between June and November in its native range.... (Basket Bush) Stackhousia Stackhousia is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the family Celastraceae that are native to Australia, New Zealand, Malesia and Micronesia... sp. Suaeda australis Suaeda australis ' is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to Australia. It grows to between 0.1 and 0.9 metres in height, with a speading habit and branching occurring from the base. The leaves are up to 40mm in length and are succulent, linear and flattened. They are light... (Seablite) Tecticornia arbuscula Tecticornia arbuscula ' is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to Australia. It grows to 2 metres in height, with a spreading habit. It has succulent swollen branchlets with small leaf lobes.... Tecticornia halocnemoides Tecticornia halocnemoides, commonly known as Shrubby Samphire or Grey Glasswort, is a species of succulent, salt tolerant plant endemic to Australia. It grows as a spreading or erect shrub up to fifty centimetres high... (Shrubby Samphire) Threlkeldia diffusa Threlkeldia diffusa, also known as Coast Bonefruit, is a perennial herb which occurs in coastal areas and saline flats in Australia. It is sometimes prostrate or may grow up to 0.4 metres in height. The green flowers occur between October and November in its native range.... (Coast Bonefruit) Thysanotus patersonii Thysanotus patersonii is a twining perennial herb which is endemic to Australia.It is leafless and grows to between 0.15 and 0.5 metres in height and produces purple flowers between July and November in its native range.... Triglochin trichophora Triglochin trichophora is an annual herb native to Australia.-Taxonomy:This species was published in 1848 by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck. It is had an uneventful taxonomic history.-Distribution and habitat:... Urospermum picroides Urospermum picroides is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name prickly goldenfleece. It is native to Eurasia and it is known as an introduced species in many other regions, including North and South America, Australia, and southern Africa. It grows as a common... (False Hawkbit) (naturalised) Urtica urens Urtica urens, commonly known as Annual Nettle, Dwarf Nettle or Small Nettle, is a herbaceous annual plant species of the genus Urtica. It is native to Eurasia and it can be found in North America and New Zealand as an introduced species... (Small Nettle) (naturalised) Vittadinia Vittadinia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae.Species include:*Vittadinia arida N.T.Burb.*Vittadinia australasica N.T.Burb. - Sticky New Holland Daisy*Vittadinia bicolor N.T.Burb.... sp. Vulpia myuros Vulpia myuros, or Rat’s-tail Fescue, is an annual grass species of the genus Vulpia. It was probably originally native to Eurasia, but it can now be found nearly worldwide as a naturalized species.... (Rat's Tail Fescue) (naturalised) Wurmbea monantha Wurmbea monantha is a perennial herb that is native to Western Australia. The white to pink flowers are produced between July and September in its native range.... Zygophyllum simile Zygophyllum simile is a succulent annual herb native to Australia.-Description:It grows as a prostrate or erect annual herb, branching from the base and reaching a height of from four to 60 centimeters... |
Birds
The island is part of the Houtman Abrolhos Important Bird AreaImportant Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
, identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because of its importance for supporting large numbers of breeding seabirds.