Nepean Island (Norfolk Island) facts for kids
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Native name:
Nepeyan Ailen
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View across to Nepean Island (foreground) and Phillip Island in the distance
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| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 29°4′16″S 167°57′50″E / 29.07111°S 167.96389°E |
| Area | 10 ha (25 acres) |
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Nepean Island (in Norfuk: Nepeyan Ailen) is a small island in the Southwest Pacific. It is located about 800 meters (about half a mile) south of Norfolk Island. The island is very small, covering about 10 hectares (25 acres).
No one lives on Nepean Island. It has tall cliffs, which makes it very hard for small boats to land there. Nepean Island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia. It belongs to the external territory of Norfolk Island. The island is also part of the Norfolk Island National Park. Nearby Phillip Island and some of Norfolk Island are also in this park.
Contents
Island History and Formation
Nepean Island formed differently from Norfolk and Phillip Islands. Those islands were made by volcanoes. Nepean Island, however, is made of limestone. This limestone formed from sand dunes blown by the wind. This happened between the last two ice ages. The sand grains were stuck together by a natural cement.
Early Human Activity
Even though Polynesian people lived near Kingston on Norfolk Island, there is no sign they ever settled on Nepean Island. The island was first cleared of its trees in the 1790s. This was during the time of the First Settlement.
Later, during the Second Convict Settlement, Nepean Island was used as a quarry. People took stone from it. They also used it for timber (wood). After a while, it was no longer used for these purposes. You can still see some old stone steps on the east coast of the island.
How Nepean Island Got Its Name
The island was likely named in 1788 by Lieutenant Philip Gidley King. He named it after Evan Nepean. Mr. Nepean was a government official in England. He helped arrange for the First Fleet to sail to Australia. He also helped manage the early colony of New South Wales.
Wildlife and Natural Environment
Nepean Island is made of a type of rock called calcareous rock. This rock formed a very long time ago. The island is a very important place for many kinds of seabirds to lay their eggs and raise their young.
Plants of Nepean Island
Before the 1790s, Nepean Island had about 200 Norfolk Island Pines. These trees were cleared away. Today, you can find different native plants on the island. These include pigface, native spinach, moo-oo, native flax, and native rush.
Birds and Other Animals
Many seabirds use Nepean Island as a breeding ground. The masked booby breeds there during the summer months. From July to December, little shearwaters also breed on the island. Other birds that breed on Nepean Island include the whale bird, grey noddy, black noddy, wedge-tailed shearwater, brown noddy, and red-tailed tropicbird.
The island is also a safe place for the marbled gecko. This type of gecko is no longer found on Norfolk Island itself. The Phillip Island skink also lives there. You can find little nipper landcrabs and freshwater crabs on the island too. Green turtles are often seen swimming near the coast of Nepean Island.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Nepean para niños
