Pigeon Island (Houtman Abrolhos) facts for kids
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Map of Pigeon Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Indian Ocean, off the coast of Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 28°27′18″S 113°43′34″E / 28.45500°S 113.72611°E |
| Archipelago | Houtman Abrolhos |
| Area | 4.3 ha (11 acres) |
| Length | 430 m (1,410 ft) |
| Width | 140 m (460 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| State | Western Australia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Seasonally inhabited by lobster fishers (2006) |
Pigeon Island is a small island found in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos. This is a group of islands, also known as an archipelago, located off the coast of Western Australia.
The island is mostly used by people who fish for western rock lobsters. Because of this, it has many fishing camps and is more changed by humans than other islands nearby. There's another island close by called Little Pigeon Island, which is also used by fishers. That's why Pigeon Island is sometimes called "Big Pigeon Island".
Contents
Island History
Pigeon Island is located in a place that suggests it might have been visited by survivors of the 1629 Batavia shipwreck. However, there is no proof of this, either from old writings or from things found in the ground.
In the 20th century, people dug up guano (bird droppings used as fertilizer) from the island.
Island Geography
Pigeon Island has a shape that is roughly like a triangle. It has a short side on the southwest and two longer sides that meet at a point in the northeast.
The island is full of buildings and structures. There are many huts covering the whole island, right down to the water's edge. In total, there are 54 fishing camps, a school, and even a pub! There are also about 20 docks, mostly along the northwest side. This is because boats can only easily reach the island from this direction.
The island is surrounded by a coral reef to the south and east. However, a clear path for boats, called Pigeon Island Anchorage, runs along the northwest side.
How Pigeon Island Formed
The main part of Pigeon Island is made of a type of rock called limestone. This limestone platform is called the Wallabi Limestone. It is very dense and forms the base for the entire Wallabi Group of islands.
This platform rises sharply from a flat seabed. It is about 40 metres (130 feet) thick and formed during the Quaternary period, which is the most recent geological time period. Long ago, about 125,000 years ago, sea levels were higher than they are today. During that time, coral reefs grew. These old reefs are now above the water in some places and form the base of islands like Pigeon Island.
Island Flora (Plants)
Flora refers to all the different kinds of plants found in a particular area. On Pigeon Island, 71 different types of plants have been recorded. Out of these, 45 are native to the area, meaning they grew there naturally. The other 29 species were introduced by people.
Here are some of the plants found on Pigeon Island:
- Acanthocarpus preissii
- Actites megalocarpa (dune thistle)
- Anagallis arvensis (pimpernel) (naturalised)
- Atriplex cinerea (grey saltbush)
- Atriplex paludosa (marsh saltbush)
- Atriplex sp.
- Austrostipa elegantissima
- Avena barbata (bearded oat) (naturalised)
- Brachyscome ciliaris
- Bromus arenarius (sand brome)
- Bromus diandrus (great brome) (naturalised)
- Bromus hordeaceus (soft brome) (naturalised)
- Bryophyllum delagoense (mother of millions) (naturalised)
- Bulbine semibarbata (leek lily)
- Capparis spinosa (coastal caper)
- Carpobrotus virescens (coastal pigface)
- Conyza bonariensis (flaxleaf fleabane) (naturalised)
- Cotyledon orbiculata
- Cynodon dactylon (couch) (naturalised)
- Daucus glochidiatus (Australian carrot)
- Dianella revoluta (blueberry lily)
- Diplolaena grandiflora (wild rose)
- Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum (round-leaved pigface)
- Ehrharta longiflora (annual veldt grass) (naturalised)
- Emex australis (doublegee) (naturalised)
- Enchylaena tomentosa (barrier saltbush)
- Eragrostis dielsii (mallee lovegrass)
- Erodium cicutarium (common storksbill) (naturalised)
- Erodium cygnorum (blue heronsbill)
- Euphorbia boophthona (Gascoyne spurge)
- Euphorbia tannensis
- Euphorbia terracina (Geraldton carnation weed) (naturalised)
- Exocarpos aphyllus (leafless ballart)
- Frankenia pauciflora (seaheath)
- Haloragis trigonocarpa
- Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum (barley grass) (naturalised)
- Juncus bufonius (toad rush) (naturalised)
- Lactuca saligna (wild lettuce) (naturalised)
- Malva parviflora (marshmallow) (naturalised)
- Malva preissiana (Australian hollyhock)
- Medicago polymorpha (burr medic) (naturalised)
- Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (iceplant) (naturalised)
- Muellerolimon salicorniaceum
- Myoporum insulare (blueberry tree)
- Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco) (naturalised)
- Nicotiana occidentalis subsp. hesperis (native tobacco)
- Nitraria billardierei (bitre bush)
- Olearia axillaris (coastal daisy bush)
- Phalaris minor (lesser canary grass) (naturalised)
- Pimelea microcephala (shrubby riceflower)
- Pittosporum phillyreoides (weeping pittosporum)
- Plantago debilis
- Polycarpon tetraphyllum (fourleaf allseed) (naturalised)
- Polypogon tenellus
- Rhagodia baccata (berry saltbush)
- Rhagodia latifolia
- Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish) (naturalised)
- Rostraria cristata (naturalised)
- Sarcostemma viminale subsp. australe
- Schenkia australis (naturalised)
- Senecio pinnatifolius
- Setaria dielsii (Diels' pigeon grass)
- Solanum nigrum (black berry nightshade)
- Sonchus oleraceus (common sow thistle) (naturalised)
- Spergularia rubra (sand spurry) (naturalised)
- Sporobolus virginicus (marine couch)
- Tamarix aphylla (athel tree) (naturalised)
- Tecticornia arbuscula
- Tecticornia halocnemoides (shrubby samphire)
- Threlkeldia diffusa (coast bonefruit)
- Thysanotis patersonii
- Triglochin centrocarpa
- Vulpia myuros (rat's tail fescue) (naturalised)
Island Fauna (Animals)
Fauna refers to all the different kinds of animals living in a particular area. The animals found on Pigeon Island include the rare spiny-tailed skink. You can also find the Abrolhos painted buttonquail and the brush bronzewing here.
In the past, black rats (Rattus rattus) lived on the island. However, they have now been completely removed.
How Humans Use Pigeon Island
The entire Houtman Abrolhos area is managed by Western Australia's Minister for Fisheries. This is for three main reasons: protecting plants and animals, encouraging tourism, and supporting the fishing industry.
Pigeon Island is one of the few islands in the group that is almost entirely used for fishing. Because of the guano mining in the 1800s and the building of fishing facilities in the 1900s, the island does not have much value for protecting nature.
