Robbins Island (Tasmania)
Encyclopedia
Robbins Island is an island located off the northwest coast of Tasmania
separated by a highly tidal area otherwise known as Robbins Passage. It is the seventh largest island of Tasmania, with an area of 99 km² (38.2 sq mi), is the largest freehold island in Tasmania and lies south to adjacent Walker's Island. Over the years it is has changed ownership and to this day remains privately owned.
North West tribe spanning from Table Cape to the western side of Macquarie Harbour
, where in particular, the Parperloihener band resided on Robbins Island prior to European settlement. On 23 November 1802, Charles Robbins, first mate of HMS Buffalo was sent by Governor King
to dissuade the French commodore Nicholas Baudin, with his two ships the Geographe and the Naturaliste from colonising Van Diemen's Land.
Baudin had revealed French plans to colonise Van Diemen's Land
when drunk in a farewell party organised by the Governor, after sailing into Port Jackson where his crew were treated back to health from scurvy
. Governor King
would not accept French occupation of Van Diemen's Land and chartered a schooner
called the Cumberland to which in 13 December 1802, Robbins used successfully, persuading Baudin to abandon French settlement on Van Diemen's Land. The schooner was chartered as larger ships were away and used for other maritime activities. From there along with Charles Grimes
, Robbins sailed to Port Phillip, and actively explored the Yarra River in 1803 before returning to Port Jackson. It was during a subsequent trip to retrieve two Spanish ships which had been captured by a NSW trader's privateering expedition and hidden off the coast of Deal Island
that in 1804 Robbins discovered Robbins island, which is named after him.
In 1826 upon European settlement of Tasmania, the Van Diemen's Land Company
was set up at Stanley
. This company was formed in England by London-based businessmen, who wanted to utilitise land in Tasmania to create a wool industry to supply the British textile industry and due to William Sorrell's account to the Colonial Office
that the Tasmanian colony was desperate for capital. The Van Diemen's Land Company Act was passed transferring possession of 250000 acre (101,171.5 ha) of Crown land
to freehold status or private ownership and included Robbins Island. A series of disputes during the period of 1820 to 1840, between settlers and the North West tribe in which Van Diemen's Land Company chief agent Edward Curr
authorised the use of force if required, included the Cape Grim massacre
escalated battles to become violent and bloody. This culminated in what is now known as the Black War
. In 1835 under George Robinson
, Indigenous people from the Tamanian mainland were removed, including the Parperloihener band from Robbins Island to a reserve on Flinders Island
.
to graze on, primarily for wool production
before the 1850s.
William B. Reid leased the island for 43 years commencing in 1873, where native animals on the land were used as wild game, farming and dairy products were made. Bill and Norah Holyman then bought the island in 1916 using it for sheep husbandry
, selling off the island in 1958. In 1961, H E Hammond was the owner of the island, where it remains in family ownership today. His descendant
s, Keith and John Hammond currently produce on Robbins Island wagyū
beef, which is exported to Japan. Commercial aquaculture
industry from Circular Head
present
ly harvest rock lobster
and abalone
in waters around the island. A wind farm has been proposed to be built on the island and is intended to be fully operational in 2014.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
separated by a highly tidal area otherwise known as Robbins Passage. It is the seventh largest island of Tasmania, with an area of 99 km² (38.2 sq mi), is the largest freehold island in Tasmania and lies south to adjacent Walker's Island. Over the years it is has changed ownership and to this day remains privately owned.
History
The island was part of the territory of the indigenousTasmanian Aborigines
The Tasmanian Aborigines were the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000–15,000 Parlevar. A number of historians point to introduced disease as the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded...
North West tribe spanning from Table Cape to the western side of Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
, where in particular, the Parperloihener band resided on Robbins Island prior to European settlement. On 23 November 1802, Charles Robbins, first mate of HMS Buffalo was sent by Governor King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
to dissuade the French commodore Nicholas Baudin, with his two ships the Geographe and the Naturaliste from colonising Van Diemen's Land.
Baudin had revealed French plans to colonise Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
when drunk in a farewell party organised by the Governor, after sailing into Port Jackson where his crew were treated back to health from scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
. Governor King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
would not accept French occupation of Van Diemen's Land and chartered a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
called the Cumberland to which in 13 December 1802, Robbins used successfully, persuading Baudin to abandon French settlement on Van Diemen's Land. The schooner was chartered as larger ships were away and used for other maritime activities. From there along with Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes was an English-born surveyor who did some valuable work in colonial Australia. He served as surveyor-general of New South Wales and discovered the Yarra River in what is now the state of Victoria. He is perhaps best known for being the surveyor who mapped the route of the Hobart...
, Robbins sailed to Port Phillip, and actively explored the Yarra River in 1803 before returning to Port Jackson. It was during a subsequent trip to retrieve two Spanish ships which had been captured by a NSW trader's privateering expedition and hidden off the coast of Deal Island
Deal Island (Tasmania)
Deal Island is a granite island, with an area of 1576.75 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is the largest of Tasmania’s Kent Group, lying in northern Bass Strait between the Furneaux Group and Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. It is now part of the Kent Group National Park, Tasmania’s northernmost...
that in 1804 Robbins discovered Robbins island, which is named after him.
In 1826 upon European settlement of Tasmania, the Van Diemen's Land Company
Van Diemen's Land Company
The Van Diemen's Land Company was created in 1824, received a Royal Charter in 1825, and was granted 250,000 acres in northwest Tasmania in 1826...
was set up at Stanley
Stanley, Tasmania
Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Travelling west, Stanley is the second-last major township on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Smithton being the larger township in the Circular Head municipality...
. This company was formed in England by London-based businessmen, who wanted to utilitise land in Tasmania to create a wool industry to supply the British textile industry and due to William Sorrell's account to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
that the Tasmanian colony was desperate for capital. The Van Diemen's Land Company Act was passed transferring possession of 250000 acre (101,171.5 ha) of Crown land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
to freehold status or private ownership and included Robbins Island. A series of disputes during the period of 1820 to 1840, between settlers and the North West tribe in which Van Diemen's Land Company chief agent Edward Curr
Edward Curr
Edward Micklethwaite Curr was an Australian pastoralist and squatter.-Biography:Curr was born in Hobart, Tasmania , the eldest of eleven surviving children of Edward Curr and Elizabeth Curr...
authorised the use of force if required, included the Cape Grim massacre
Cape Grim massacre
The Cape Grim massacre occurred 10 February 1828 in the North west of Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, when four shepherds with muskets are alleged to have ambushed over 30 Tasmanian Aborigines from the Pennemukeer band from Cape Grim, killing 30 and throwing their bodies over a 60 metre...
escalated battles to become violent and bloody. This culminated in what is now known as the Black War
Black War
The Black War is a term used to describe a period of conflict between British colonists and Tasmanian Aborigines in the early nineteenth century...
. In 1835 under George Robinson
George Augustus Robinson
George Augustus Robinson was a builder and untrained preacher. He was the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Port Phillip District from 1839 to 1849...
, Indigenous people from the Tamanian mainland were removed, including the Parperloihener band from Robbins Island to a reserve on Flinders Island
Flinders Island
Flinders Island may refer to:In Australia:* Flinders Island , in the Furneaux Group, is the largest and best known* Flinders Island * Flinders Island , in the Investigator Group* Flinders Island...
.
Topography and fauna
The island has a number of topographical features which include:- Cape Elie the most easterly pointCape (geography)In geography, a cape or headland is a point or body of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea.A cape usually represents a marked change in trend of the coastline. Their proximity to the coastline makes them prone to natural forms of erosion, mainly tidal actions. This results in capes...
of the island.
- Guyton Point, located on northeastern area of the island.
- Mosquito Inlet, an estuaryEstuaryAn estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
northwest of the island, having an area of 674 hectares (1,665.5 acre), where four different bird species the Eastern Curlew, Masked LapwingMasked LapwingThe Masked Lapwing , previously known as the Masked Plover and often called the Spur-winged Plover or just Plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent...
, Pied OystercatcherPied OystercatcherThe Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
and Sooty OystercatcherSooty OystercatcherThe Sooty Oystercatcher, Haematopus fuliginosus, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries....
roost.
- Five Islets, located northwest of the island, where the Fairy TernFairy TernThe Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
and Pied OystercatcherPied OystercatcherThe Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
permanently nestNestA nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
, along with migatory birds Great KnotGreat KnotThe Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to...
, Red KnotRed KnotThe Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
, Bar-tailed GodwitBar-tailed GodwitThe Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
, Grey PloverGrey PloverThe Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
, Lesser Sand PloverLesser Sand PloverThe Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as Lesser Sandplover, but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is Lesser Sand Plover....
, Common Greenshank, Red-necked StintRed-necked StintThe Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
, Terek SandpiperTerek SandpiperThe Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
and Ruddy TurnstoneRuddy TurnstoneThe Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
can be found.
- Bird Point, also located northwest of Robbins Island where a number of birds species permanently roost in the area. They include: Fairy TernFairy TernThe Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
s, Little TernLittle TernThe Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
s, Caspian TernCaspian TernThe Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
s, Crested Terns, Pied OystercatcherPied OystercatcherThe Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
s, Sooty OystercatcherSooty OystercatcherThe Sooty Oystercatcher, Haematopus fuliginosus, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries....
s. Many species of migatory birds come to nest here and include Grey-tailed TattlerGrey-tailed TattlerThe Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :...
s, Great KnotGreat KnotThe Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to...
s, Lesser Sand PloverLesser Sand PloverThe Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as Lesser Sandplover, but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is Lesser Sand Plover....
s, Masked LapwingMasked LapwingThe Masked Lapwing , previously known as the Masked Plover and often called the Spur-winged Plover or just Plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent...
s, Pacific Golden PloverPacific Golden PloverThe Pacific Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover.The 23–26 cm long breeding adult is spotted gold and black on the crown, back and wings. Its face and neck are black with a white border and it has a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black...
s, Red KnotRed KnotThe Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
s, Red-capped PloverRed-capped PloverThe Red-capped Plover , also known as the Red-capped Dotterel, is a small plover. It breeds in Australia. The species is closely related to the Kentish Plover, Javan Plover and White-fronted Plover.-Description:Red-capped Plovers have white underparts and forehead...
s, Red-necked StintRed-necked StintThe Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
s, Ruddy TurnstoneRuddy TurnstoneThe Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
s, SanderlingSanderlingThe Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
s, WaderWaderWaders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s, Double-banded PloverDouble-banded PloverThe Double-banded Plover , known as the Banded Dotterel in New Zealand, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. It lives in beaches, mud flats, grasslands and on bare ground...
s, Curlew SandpiperCurlew SandpiperThe Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
s, Common Greenshanks, Bar-tailed GodwitBar-tailed GodwitThe Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
and Hooded PloverHooded PloverThe Hooded Dotterel or Hooded Plover is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. It is endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. There are two recognized subspecies, both of which are classifed as Endangered....
s.
Current developments
The island was used by livestockLivestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
to graze on, primarily for wool production
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
before the 1850s.
William B. Reid leased the island for 43 years commencing in 1873, where native animals on the land were used as wild game, farming and dairy products were made. Bill and Norah Holyman then bought the island in 1916 using it for sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
, selling off the island in 1958. In 1961, H E Hammond was the owner of the island, where it remains in family ownership today. His descendant
Lineal descendant
A lineal descendant, in legal usage, refers to a blood relative in the direct line of descent. The children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc...
s, Keith and John Hammond currently produce on Robbins Island wagyū
Wagyu
refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness...
beef, which is exported to Japan. Commercial aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
industry from Circular Head
Circular Head
The Circular Head Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. It covers the far north-west corner of the state mainland.The major centres of the municipality are Smithton, on the north coast; Stanley, east of Smithton; and Marrawah on the west coast...
present
Present
Present is a time that is neither past nor future.Present may also refer to:- Time and timing :* Present tense, the grammatical tense of a verb* Before Present, radiocarbon dates relative to AD 1950* Presenting, a medical term* Presenteeism...
ly harvest rock lobster
Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
and abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
in waters around the island. A wind farm has been proposed to be built on the island and is intended to be fully operational in 2014.