Faure Island

Faure Island (25º 51' S, 113º 53' E) is a 58 km² is an island pastoral lease and nature reserve, east of the Francois Peron National Park on the Peron Peninsula, in Shark Bay, Western Australia. It lies in line with the Monkey Mia resort to the west, and the Wooramel River on the eastern shore of Shark Bay.

It is surrounded by the Shark Bay Marine Park and Shark Bay World Heritage Site.

Faure Island Sanctuary is now owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

History

The island was given its European name by French explorer Nicolas Baudin in 1801, in honour of the geographer, Pierre Faure, aboard his ship "Le Naturaliste".

Pastoral leases over the island were granted to Charles Broadhurst in 1873, and to WD Moore & Coy in 1883. For most of the 20th Century, from 1905, the Hoult family of Denham ran sheep and goats on the island. In 1999 the Hoults sold the lease to the AWC, which removed more than 3400 sheep. [cite news
last = Richards
first = Jacqui
coauthors =
title = Return to Faure Island
work = Landscope
pages = 10-17
language =
publisher = WA Dept of Environment & Conservation
date = Summer 2006-2007 ]

Landscape and climate

It consists mostly of red and white sandy plains and dunes, with claypans in low-lying areas. The highest point is 26m above sea level. It has some limestone and red sand cliff shores, like Peron Peninsula.

The vegetation is predominantly low shrubs of Acacia ramulosa. There are also mallee shrublands, spinifex grasslands, samphire/"Atriplex" shrublands, and coastal mangroves. [ [http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=268127 Faure Island] in the Gazetteer of Australia [http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/ online] ]

The climate is semi-arid to arid, with hot dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall is erratic, falling mainly in winter, with an annual average of 222 mm. Cyclones may sometimes bring rainfall in summer and autumn. [ [http://www.australianwildlife.org/faureisland.asp?Type=Climate Faure Island: Climate] ]

Wildlife

Birds

Faure Island is an important breeding area for many seabirds, as well as being important for migratory waders using the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. It is notable as a roosting site for Pied Cormorants. [http://www.australianwildlife.org/faureisland_wildlife.asp Faure Island: Wildlife] ]

Mammals

The original native mammal fauna of Faure Island did not survive the introduction of livestock and the presence of feral cats. However, sub-fossil evidence of the former presence of native mammals has brought reintroduction of the Boodie, Shark Bay Mouse, Banded Hare-wallaby and Western Barred Bandicoot and Greater Stick-nest Rat.

Marine surrounds

The island is located within the Shark Bay Marine Park and is adjacent to both the Wooramel Seagrass Bank and the Faure Sill sandbank that is a major component in the creating of the conditions within the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve.

ee also

* List of islands of Western Australia

References

External links

* [http://www.australianwildlife.org/aboutAWC.asp AWC]