kids encyclopedia robot

Anxious Bay facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Anxious Bay
12 Venus Bay 24.JPG
View of Anxious Bay from mouth of Venus Bay
Anxious Bay is located in South Australia
Anxious Bay
Anxious Bay
Location in South Australia
Location Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
Coordinates 33°19′24″S 134°36′50″E / 33.32333°S 134.61389°E / -33.32333; 134.61389
Type Bay
Basin countries Australia
Max. length 66 km (41 mi).
Max. width 21 km (13 mi)
Max. depth 58 m (190 ft)
Islands Waldegrave Island
Jones Island
Unnamed island, Baird Bay
Settlements Venus Bay
Baird Bay

Anxious Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula about 275 kilometres (171 miles) west north-west of Adelaide. It was named by Matthew Flinders on 21 February 1802. It is one of four ‘historic bays’ located on the South Australian coast.

Extent & description

Anxious Bay lies between Cape Radstock and Cape Finniss on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula. Anxious Bay itself is the entry point for the following minor coastal inlets from west to east - Baird Bay and Venus Bay. It is one of four bays on the South Australian coast considered by the Australian government to be a ‘historic bay’ under the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 and proclaimed as such in 1987 and again in 2006 with the result that the mouth of the bay is on the territorial seas baseline and the waters within the bay are internal waters as per the definition used in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

European discovery

Matthew Flinders named Anxious Bay on 11 February 1802.

Ports and other settlements

Settlements on its shores include Venus Bay and Baird Bay. A third settlement, Port Kenny is accessible via the body of water known as Venus Bay. Both the settlements of Venus Bay and Port Kenny have port infrastructure consisting of jetties that are accessible via Venus Bay.

Economic use

As of 2013, an area within the southern end of the bay located to the immediate north of Waldegrave Island has been zoned under state planning legislation for aquaculture.

Protected areas

Protected areas located within and adjoining the bay’s extent include:

kids search engine
Anxious Bay Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.