Sunday Island (Victoria) facts for kids
Sunday Island is a flat, sandy island off the coast of Victoria, Australia. It's about 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide. The highest point on the island is only about 15 meters (50 feet) above sea level.
The island is located in Corner Inlet, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southwest of Port Albert. Even though the water around it is a protected marine park, Sunday Island itself is private land. It's owned by a group called the Para Park Co-operative Game Reserve Limited. This group uses the island as a special area to protect and manage animals, especially Hog Deer.
Sunday Island has a small airstrip, a jetty (a dock for boats), and buildings for people who live there, as well as for visiting members and their guests. Members of the co-operative can enjoy many outdoor activities on the island. These include walking, taking photos, fishing, and watching birds. They also have chances to hunt deer and work closely with the deer in their natural home.
Island History
Sunday Island is part of the traditional lands of the Brataolong clan of the Gunai nation. European settlers first arrived in this area in the early 1840s. The island has been used for grazing (letting animals eat grass) since at least 1860.
From 1900 to 1922, a pilot station operated on the island. This was a place where pilots helped guide ships safely through the waters. A family lived in a homestead (a main house on a farm) on the island from 1918 to 1938. At one time, about 350 cattle lived on the island. Later, up to 2,200 sheep grazed there instead.
Para Park Co-operative
The Para Park Co-operative Game Reserve Limited was started in 1965. About 200 people, many from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, joined together. They raised A$40,000 to buy the island. Their goal was to protect, study, and allow careful, sustainable hunting of Hog Deer.
Today, there are still about 200 members. New members usually have to wait to join. All members also agree to do some work on the island each year. Most of the island is kept wild. Buildings are only in a small area on the eastern side. There are also some management tracks, improved grassy areas, and dams.
Hunting on the island happens only at certain times of the year. The number of deer that can be hunted is decided by how many need to be removed for good management. Only members can get permits to hunt, and these are chosen by a ballot (a type of lottery). The co-operative has also provided Hog Deer to the Blond Bay State Game Reserve in East Gippsland.
The main goals of the Co-operative are to:
- Keep the island as a place to manage and hunt animals forever.
- Protect the animals and birds already there, and add other good game species.
- Control harmful animals and birds.
- Do projects that make the island a better home for animals.
- Offer a safe place for studying wildlife.
- Keep buildings and services ready for members.
- Help with projects that protect wildlife and support hunting and shooting sports.
Island Plants and Animals
Sunday Island has different types of plants. You can find tall manna gum trees, coastal banksia, coastal tea tree, and golden wattle. The ground is covered with tussock grass (clumps of grass) and bracken (a type of fern).
The island is home to swamp wallabies. It also has managed groups of hog deer and fallow deer, which were brought to the island. The muddy areas around the island are very important. Thousands of migratory waders (birds that feed in shallow water) visit Corner Inlet every year to find food there.
