Heirisson Island
Encyclopedia
Heirisson Island is an island in the Swan River
in Western Australia
at the eastern end of Perth Water
(31°57′59"S 115°52′57"E). The city of Perth
and the Town of Victoria Park
are linked by The Causeway
which is actually two bridges which span the two foreshores and the island. It occupies an area of roughly 285,600 square metres.
Prior to development, there were actually two islands, surrounded by mudflats. Over the years, dredging and reclamation has created a single island, which is now a landscaped nature reserve, with a two kilometre walking path. In recent years a colony of Western Grey Kangaroo
s have been introduced onto the island.
The Matagarup mud flats were the first major crossing point upriver from the river's mouth (at Fremantle) and were an important seasonal access way over which the Beeloo Nyungah gave other groups right of passage across the river.
The first European to visit the Heirisson Island area was the Flemish
explorer Willem de Vlamingh
in January 1697. He was exploring the Swan River in long-boats but only got as far as the Heirisson Island(s) because the mud flats impeded any further progress.
Heirisson Island was named after French
midshipman François-Antoine Boniface Heirisson, who was on the French ship Le Naturaliste which was a scientific expedition led by Nicolas Baudin
between 1801 and 1804. The expedition made several journeys up the river from Fremantle
in long-boats and made the first maps of the Swan River. The island was named in June 1801.
Captain James Stirling
also investigated the area in 1827 just prior to settlement of the Swan River Colony
in 1829. (Appleyard & Manford, 1979)
The Island was used as the finish line on the first season of The Amazing Race Australia
.
erected a statue of aboriginal warrior Yagan
. In 1997 the statue's head was sawn off by vandals apparently in some sort of comment about the then current attempts to return Yagan's head from Britain.
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
in 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...
at the eastern end of Perth Water
Perth Water
Perth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. Retrieved 29 December 2006...
(31°57′59"S 115°52′57"E). The city of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and the Town of Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a...
are linked by The Causeway
The Causeway
The Causeway is the name of the traffic crossing of the Swan River in Western Australia at the eastern end of Perth Water. Made up of two bridges on either side of Heirisson Island, the crossing links the City of Perth and Victoria Park....
which is actually two bridges which span the two foreshores and the island. It occupies an area of roughly 285,600 square metres.
Western Grey Kangaroo
The Western Grey Kangaroo is a large and very common kangaroo or macropod, found across almost the entire southern part of Australia, from just south of Shark Bay to coastal South Australia, western Victoria, and the entire Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales and Queensland...
s have been introduced onto the island.
Future plans
In 2008 a new Master Plan for Heirisson Island was adopted by the City of Perth. This Master Plan integrates a proposed international quality sculpture park on the Island and the construction of a footbridge over the northern channel of the Swan River. The footbridge will link Point Fraser to the Island and provide a gateway to the proposed sculpture park. The sculpture park concept is being driven by a not for profit organisation Heirisson Island Sculpture Park Inc. with the support of the City of Perth.History
The area around Heirisson Island is traditionally associated with the Beeloo Nyungah people who knew the small islands and mud flats as Matagarup, referring to the river as being 'one leg deep'. The island located on either side of the current causeway bridge was known as Kakaroomup.The Matagarup mud flats were the first major crossing point upriver from the river's mouth (at Fremantle) and were an important seasonal access way over which the Beeloo Nyungah gave other groups right of passage across the river.
The first European to visit the Heirisson Island area was the Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
explorer Willem de Vlamingh
Willem de Vlamingh
Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the central west coast of Australia in the late 17th century.- Vlamingh and the VOC :...
in January 1697. He was exploring the Swan River in long-boats but only got as far as the Heirisson Island(s) because the mud flats impeded any further progress.
Heirisson Island was named after French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
midshipman François-Antoine Boniface Heirisson, who was on the French ship Le Naturaliste which was a scientific expedition led by Nicolas Baudin
Nicolas Baudin
Nicolas-Thomas Baudin was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer.Baudin was born a commoner in Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Île de Ré. At the age of fifteen he joined the merchant navy, and at twenty joined the French East India Company...
between 1801 and 1804. The expedition made several journeys up the river from Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
in long-boats and made the first maps of the Swan River. The island was named in June 1801.
Captain James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
also investigated the area in 1827 just prior to settlement of the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
in 1829. (Appleyard & Manford, 1979)
The Island was used as the finish line on the first season of The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia is an Australian reality television game show based on the American reality television series, The Amazing Race that is broadcast on the Seven Network. The series features eleven teams of two who are in a pre-existing personal relationship, and follow the various...
.
Yagan's statue
In September 1984 the Government of Western AustraliaGovernment of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
erected a statue of aboriginal warrior Yagan
Yagan
Yagan was an Australian Aboriginal warrior from the Noongar tribe who played a key part in early indigenous Australian resistance to British settlement and rule in the area of Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of burglaries and robberies across the countryside, in which white...
. In 1997 the statue's head was sawn off by vandals apparently in some sort of comment about the then current attempts to return Yagan's head from Britain.
External links
- Vintage aerial photograph by Frank HurleyFrank HurleyJames Francis "Frank" Hurley, OBE was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces during both world wars.His artistic style produced many memorable images but he also used staged...
at the National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the... - Proposed Heirisson Island Sculpture Park