Royston Island facts for kids
 Royston Island
Location in South Australia
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Spencer Gulf |
| Coordinates | 35°11′43″S 136°50′19″E / 35.19537°S 136.83873°E |
| Highest elevation | 38 m (125 ft) |
| Administration | |
Royston Island, also known as North Island, is a small island in South Australia, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Pondalowie Bay. This bay is found on the south-west tip of the Yorke Peninsula. The island is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of the town of Stenhouse Bay. Royston Island has been a protected area since 1967. Since 1972, it has been part of the Innes National Park.
Contents
About Royston Island
Royston Island is located near the Yorke Peninsula. It is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of Stenhouse Bay. The island sits at the northern end of Pondalowie Bay. It is only about 300 meters (980 feet) from Royston Head. The island has a flat top, like a plateau. This highest point is 38 meters (125 feet) above the sea. The edges of the island have rocks and boulders. These come from eroded calcarenite and granite. A slope of loose rock, called a talus slope, leads up to the flat top. The island is connected to Royston Head by a shallow reef. This reef sometimes dries out. It is easiest to reach the island by a small boat. The best spot to land is on the north-eastern coast.
How Royston Island Was Formed
Royston Island was formed about 7,000 years ago. This happened when sea levels rose. This rise occurred at the start of the Holocene period. The island is made of two main rock types. The top layer is calcarenite. Below that is a strong ridge of granite. The island has fringing reefs on its north-west and south-east sides. These reefs are like underwater borders. The water around the island gets deep quickly. On its west side, the water drops to 20 meters (66 feet) deep within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles).
Plants and Animals
Island Plants
A survey was done on Royston Island in 1982. It found a total of nineteen different plant types. The top of the island has low, wind-swept shrubs. These include marsh saltbush and coast daisy-bush. Other plants found there are southern sea-heath and round-leaved pigface. You can also find pointed twinleaf.
The slopes of the island have different shrubs. These include nitre-bush and native juniper. Other plants are cockies tongue and African boxthorn. You might also see yellow-flowering sticky goodenia. Austral stork's bill and coastal lignum grow here too. Ruby saltbush is also present. Some rock ledges on the upper parts of the island have climbing plants. These ledges are covered with bower spinach.
Island Animals and Reproduction
Animals with backbones on the island are birds and reptiles. In 1982, little penguins were the most common bird. Silver gulls were also seen often. Both of these bird species used the island for breeding. This means they laid their eggs and raised their young there. By 2011, it was not known how the little penguin colony was doing. The island also had many marbled geckos in 1982.
Island History
European Discovery and Naming
Royston Island was named in 1802. It was named by Matthew Flinders. He named it after Lord Royston. Lord Royston was the oldest son of Lord Hardwicke. The island is also known by another name: "North Island."
Protected Status
Royston Island first became a protected area in 1967. It was declared a fauna (animal) conservation reserve. This happened under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1966. Middle Island in Pondalowie Bay also received this protection at the same time. Since 1972, Royston Island has been part of the Innes National Park.
The waters around Royston Island are also protected. Since 2012, they have been part of a habitat protection zone. This zone is in the South Spencer Gulf Marine Park. Since at least 2014, visitors are not allowed on Royston Island. This also applies to Middle Island and South South Island. These are the three islands in Pondalowie Bay. A survey in 1996 noted penguin breeding sites here.
