Kent Group

Infobox_protected_area_of_Australia | name = Kent Group National Park
iucn_category = II

---

caption =
locator_x = 175
locator_y = 1
nearest_town_or_city = Launceston
coordinates = coord|41|33|03|S|147|40|01|E|type:landmark_region:AU
area = 165 km²
established = 1947
visitation_num = 25,000
visitation_year = 1998
managing_authorities = Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
official_site = [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/kent/index.html Kent Group National Park]

The Kent Group of Islands (coord|39|27|S|147|20|E [Gazetteer of Australia | name = Kent Group | id = 211722] ) lies in Bass Strait, Australia, north-west of the Furneaux Group. They form the Kent Group National Park. [ [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/kent/index.html Kent Group National Park page] at the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service]

The islands were named Kent's Group by Matthew Flinders, "in honour of my friend captain William Kent, then commander of the "Supply" when Flinders passed them on 7 February 1798 in the "Francis" (on her way to salvage the "Sydney Cove").gutenberg|no=12929|name=A Voyage to Terra Australis by Matthew Flinders] The largest island in the group is Deal Island; the others, in order of descending size, are Erith Island, Dover Island, North East Isle, South West Isle and Judgement Rocks.

hipwrecks

Murray Pass between Deal and Erith Islands has long been used by ships to shelter from gales in Bass Strait, but it is a dangerous, partly open, roadstead, and many ships have been wrecked after sudden changes in wind direction and speed. Others have hit the island either while attempting to shelter or through poor navigation in darkness or bad weather, several with heavy loss of life. They include: [Broxam & Nash, "Tasmanian Shipwrecks", Volumes 1 and 2, Navarine Publishing, Canberra, 1998 and 2000, ISBN 0-9586561-5-0 and ISBN 0-9586561-6-9]

* 1816, "Brothers", schooner, 40 tons, Captain William Hovell, one life lost.
* 1819, "Daphne", brig, 151 tons, Captain John Howard, no lives lost.
* 1819, "John Palmer", schooner, 37 tons, Captain Bastian, two lives lost (one ex "Daphne")
* 1831, "Ionia", snow, 226 tons, Captain Buck. ?Three lives lost.
* 1850, "Ida", schooner, 50 tons, no loss of life.
* 1851, "White Squall", schooner, 104 tons, Captain Chattock, no loss of life.
* 1852, "Dorset", brig, 82 tons, Captain Birdwood, no loss of life.
* 1852, "Mary", brig, 308 tons, no loss of life.
* 1855, "Elizabeth Mason", schooner, 79 tons, Captain McIntyre, no loss of life.
* 1856, "Kendall", schooner, 157 tons, Captain Read, no lives lost.
* 1862, "Reindeer", schooner, 104 tons, Captain Morris, all hands (about 8) lost.
* 1863, "General Jessup", barque, 193 tons, Captain Hodge, no loss of life.
* 1866, "Boscarne", schooner, 63 tons, Captain Black, no loss of life.
* 1875, "Essie Black", barque, 281 tons, Captain Sivier, all hands (about 10) lost.
* 1877, "Bulli", iron steamship, 524 tons, Captain Randell, no loss of life (a popular dive wreck).
* 1921, "Karitane", steel steamship, 1376 tons, Captain Spain, no loss of life.
* 1930, "Ida N", new fishing boat, 25 tons, Captain Busk, no lives lost.
* 1961, "St Nicholas", newly completed fish carrier, 45 tons, no loss of life.

References

ee also

* Protected areas of Tasmania (Australia)

External links

* [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/kent/index.html Kent Group National Park]