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EspañolMAATSUYKER ISLANDS
(Redirected from De Witt Island)
The 'Maatsuyker Islands Group' is a group of islands and rocks located 5.5 kilometres off the south coast of Tasmania. 'Maatsuyker Island' is the southernmost island of the group and of the Australian continental shelf. There are exposed rocks further south of Maatsuyker but they do not meet the definition of "islands". Macquarie Island, far to the south, is also Australian territory but it is a volcanic peak in the remote Southern Ocean and is in a geological sense completely separate from the continent.
The group is noted for its rich marine wildlife, predominantly wet and windy weather conditions, and Australia's most southerly lighthouse. The group is part of the Southwest National Park and thus also part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area[1].
The group consists of at least six islands and two groups of rocks[2]. The main island after which the group is named, Maatsuyker Island, is approximately 2.6 kilometres long north/south at its longest on a bearing of 196°, by 1.2 kilometres wide east/west at its widest on a bearing of 105°. Needle Rocks (also known unofficially as ''The Needles''[3]) lie just off the south west tip of Maatsuyker Island. Walker Island, Flat Witch Island and the Western Rocks lie just to the north. De Witt Island lies some 6.5 kilometres to the north-east, and the remaining two islands, Flat Top Island and Round Top Island, are some 7 kilometres to the east. Maatsuyker Island is near the south side of the group, and its distance from the Tasmanian mainland is around 10.4 kilometres.
Sources differ on whether nearby islands are part of the group. Parks and Wildlife Service includes only the base set above. Brothers[4], includes four extra in an extended group.
The islands are erosional remnants of the Tasmanian mainland, and are typically steep-sided and rocky.
White[5] and Brothers[4] refer to islands in addition to those in the group. These include Breaksea Islands, Eddystone, Kathleen Island, Mewstone, Pedra Branca, Shanks Islands and Trumpeter Islets. Several of these are quite distant from Maatsuyker Island.
Abel Tasman led the first known European expedition to reach Tasmania. His journal[7] records that he first sighted Tasmania on 24th November 1642. The translation of the journal entry for 1st December 1642, seven days later, refers to Wit's islands, Sueers islands, ''Maetsuickers islands'' (Maatsuyker Islands) and Boereels islands. The names of all of these islands and Tasmania itself under its then name of Van Diemens Land were all names of then members of the Council of India of Tasman's employer, the Dutch East India Company (see Tasman's 1642 orders in Appendix D of the journal). Antonio Van Diemen was the Governor-General and so got the name of the largest island. This journal entry for 1st December came only 7 days after the first sighting of Tasmania, so it is evident that the Maatsuyker Islands Group was named after ''Joan Maetsuicker'' (today's spelling would be Johan), who was also a councillor.
Other theories about the origin of the name have been offered that are more colourful but are fantastical conjectures of a much later period.
★ The island was named after a member of Abel Tasman's crew, Mr. Maatsuyker. However, the ship's log book has been preserved and there was not anyone on board with that name.
★ It has been suggested that the word in Dutch means "mate seeker" and that the sealers of old stopped at the island seeking aboriginal women as wives. However, "seeker" in Dutch is "zoeker", not "suicker." Nevertheless, there is direct evidence that aborigines visited the island possibly thousands of years before European settlement ( page 20).
★ The word in Dutch means "measure of sugar". This has led some people to suggest - erroneously - that the island, capped with guano, may have resembled a tablespoon of sugar rising above the surface of the sea and that inspired the name.
Given the evidence cited above and the demonstrated fact that Tasman named the other islands in the area after the Councillors, these three anecdotal explanations are - however charming - fantasies.
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse was the last Australian lighthouse still being officially operated by lightkeepers. A second, smaller and automated lighthouse was installed in 1996 but it is unclear whether volunteers are going to continue to work the lights on Maatsuyker Island.
The lighthouse is located near the south west tip of Maatsuyker Island, probably because its main function originally would have been to warn shipping approaching from the west and being blown in an easterly direction by the prevailing westerly winds of the Roaring Forties. Many ships were shipwrecked on the south and west coasts of Tasmania from the earliest days of sail, until the advent of modern navigation aids, because of a combination of the westerly gales and the dangerous coastline.
The lighthouse was completed in 1891 and is Australia's most southerly lighthouse. From that date until the automated light was installed, the lighthouse was manned by a small staff of lighthouse keepers, who constituted the total population of the island.
Weather observations have been recorded continuously from the island since 1891.
The island is currently uninhabited but the improvements on it are being maintained by the Tasmanian Government and volunteer organisations interested in preserving the history of the island and the lighthouse.
Weather conditions in the area can be extreme, with the Roaring Forties wind being a particular problem. The maximum wind gust ever recorded was 172.4 km/h[8]. Reportedly, the first keepers of the light took chickens with them to Maatsuyker but the fowls blew away into the ocean. Given the wind and lack of shelter, this is possible if they were left outside during storms. Vegetables get blown flat by the wind, but surprisingly, can be grown successfully[9], even though the garden is on the west side of the island, facing into the prevailing winds.
To add to the wind, there are an average of 249 rain days a year.
Maatsuyker Island supports a surprising variety of flora and fauna, although the flora is limited in size by the windy conditions. The soil is reportedly extremely rich due to thousands of years of sea bird guano deposits, and supports a variety of native and imported flora. As a testament to fertility, potatoes sown by former lighthouse keepers now grow wild.
Maatsuyker is perhaps best known for its abundant bird life. Sea birds observed include the Soft-plumaged Petrel (northern) (Pterodroma mollis deceptornis) which has a conservation status of ''Critically Endangered''[10]. The first record of Soft-plumaged Petrels (Pterodroma mollis) breeding in Australia was found at Maatsuyker[11].
These references indicate that the islands are a significant breeding site for rare and endangered sea birds.
Seals are also common and include New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus).[12].
★ South East Cape
★ South West Cape
1. Map of the Tasmanian Wilderness WHA
2. Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002
3. Place Name Search for needle, island, tasmania
4. Tasmania's Offshore Islands : seabirds and other natural features, , Nigel, Brothers, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, , ISBN 0-7246-4816-X
5. Islands of South-West Tasmania, , Gary, White, self-published, , ISBN 0-9594866-0-7
6. Tasmania's Offshore Islands : seabirds and other natural features, , Nigel, Brothers, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, , ISBN 0-7246-4816-X
7. Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal of his Discovery of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand in 1642 with Documents Relating to his Exploration of Australia in 1644...to which are added his Life and Labours, 1898
8. Averages for Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse
9. Maatsuyker Garden
10. RECOVERY OUTLINE Soft-plumaged Petrel (northern)
11. First record of Soft-plumaged Petrels, Pterodroma mollis, breeding in Australia
12. Status of Australian and New-Zealand Fur Seals at Maatsuyker Island, Southwestern Tasmania
★ Beautiful picture of Maatsuyker Island and the Needles
★ Information about the lighthouse on Maatsuyker Island with several pictures of Maatsuyker Island and the lighthouse
★ Report from a trip through the Maatsuyker Islands to Maatsuyker Island
★ Second page of the report of the trip to Maatsuyker Island
★ Picture of the De Witt Island
★ Picture of some of the Maatsuyker Islands
★ Another map of the area between South East Cape and South West Cape and the Maatsuyker Islands
★ Friends of Maatsuyker Island CARes group
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse and Needle Rocks
Map of the Maatsuyker Islands
Location of the Maatsuyker Islands off Tasmania
The 'Maatsuyker Islands Group' is a group of islands and rocks located 5.5 kilometres off the south coast of Tasmania. 'Maatsuyker Island' is the southernmost island of the group and of the Australian continental shelf. There are exposed rocks further south of Maatsuyker but they do not meet the definition of "islands". Macquarie Island, far to the south, is also Australian territory but it is a volcanic peak in the remote Southern Ocean and is in a geological sense completely separate from the continent.
The group is noted for its rich marine wildlife, predominantly wet and windy weather conditions, and Australia's most southerly lighthouse. The group is part of the Southwest National Park and thus also part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area[1].
| Contents |
| Geography |
| Main Group |
| Related Islands |
| History |
| Origin of the name |
| Lighthouse |
| Weather |
| Flora and fauna |
| Flora |
| Fauna |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
Geography
Main Group
The group consists of at least six islands and two groups of rocks[2]. The main island after which the group is named, Maatsuyker Island, is approximately 2.6 kilometres long north/south at its longest on a bearing of 196°, by 1.2 kilometres wide east/west at its widest on a bearing of 105°. Needle Rocks (also known unofficially as ''The Needles''[3]) lie just off the south west tip of Maatsuyker Island. Walker Island, Flat Witch Island and the Western Rocks lie just to the north. De Witt Island lies some 6.5 kilometres to the north-east, and the remaining two islands, Flat Top Island and Round Top Island, are some 7 kilometres to the east. Maatsuyker Island is near the south side of the group, and its distance from the Tasmanian mainland is around 10.4 kilometres.
| Name | Coordinates | Aliases |
|---|---|---|
| 'De Witt Island' | ||
| Flat Top Island | ||
| Flat Witch Island | ||
| 'Maatsuyker Island' | ||
| Needle Rocks | The Needles | |
| Round Top Island | ||
| Walker Island | ||
| Western Rocks | Black Rocks ( page 19) |
Sources differ on whether nearby islands are part of the group. Parks and Wildlife Service includes only the base set above. Brothers[4], includes four extra in an extended group.
| Chicken Island | ||
| Hen Island | ||
| Ile du Golfe | ||
| Louisa Island |
The islands are erosional remnants of the Tasmanian mainland, and are typically steep-sided and rocky.
Related Islands
White[5] and Brothers[4] refer to islands in addition to those in the group. These include Breaksea Islands, Eddystone, Kathleen Island, Mewstone, Pedra Branca, Shanks Islands and Trumpeter Islets. Several of these are quite distant from Maatsuyker Island.
History
Origin of the name
Abel Tasman led the first known European expedition to reach Tasmania. His journal[7] records that he first sighted Tasmania on 24th November 1642. The translation of the journal entry for 1st December 1642, seven days later, refers to Wit's islands, Sueers islands, ''Maetsuickers islands'' (Maatsuyker Islands) and Boereels islands. The names of all of these islands and Tasmania itself under its then name of Van Diemens Land were all names of then members of the Council of India of Tasman's employer, the Dutch East India Company (see Tasman's 1642 orders in Appendix D of the journal). Antonio Van Diemen was the Governor-General and so got the name of the largest island. This journal entry for 1st December came only 7 days after the first sighting of Tasmania, so it is evident that the Maatsuyker Islands Group was named after ''Joan Maetsuicker'' (today's spelling would be Johan), who was also a councillor.
Other theories about the origin of the name have been offered that are more colourful but are fantastical conjectures of a much later period.
★ The island was named after a member of Abel Tasman's crew, Mr. Maatsuyker. However, the ship's log book has been preserved and there was not anyone on board with that name.
★ It has been suggested that the word in Dutch means "mate seeker" and that the sealers of old stopped at the island seeking aboriginal women as wives. However, "seeker" in Dutch is "zoeker", not "suicker." Nevertheless, there is direct evidence that aborigines visited the island possibly thousands of years before European settlement ( page 20).
★ The word in Dutch means "measure of sugar". This has led some people to suggest - erroneously - that the island, capped with guano, may have resembled a tablespoon of sugar rising above the surface of the sea and that inspired the name.
Given the evidence cited above and the demonstrated fact that Tasman named the other islands in the area after the Councillors, these three anecdotal explanations are - however charming - fantasies.
Lighthouse
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse was the last Australian lighthouse still being officially operated by lightkeepers. A second, smaller and automated lighthouse was installed in 1996 but it is unclear whether volunteers are going to continue to work the lights on Maatsuyker Island.
The lighthouse is located near the south west tip of Maatsuyker Island, probably because its main function originally would have been to warn shipping approaching from the west and being blown in an easterly direction by the prevailing westerly winds of the Roaring Forties. Many ships were shipwrecked on the south and west coasts of Tasmania from the earliest days of sail, until the advent of modern navigation aids, because of a combination of the westerly gales and the dangerous coastline.
The lighthouse was completed in 1891 and is Australia's most southerly lighthouse. From that date until the automated light was installed, the lighthouse was manned by a small staff of lighthouse keepers, who constituted the total population of the island.
Weather observations have been recorded continuously from the island since 1891.
The island is currently uninhabited but the improvements on it are being maintained by the Tasmanian Government and volunteer organisations interested in preserving the history of the island and the lighthouse.
Weather
Weather conditions in the area can be extreme, with the Roaring Forties wind being a particular problem. The maximum wind gust ever recorded was 172.4 km/h[8]. Reportedly, the first keepers of the light took chickens with them to Maatsuyker but the fowls blew away into the ocean. Given the wind and lack of shelter, this is possible if they were left outside during storms. Vegetables get blown flat by the wind, but surprisingly, can be grown successfully[9], even though the garden is on the west side of the island, facing into the prevailing winds.
To add to the wind, there are an average of 249 rain days a year.
Flora and fauna
Flora
Maatsuyker Island supports a surprising variety of flora and fauna, although the flora is limited in size by the windy conditions. The soil is reportedly extremely rich due to thousands of years of sea bird guano deposits, and supports a variety of native and imported flora. As a testament to fertility, potatoes sown by former lighthouse keepers now grow wild.
Fauna
Maatsuyker is perhaps best known for its abundant bird life. Sea birds observed include the Soft-plumaged Petrel (northern) (Pterodroma mollis deceptornis) which has a conservation status of ''Critically Endangered''[10]. The first record of Soft-plumaged Petrels (Pterodroma mollis) breeding in Australia was found at Maatsuyker[11].
These references indicate that the islands are a significant breeding site for rare and endangered sea birds.
Seals are also common and include New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus).[12].
See also
★ South East Cape
★ South West Cape
References
1. Map of the Tasmanian Wilderness WHA
2. Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002
3. Place Name Search for needle, island, tasmania
4. Tasmania's Offshore Islands : seabirds and other natural features, , Nigel, Brothers, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, , ISBN 0-7246-4816-X
5. Islands of South-West Tasmania, , Gary, White, self-published, , ISBN 0-9594866-0-7
6. Tasmania's Offshore Islands : seabirds and other natural features, , Nigel, Brothers, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, , ISBN 0-7246-4816-X
7. Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal of his Discovery of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand in 1642 with Documents Relating to his Exploration of Australia in 1644...to which are added his Life and Labours, 1898
8. Averages for Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse
9. Maatsuyker Garden
10. RECOVERY OUTLINE Soft-plumaged Petrel (northern)
11. First record of Soft-plumaged Petrels, Pterodroma mollis, breeding in Australia
12. Status of Australian and New-Zealand Fur Seals at Maatsuyker Island, Southwestern Tasmania
External links
★ Beautiful picture of Maatsuyker Island and the Needles
★ Information about the lighthouse on Maatsuyker Island with several pictures of Maatsuyker Island and the lighthouse
★ Report from a trip through the Maatsuyker Islands to Maatsuyker Island
★ Second page of the report of the trip to Maatsuyker Island
★ Picture of the De Witt Island
★ Picture of some of the Maatsuyker Islands
★ Another map of the area between South East Cape and South West Cape and the Maatsuyker Islands
★ Friends of Maatsuyker Island CARes group
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