Taylor Island facts for kids
 Taylor Island
Location in South Australia
|
|
| Etymology | William Taylor |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Spencer Gulf |
| Coordinates | 34°52′41″S 136°00′24″E / 34.877966°S 136.006687°E |
| Area | 2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 84 m (276 ft) |
| Administration | |
Taylor Island, also known as Taylor's Island, is a cool place to explore! It's the biggest of seven islands. You can find it in South Australia, right at the entrance of Spencer Gulf. It sits between the Eyre Peninsula and Thistle Island.
A British explorer named Matthew Flinders gave the island its name in 1802. He named it after William Taylor, a young sailor who was lost during Flinders' trip. The other islands nearby are also named after crew members who were lost. These include Little Island, Lewis Island, Smith Island, Hopkins Island, and Grindal Island. For a long time, Taylor Island was used to raise sheep. The waters around it are also famous for great fishing!
Contents
Island History
In 1876, a group of people visiting the island wrote about it. They said Taylor Island was full of rabbits, mutton birds, and Cape Barren geese.
In 1910, a ship called the Argyle faced a big storm. It was trying to travel from Largs Bay to Venus Bay. The storm was so bad that water filled parts of the ship. The crew worked very hard to pump the water out. They even had to fish coal out of the water to keep the engines going! Everyone on board was very tired. After the storm, the ship stayed at Taylor Island for five days. This gave the crew time to fix the ship.
In 1935, there was a disagreement about sheep on the island. A farmer named Clarence Henry Lines was said to have sheep belonging to other farmers on Taylor Island. Mr. Lines said he did not take the sheep.
By 1940, Taylor Island was a great place for sheep. There was lots of good food for them to eat.
In 1947, a man named Norm Johnson caught a very large fish. It was a snook caught off Taylor Island. It was over 3 feet long and weighed more than 7 pounds!
In March 1950, a fisherman named Mr. A. Dean had an amazing adventure. He was fishing for the first time for big sharks near Taylor Island. He hooked four great white sharks! He managed to catch one that was over 11 feet long and weighed 860 pounds. Another shark, thought to be 14 feet long, got away after a long fight.
As of 1996, Taylor Island was still used for raising a few sheep.
Guiding Ships at Sea
A special tower was built on Taylor Island in 1982. This tower is 9 meters (about 30 feet) tall. It has a flashing light at the top. The light is 76 meters (about 250 feet) above the sea. This light helps ships find their way at night. It is especially helpful for ships coming from the south or east.
Island Plants and Animals
Taylor Island is home to many different plants and animals.
Plants on Taylor Island
Some of the plants you can find here include:
- Dryland Tea-tree (Melaleuca lanceolata)
- Coastal White Mallee (Eucalyptus diversifolia)
- Nitre bush
- Pointed twinleaf
- Native juniper
- Kangaroo thorn
- Dysentery bush
- Old man's beard
- Yorrell
- Native lilac
- Weeping pittosporum
- Cockie's tongue
Animals on Taylor Island
The island has a variety of animals too:
- Western grey kangaroos were brought to the island.
- Brush-tailed possums live there naturally.
- Birds like the Brown falcon, Grey fantail, Golden whistler, and Richard's pipit can be seen.
- The Rosenberg's goanna also lives on the island.
