New Year Island (Tasmania)

For other places with the same name, see New Year Island.
New Year Island

New Year Island, located top left, relative to King Island
New Year Island

Location of New Year Island in the Great Australian Bight, west of the Bass Strait

Geography
Location Roaring Forties, Great Australian Bight
Coordinates 39°40′12″S 143°49′12″E / 39.67000°S 143.82000°E / -39.67000; 143.82000Coordinates: 39°40′12″S 143°49′12″E / 39.67000°S 143.82000°E / -39.67000; 143.82000
Archipelago New Year Group
Total islands 5
Major islands King Island
Area 98.22 ha (242.7 acres)
Administration
Australia
State Tasmania
LGA Municipality of King Island

The New Year Island, part of the New Year Group, is a 98.22-hectare (242.7-acre) granite island and game reserve located in the Great Australian Bight, lying off the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia.[1] While much smaller in area than the adjacent King Island, the New Year Island lends its name to the island group due to its European discovery a few days earlier than the King Island.[2][3]

The island forms part of the King Island Important Bird Area because of its importance for breeding seabirds and waders.[4]

Other islands in the King Island Group include King, Christmas, Little Christmas, and Councillor islands.

Fauna

Breeding seabird and shorebird species include short-tailed shearwater, fairy prion, Pacific gull, silver gull and sooty oystercatcher. Reptiles include tiger snake, white's skink, metallic skink and eastern blue-tongued lizard. A species of mouse is present.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "New Year Island (TAS)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. ↑ "Travel: King Island". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; Halley, Vanessa (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Hobart: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X.
  4. ↑ "King Island". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.


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