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 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tasman Sea |
| Coordinates | 41°20′S 148°20′E / 41.333°S 148.333°E / -41.333; 148.333 |
| 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]
Three applications were made to the colonial government in 1841, each for three acres, to operate shore-based whaling stations on the island. It is not clear if all or any of these was taken up.[2]
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.[3]
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]
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