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Pigeon Island (Houtman Abrolhos)
Encyclopedia
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 archipelago. A nearby island also seasonally populated by fishers is named Little Pigeon Island, hence Pigeon Island is sometimes referred to as "Big Pigeon Island".
shipwreck
, but there is no surviving evidence of this, either documentary or archaeological. It was mined for guano
in the 20th century.
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Pigeon Island is roughly triangular in shape, with a short side on the south west, and two long sides coming together at a point in the north east. The island is covered with infrastructure, with a high density of huts covering the entire island, right down to the water line; in total there are 54 camps, a school and a pub. There are also around 20 jetties, mainly along the northwest side, as this is the only direction from which the island may be approached by boat. The island is surrounded by reef to the south and east, but a passage known as Pigeon Island Anchorage
runs along the northwest side.
, 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, of which Pigeon Island is one.
and the Brush Bronzewing
. The Black Rat
(Rattus rattus) was previously present but has been eradicated.
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...
, an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
off the coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is almost entirely given over to 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...
fishers' camps, and as a result is far more disturbed than most other islands in the archipelago. A nearby island also seasonally populated by fishers is named Little Pigeon Island, hence Pigeon Island is sometimes referred to as "Big Pigeon Island".
History
The geographic location of Pigeon Island suggests that it might have been visited by survivors of the 1629 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
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
, but there is no surviving evidence of this, either documentary or archaeological. It was mined for guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
in the 20th century.
Geography
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...
runs along the northwest side.
Geology and physiography
The basement of Pigeon 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, of which Pigeon Island is one.
Flora
71 species of plant have been recorded on Pigeon Island, of which 45 are native and 29 introduced. These are:
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Eragrostis dielsii Eragrostis dielsii, commonly known as Mallee Lovegrass, is a species of grass endemic to Australia.-Description:It grows as an annual or short-lived perennial tuft up to 40 centimetres high with erect, spreading culms... (Mallee Lovegrass) Erodium cicutarium Erodium cicutarium, also known as Redstem filaree, Common Stork's-bill, is an herbaceous annual, and in warm climates a biennial member of the Geranium Family of flowering plants... (Common Storksbill) (naturalised) Erodium cygnorum Erodium cygnorum is a species of herb native to Australia.It is commonly known as Blue Heronsbill in Western Australia, and Blue Storksbill in South Australia... (Blue Heronsbill) Euphorbia tannensis Euphorbia tannensis is a species of herb or shrub native to Australia and some Pacific islands.-Description:It grows as an erect annual or perennial herb or shrub, from 10 centimetres to a metre in height, with green or yellow flowers... Frankenia pauciflora Frankenia pauciflora is a shrub in the Frankeniaceae family, native to southern Australia.... (Seaheath) Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum is a subspecies of Hordeum murinum .Its common names include hare barley, mouse barley, and barley grass.-Taxonomy:... (Barley Grass) (naturalised) 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) Lactuca saligna Lactuca saligna is a species of wild lettuce known by the common name willowleaf lettuce, and Least lettuce. It is native to Eurasia but it grows in many other places as an introduced species, including much of North America.... (Wild Lettuce) (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) Medicago polymorpha Medicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation... (Burr Medic) (naturalised) 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) 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 glauca Nicotiana glauca is a species of wild tobacco known by the common names tree tobacco and incorrectly also Mustard tree. Its leaves are attached to the stalk by petioles , and its leaves and stems are neither pubescent nor sticky like Nicotiana tabacum... (Tree Tobacco) (naturalised) 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 Daisy Bush) |
Phalaris minor Phalaris minor is a species of grass native to northern Africa, Europe and Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere.Common names include little seed canary grass, small-seeded canary grass, small canary grass and lesser canary grass.... (Lesser Canary Grass) (naturalised) 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:... 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) Rhagodia latifolia Rhagodia latifolia is a species of shrub endemic to midwest Western Australia.-Description:It grows as a shrub from 40 centimetres to two metres high, leathery, elliptical leaves, and panicles of green flowers.-Taxonomy:... Rostraria cristata Rostraria cristata is an annual grass species which is native to Eurasia and widely naturalised elsewhere.... (naturalised) 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 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) 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 Sow Thistle) (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) Sporobolus virginicus Sporobolus virginicus, known by numerous common names including Marine Couch, Sand Couch, Coastal Rat-tail Grass, Salt Couch Grass, Saltwater Couch and Nioaka, is a coastal non-bunching tussock grass with a wide distribution.-Description:It is a perennial tussock grass from 10 to 50 centimetres in... (Marine Couch) Tamarix aphylla Tamarix aphylla is the largest known species of Tamarix . The species has a variety of common names, including Athel pine, Athel tree, Athel tamarisk, and saltcedar... (Athel Tree) (naturalised) 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) 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) |
Fauna
The island's fauna includes the rare Spiny-tailed Skink, the Abrolhos Painted Button-quailAbrolhos Painted Button-quail
The Abrolhos Painted Button-quail is a subspecies of the Painted Buttonquail endemic to the Houtman Abrolhos. It is common on North Island, and also occurs on other islands of the Wallabi Group, namely East Wallabi, West Wallabi, Seagull and Pigeon Islands...
and the Brush Bronzewing
Brush Bronzewing
The Brush Bronzewing is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
. The Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
(Rattus rattus) was previously present but has been eradicated.