The Auster Islands are a group of small islands at the northeast end of the Robinson Group

Robinson Group

Robinson Group is a group of small islands extending 10 miles in an east-west direction, lying close northwest of Cape Daly. The group was observed by British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition under Mawson, 1931, who named it after W.S. Robinson of Melbourne, a patron of the...

, located 5.5 miles (9 km) north of Cape Daly

Cape Daly

Cape Daly is an ice-covered promontory on the coast, 3 nautical miles west of Safety Island and close southeast of the Robinson Group. Discovered in February 1931 by the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition under Mawson, who named it for Senator Daly of the...

, Mac. Robertson Land

Mac. Robertson Land

Mac. Robertson Land is the portion of Antarctica lying southward of the coast between William Scoresby Bay and Cape Darnley. Mac. Robertson Land is located at . In the east, Mac. Robertson Land includes the Prince Charles Mountains. Mac...

. They were mapped from Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division .-The ANARE Name:...

 (ANARE) surveys and from air photos 1959–66, and so named by the Antarctic Names Committee of Australia  because of the nearness of the islands to Auster rookery

Auster rookery

67° 23' 46.0" S, 63° 57' 02.5" EAuster Rookery is an Emperor penguin rookery on sea-ice, sheltered by grounded icebergs about 51 km ENE of Mawson Station in Antarctica....

, and because they have provided a camp site for ANARE parties visiting the rookery

Rookery

A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally birds. A rook is a Northern European and Central Asian member of the crow family, which nest in prominent colonies at the tops of trees. The term is applied to the nesting place of birds, such as crows and rooks, the source of the term...

.