Lord Howe Island
Encyclopedia
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea
between Australia
and New Zealand
, 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about 900 kilometres (559.2 mi) from Norfolk Island
. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of 16.56 km2. Along the west coast there is a sandy semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef
lagoon
. Most of the population lives in the north, while the south is dominated by forested hills rising to the highest point on the island, Mount Gower
(875 m or 2,870.7 ft). The Lord Howe Island Group of islands comprises 28 islands, islets and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself the most notable of these is the volcanic and uninhabited Balls Pyramid about 23 km to the south-east. To the north there is the Admiralty Group
, a cluster of seven small uninhabited islands.
The first reported sighting of Lord Howe Island was on 17 February 1788 when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball
, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply was on its way from Botany Bay
to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island. On the return journey Ball sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. It subsequently became a provisioning port for the whaling industry, and was permanently settled in June 1834. When whaling declined, the worldwide export of the endemic kentia palm
s began in the 1880s, which remains a key component of the Island's economy. The other continuing industry, tourism, began after World War II.
The Lord Howe Island Group is part of the state of New South Wales that, for legal purposes, is regarded as an unincorporated area
administered by the Lord Howe Island Board which reports to the New South Wales Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. The island's standard time zone
is UTC+10:30
, or UTC+11
when daylight saving time
applies. The currency is the Australian dollar. Commuter airlines are linked to Sydney
, Brisbane
, Port Macquarie and Norfolk Island.
The Lord Howe Island Group is recorded by UNESCO
as a World Heritage Site
of global natural significance. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest with many of the plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Other natural attractions include the diversity of its landscapes, the variety of upper mantle and oceanic basalts, the world's southernmost barrier coral reef, nesting seabirds, and its rich historical and cultural heritage. The Lord Howe Island Act of 1981 established a "Permanent Park Preserve" (covering approximately 70 per cent of the island). The surrounding waters are a protected region designated the Lord Howe Island Marine Park
.
It appears that, prior to European discovery and settlement, Lord Howe Island was uninhabited, and unknown to Polynesian peoples
of the South Pacific. The first reported European sighting of Lord Howe Island was on 17 February 1788 when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball
, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply (the oldest and smallest of the First Fleet
ships) was on its way from Botany Bay
with a cargo of 15 convicts (9 male, 6 female) to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island
. On the return journey of 13 March 1788 Ball observed Ball's Pyramid and sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. Numerous turtles and tame birds were captured and returned to Sydney. Ball named Mount Lidgbird
and Balls Pyramid after himself and the main island after Richard Howe
, First Earl Howe, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time.
Many names on the island date from this time, and also from May of the same year when the island was visited by four ships of the First Fleet, HMS Supply, Charlotte
, Lady Penrhyn
and Scarborough
when much of the plant and animal life was first recorded in the journals and diaries of visitors like David Blackburn, Master of the Supply. Watercolour sketches of native birds including the Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris
), White Gallinule (Porphyrio albus
), and Lord Howe Pigeon (Columba vitiensis godmanae), were made by artists including George Raper
and John Hunter. As the latter two birds were soon hunted to extinction these paintings are their only remaining pictorial record. Over the next three years the Supply returned to the island several times in search of turtles and the island was also visited by ships of the Second
and Third Fleet
s. Between 1789 and 1791 the Pacific whale industry
was born with British and American whaling ships chasing Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus
) along the equator to the Gilbert and Ellice archipelago
, then south into Australian and New Zealand waters. The American fleet numbered 675 ships and Lord Howe was located in a region known as the 'Middle Ground' noted for Sperm Whales and Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis
).
The island was subsequently visited by many government and whaling ships sailing between New South Wales
and Norfolk Island and across the Pacific, including many from the American whaling fleet, so its reputation as a provisioning port preceded settlement, some ships leaving goats and pigs on the island as food for future visitors. Between July and October 1791 the Third Fleet ships arrived at Sydney and within days the deckwork was being reconstructed for a future in the lucrative whaling industry. Whale oil was to become New Holland's (Australia) most profitable export until the 1830s, and it was the whaling industry that shaped Lord Howe Island's early history.
This was a cashless society; the settlers bartered their stores of water, wood, vegetables, meat, fish and bird feathers for clothes, tea, sugar, tools, tobacco and other commodities not available on the island — but it was the whalers’ valuation that had to be accepted. These first settlers eventually left the island when they were bought out for £350 in September 1841 by businessmen Owen Poole and Richard Dawson (later joined by John Foulis) whose employees and others now settled on the island.
(Vanuatu) would also put in to the island. Rover's Bride, a small cutter, became the first regular trading vessel. Between 1839 and 1859 between five and twelve ships made landfall each year, occasionally closer to 20 with seven or eight at a time laying off the reef. In 1842 and 1844 the first children were born on the island. Then in 1847 Poole, Dawson and Foulis, bitter at failing to obtain a land lease from the New South Wales Government, abandoned the settlement although three of their employees remained. One family, the Andrews, after finding some onions on the beach in 1848, cultivated them as the 'Lord Howe Red Onion' which was popular in the southern hemisphere for about 30 years until the crop was attacked by smut disease
.
In 1849 there were just 11 people living on the island but it was not long before the island farms expanded. In the 1850s gold was discovered on mainland Australia where crews would abandon their ships, preferring to dig for gold than to risk a life at sea. As a consequence many vessels avoided the mainland and Lord Howe Island experienced an increasing trade which peaked between 1855 and 1857. In 1851 about 16 people were living on the island. Between 1839 and 1859 between five and twelve ships made landfall per year (occasionally closer to 20) with seven or eight at a time laying off the reef. Vegetable crops now included potatoes, carrots, maize, pumpkin, taro, watermelon — even grapes, passionfruit and coffee. Between 1851 and 1853 there were several aborted proposals by the NSW Government to establish a penal settlement on the island.
From 1851 to 1854 Henry Denham
captain of HMS Herald
, which was on a scientific expedition
to the southwest Pacific (1852–1856), completed the island's first hydrographic survey
. On board were three Scottish biologists, William Milne
(a gardener-botanist from the Edinburgh Botanic Garden), John Macgillivray
(naturalist) who collected fish and plant specimens, and Assistant Surgeon and zoologist Denis Macdonald
. Together these men established much basic information on the geology, flora and fauna of the island.
In about 1853 a further three settlers arrived on the American whaling barque Belle, captained by Ichabod Handy. As well as George Campbell (who died in 1856) and Jack Brian (who left the island in 1854), the third, Nathan Thompson, brought three women (called Botanga, Bogoroo, and a girl named Bogue) from the Gilbert Islands. When his first wife Botanga died he then married Bogue. Thompson was the first resident to build a substantial house in the 1860s from mainland cedar washed up on the beach. Most of the residents with island ancestors have blood relations or are connected by marriage to Thompson and his second wife Bogue.
In 1855 the island was officially designated as part of New South Wales by the Constitution Act.
In 1869 the island was visited by a magistrate P. Cloete aboard the Thetis investigating a possible murder. He was accompanied by Charles Moore
, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney and his assistant, William Carron who forwarded plant specimens to Ferdinand Mueller at the botanic gardens in Melbourne who, by 1875, had catalogued and published 195 species. Also on the ship was William Fitzgerald a surveyor and Mr Masters from the Australian Museum
. Together they surveyed the island with the findings published in 1870 when the population was listed as 35 people, their 13 houses built of split palm battens thatched on the roof and sides with palm leaves. At about this time there began a downturn of trade with the demise of the whaling industry and sometimes six or twelve months passed without a vessel calling. With the provisions rotting in the storehouses the older families lost interest in market gardening.
From 1860 to 1872 forty-three ships had collected provisions, but from 1873 to 1887 there were fewer than a dozen. This prompted some activity from the mainland. A 1876 a government report on the island was submitted by surveyor William Fitzgerald based on a visit in the same year. He suggested that coffee be grown but the kentia palm
was already catching world attention. In 1878 the island was declared a Forest Reserve and Captain Richard Armstrong became the first resident government administrator. He encouraged schools, tree-planting and the palm trade, dynamited the north passage to the lagoon, and built roads but, having managed to upset the residents, parliamentarian John Wilson was sent from the mainland in April 1882 to investigate the situation. With Wilson was a team of scientists that included H. Wilkinson from the Mines Department, W. Condor from the Survey Department, J. Duff from the Sydney Botanical Gardens and A. Morton from the Australian Museum. J. Sharkey from the Government Printing Office took the earliest known photographs of the Island and its residents. A full account of the island appeared in the report from this visit published as "Lord Howe Island 1882", which also recommended that Armstrong be replaced. Meanwhile the population had increased considerably and included 29 children; the report recommended that a schoolmaster be appointed. This study sealed a lasting relationship with three scientific organisations, the Australian Museum, Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
.
In 1883 the company Burns Philp started a regular shipping service and the number of tourists gradually increased. By 1932, with the regular tourist run of the SS Morinda, tourism became the second biggest source of external income after palm sales to Europe. Morinda was replaced by Makambo in 1932, and she in turn by other vessels. The service continues into the present day with the fortnightly Island Trader service from Port Macquarie.
The palm trade began in the 1880s when the lowland Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) was first exported to Britain, Europe and America but the trade was only placed on a firm financial footing when the Lord Howe Island Kentia Palm Nursery was formed in 1906 (see below).
The first plane to appear on the island was in 1931 when Francis Chichester
alighted on the lagoon in a Gipsy Moth converted into a floatplane. It was damaged here in an overnight storm but repaired with the assistance of islanders and then took off successfully nine weeks later for a flight to Sydney. After World War II, in 1947, tourists arrived on Catalina and then Sandringham flying boats operating out of Rose Bay, Sydney, and landing on the lagoon, the journey taking about 3.5 hours. These seaplanes were replaced by twin-engined aircraft (in 2011 Dash 8 turbo-props) when the Lord Howe Island Airport
was completed in 1974. In 2002, the Royal Navy
destroyer struck Wolf Rock
, a reef at Lord Howe Island, and almost sank. In recent times tourism has increased and the government of New South Wales has been increasingly involved with issues of conservation.
On 17 October, 2011, a supply ship, M/V Island Trader with twenty tons of fuel ran aground in the lagoon. The ship refloated at high tide with no loss of crew or cargo.
Official control of Lord Howe Island lay initially with the British Crown
until it passed to New South Wales in 1855, although until at least 1876 the islanders lived in "a relatively harmonious and self-regulating community". In 1878 Richard Armstrong was appointed administrator when the NSW Parliament declared the island a Forest Reserve. But as a result of ill feeling, and an enquiry, he was eventually removed from office on 31 May 1882 (he returned later that year though to view the transit of Venus from present-day Transit Hill). After his removal the island was administered by four successive magistrates until 1913 when a Sydney-based Board was formed until 1948 when a resident superintendent was appointed. In 1913 the three-man Lord Howe Island Board of Control was established, mostly to regulate the palm seed industry, but also administering the affairs of the island from Sydney until the present Lord Howe Island Board was set up in 1954.
The Lord Howe Island Board is a NSW Statutory Authority established under the Lord Howe Island Act, 1953, to administer the island as part of the state of New South Wales. It reports directly to the state's Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, and is responsible for the care, control and management of the island. Its duties include: the protection of World Heritage values; the control of development; the administration of Crown Land, including the island's protected area; provision of community services and infrastructure; and regulating sustainable tourism. In 1981 the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act gave islanders the administrative power of three members on a five-member Board. The Board also manages the Lord Howe Island Kentia Palm Nursery which, together with tourism, provides the island's only sources of external income. Under an amendment bill in 2004 the Board now comprises seven members, four of whom are elected from the islander community, thus giving the approximately 350 permanent residents a high level of autonomy. The remaining three members are appointed by the Minister to represent the interests of business, tourism and conservation. The full Board meets on the island every three months while the day-to-day affairs of the island are managed by the Board's administration, with a permanent staff that had increased to 22 people by 1988.
Land tenure
has been an issue since first settlement as island residents repeatedly requested freehold title or an absolute gift
of cultivated land. Original settlers were squatters. The granting of a 100 acres (40.5 ha) lease to Richard Armstrong in 1878 drew complaints and a few short-term leases (Permissive Occupancies) were granted. In 1913, with the appointment of a Board of Control, permissive occupancies were revoked and the Board itself given permissive occupancy of the island. Then the Lord Howe Island Act of 1953 made all land the property of the Crown. Direct descendants of islanders with permissive occupancies in 1913 were granted perpetual leases on blocks of up to 5 acres (2 ha) for residential purposes. Short-term special leases were granted for larger areas used for agriculture, so in 1955, 55 perpetual leases and 43 special leases were granted. The 1981 amendment to the act extended political and land rights to all residents of 10 years or more. There remains an active debate concerning the proportion of residents with tenure and the degree of influence on the Board of resident islanders in relation to long-term planning for visitors, and issues relating to the environment, amenity and global heritage.
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Lying in the Tasman Sea
between Australia and New Zealand the island is 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) east of mainland Port Macquarie, 702 kilometres (436.2 mi) northeast of Sydney
, and about 772 kilometres (479.7 mi) from Norfolk Island
to its northeast. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of 16.56 km2. Along the west coast there is a semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef
lagoon
with white sand, the most accessible of the island's eleven beaches. Both the north and south sections of the island are high ground of relatively untouched forest, in the south comprising two volcanic mountains, Mount Lidgbird
(777 m or 2,549.2 ft) and Mount Gower
which, rising to 875 m (2,870.7 ft), is the highest point on the island. In the north, where most of the population live, high points are Malabar (209 m or 685.7 ft) and Mount Eliza (147 m or 482.3 ft). Between these two uplands is an area of cleared lowland with some farming, the airstrip, and housing. The Lord Howe Island Group of islands comprises 28 islands, islets and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself the most notable of these is the pointed rocky islet Balls Pyramid, a 551 metres (1,807.7 ft) eroded volcano about 23 km to the south-east, which is uninhabited but bird-colonised. To the north there is the Admiralty Group
, a cluster of seven small uninhabited islands. Just off the east coast is Mutton Bird Island, and in the lagoon is Blackburn (Rabbit) Island.
, the product of eruptions that lasted for about a half-million years. It is one of a chain of islands that occur on the western rim of an undersea shelf, the Lord Howe Rise
, which is 3000 km long and 300 km wide extending from New Zealand to the west of New Caledonia and consisting of continental rocks that separated from the Australian plate 60 to 80 million years ago to form a new crust in the deep Tasman Basin. The shelf is part of Zealandia
, a microcontinent nearly half the size of Australia that gradually submerged after breaking away from the Gondwana
n supercontinent. The Lord Howe seamount chain
is defined by coral-capped guyot
s stretching to the north of the island for 1000 km (600 mi) and including the Middleton
220 kilometres (136.7 mi) and Elizabeth
(160 kilometres (99.4 mi) away) reefs of the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve. This chain of nine volcanic peaks was probably produced by the northward movement of the Indo-Australian Plate
over a stationary hotspot
so the oldest guyots were the first formed and most northerly as the plate moved northward at a rate of 6 cm per year (see plate tectonics
).
(crater) and can now be seen as horizontal basalt strata on mountain cliffs (at Malabar and Mt Gower) occasionally interspersed with dikes
(vertical lava intrusions). Geological pyroclastic remnants of volcanic eruption can be seen on Roach Island (where the oldest rocks occur) and Boat Harbour as tuff
(ash), breccia
(with angular blocks), and agglomerate
(rounded 'bombs'). Offshore on the Lord Howe Rise water depths reach 2000 m falling to 4000 m to the west of the rise. From the dimensions of the rock on which the island stands it has been calculated that the island has eroded to one fortieth of its original size.
Rocks and land at the foot of these mountains is calcarenite
, a coral sand, blown inland during the Pleistocene
between 130,000 and 20,000 years ago and cemented into stratified layers by water percolation. In this rock are fossils of bird bones and eggs, land and marine snails and the extinct endemic Horned Turtle (Meiolania platyceps
) now thought to be an ancient relictual non-swimming tortoise with relatives in South America. The crescent of the island protects a coral reef
and lagoon
, the barrier reef, at 31° S, is the most southerly in the world. Beach sands, rather than consisting of quartz grains derived from granite, as on the mainland, are made of fragments of shell, coral and coralline algae
, together with basalt grains, and basaltic minerals like black diopside
, and green olivine
. The lowland consists of alluvial
soils.
The island continues to erode rapidly and is expected to be fully submerged within 200,000 years taking an appearance akin to the Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs.
climate. In general the summers are mild or warm with rainfall erratic but occasionally heavy while in winter it is cool with rainfall more or less uniform. There is a gradual transition from summer to winter conditions and vice versa. Winds are frequent and salt-laden being moderate easterlies in the summer and fresh to strong westerlies in the winter. July is the windiest month, and the winter months are subject to frequent gales and strong winds. Storm events and occasional cyclonic activity also affect the island. Rainfall records are maintained in the north where rainfall is less than in the frequently cloud–shrouded mountains of the south. There can be wide variation in rainfall from year to year. July and August are the coldest months with an average of about 13°C and no frost. Average maximum temperatures range from between 17°C and 20°C in the winter to between 24°C and 27°C in the summer. Average minimum temperatures range from between 12°C and 15°C in the winter to between 18°C and 22°C in the summer. The humidity averages in the 60% to 70% range year round becoming more noticeable on warmer summer days than in the cooler winter months. The island has reasonably high rainfall, with an annual average and median of about 1600 mm. The driest months are from November to February. The highest temperature ever recorded is 29.5°C and the lowest 6°C.
The first exporter of palm seeds was Ned King, a mountain guide for the Fitzgerald surveys of 1869 and 1876, who sent seed to the Sydney Botanic Gardens. Overseas trade began in the 1880s when it was found that one of the four palms endemic to the island, Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana), which grows naturally in the lowlands, was ideally suited to the fashionable conservatories of the well-to-do in Britain, Europe and the United States, but the assistance of mainland magistrate Frank Farnell was needed to put the business on a sound commercial footing when in 1906 he became Director of a company, the Lord Howe Island Kentia Palm Nursery, whose shareholders included 21 islanders and a Sydney-based seed company. However, the formation of the Lord Howe Island Board of Control was needed in 1913 to resolve outstanding issues.
The native Kentia Palm (known locally as the Thatch Palm as it was used to thatch the houses of the early settlers) is now the most popular decorative palm in the world. The mild climate of the island has evolved a palm which can tolerate low light, a dry atmosphere and lowish temperatures – ideal for indoor conditions. Up to the 1980s the palms were only sold as seed but from then onwards only as high quality seedlings. The nursery received certification in 1997 for its high quality management complying with the requirements of Australian Standard
AS/NZS 150 9002.
Seed is gathered from natural forest and plantations, most collectors being descendants of the original settlers. Seed is then germinated in soil-less media and sealed from the atmosphere to prevent contamination. After testing they are picked, washed (bare-rooted), sanitised and certified then packed in sealed in insulated containers for export. They grow both indoors and out and are popular for hotels and motels world-wide. Nursery profits are returned to enhance the island ecosystem. The nursery plans to expand the business to include the Curly Palm and other native plants of special interest.
Facilities
With fewer than 800 people on the island at any time, facilities are limited; they include a bakery, butcher, general store, liquor store, restaurants, post office, museum and information centre, a police officer, a ranger and an ATM at the bowling club. Stores are shipped to the island fortnightly by the Island Trader from Port Macquarie. There is a small four-bed hospital and dispensary. A small botanic garden displays labelled local plants in its grounds. Diesel-generated power is 240 V AC, as on the mainland. There is no public transport nor mobile phone coverage, but there are public telephones, fax facilities and internet access as well as a local radio station and newsletter, The Signal.
Tourist accommodation ranges from luxury lodges to apartments and villa units. The currency is Australian dollar
s and there are two banks. There are no camping facilities on the island and remote-area camping is not permitted. To protect the fragile environment of Balls Pyramid (which carries the endangered Lord Howe Island phasmid) recreational climbing there is prohibited. No pets are allowed without permission from the Board. Islanders use tanked rainwater, supplemented by bore water for showers and washing clothes.
Activities
As distances to sites of interest are short, cycling is the main means of transport on the island. Tourist activities include golf (9-hole), lawn bowls, tennis, fishing (including deep-sea game fishing), yachting, windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, and boat trips (including glass-bottom tours of the lagoon). Swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving
are also popular in the lagoon, as well as off Tenth of June Island, a small rocky outcrop in the Admiralty group where an underwater plateau drops 36 metres to reveal extensive gorgonia and black corals growing on the vertical walls. Other diving sites are found off Balls Pyramid, 26 km away, where there are trenches, caves and volcanic drop-offs.
Bushwalking, natural history tours, talks, and guided walks take place along the many tracks, the most challenging being the eight-hour guided hike to the top of Mount Gower. There are 11 beaches and hand-feeding the metre-long Kingfish
(Rexea solandri) and large wrasse
at Ned's Beach is very popular. Walking tracks cover the island with difficulty graded from 1-5, they include – in the north: Transit Hill 2 hours return, 2 km; Clear Place, 1–2 hours return; Stevens Reserve; North Bay, 4 hours return, 4 km; Mt Eliza; Old Gulch, 20 minutes return, 300 m; Malabar Hill and Kims Lookout, 3 hours, or 5 hours return, 7 km and – in the south: Goat House Cave, 5 hours return, 6 km; Mount Gower, 8 hours return, 14 km; Rocky Run and Boat Harbour; Intermediate Hill, 45 minutes return, 1 km; Little Island, 40 minutes return, 3 km. Recreational climbers must obtain permission from the Lord Howe Island Board.
and Adventist
churches, the religious affiliations on the island being 30% Anglican, 22% no religion, 18% Catholic and 12% Seventh Day Adventist. There is an approximately equal division of the sexes with 47% of the population in the age group 25–54 and 92% holding Australian citizenship.
. It is part of the Australasia ecozone
and shares many biotic affinities with Australia, New Guinea
, and New Caledonia
. Almost half of the island's native plants are endemic
and many of the island's unique plants grow on or around the mountain summits where the height has allowed the development of a true cloud forest and many different microhabitats from sealevel to the summits. One of the best known is Howea
, an endemic genus
of palms (Arecaceae
) that are commonly known as kentia palm
s and make handsome houseplants. Annual exports provide a revenue of over AU$2 million, providing the only major industry on the island apart from tourism.
Origin
In geological terms at 7 million years old Lord Howe Island is relatively young and was never part of any continent, its flora and fauna colonising the island from across the sea, carried by wind, water or birds, possibly assisted at a geological time when other islands were exposed, enabling island hopping
. Nevertheless, it is far enough away and has had sufficient time to evolve endemic species. The high degree of endemism is emphasised by the presence of five endemic genera: Negria, Lordhowea, Howea, Lepidorrhachis, and Hedyscepe. Island plants are similar to those of Norfolk Island, the two islands sharing some endemic species, for example, the critically endangered species of creeping vine Calystegia affinis
. The combined flora of these two islands is more closely related to that of New Zealand and New Caledonia than to that of Australia. There is also a small but clear link with the plants of Vanuatu
. The closest mainland affinities are with the vegetation of subtropical south-eastern Queensland. A link with Gondwanaland is indicated by the presence of endemic species like the Wedding Lily (Dietes robinsoniana
) whose only living relatives occur in South Africa.
The flora of the island is relatively untouched with a large number of rare plants, 44% being endemic to the island. With a diversity of conditions ranging from valleys, to ridges, plains and misty mountain tops there is habitat for a wide range of plant communities which have been comprehensively analysed and mapped. There are 57 species of fern of which 25 are endemic: they are most abundant in the moist environments of the southern island, especially the higher parts of Mount Gower, perhaps the most apparent being the four endemic tree ferns in the genus Cyathea
that occur on the southern mountains.
Communities and special plants
Plant communities have been classified into nine categories: lowland subtropical rainforest, submontane rainforest, cloud-forest and scrub, lowland swamp forest, mangrove scrub and seagrass, coastal scrub and cliff vegetation, inland scrub and herbland, offshore island vegetation, shoreline and beach vegetation, and disturbed vegetation.
Several plants are immediately evident to the visitor. Banyan (Ficus macrophylla subsp. columnaris) is a remarkable tree with a buttressed trunk and pendulous aerial roots: it can be seen on the track to Clear Place and near Ned's Beach. Pandanus Tree (Pandanus forsteri
) has spectacular teepee-like prop roots and pineapple-like fruits that are orange-red when mature, the tough leaves being used for basketry. It occurs in damp areas like creek beds and fine specimens can be seen along the Boat Harbour track. There are ten species of orchid on the island, the most noticeable being the Bush Orchid (Dendrobium macropus) on lowland trees and rocks, bearing cream flowers from August to September. Other prominent flowering plants in the summer include, on the mountain slopes, the whiskery red flowers of Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa and Metrosideros sclerocarpa), the massed small yellow flowers of Corokia (Corokia carpoetoides), orange plump flowers of Pumpkin Tree (Negria rhabdothamnoides), and white spikes of Fitzgerald Tree (Dracophyllum fitzgeraldii). After heavy rain the endemic glowing mushrooms Mycena chlorophanos and Omphalotus nidiformis
can be found in the palm forests.
It is the palms that are the signature plants of the island as the kentia and curly palms especially dominate the landscape in many places, the kentia palm being of special economic importance. All four species are endemic to the island, often occurring in dense pure stands, the one that has proved such a world-wide success as an indoor plant being the Kentia
or Thatch Palm (Howea forsteriana). This is a lowland palm with drooping leaflets and seed branches in 'hands' of 3-5 while the Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana
), which occurs on slightly higher ground, has upwardly directed leaflets and solitary 'hands'. Natural hybrids between these species occur on the island and there is a mature specimen of one growing in the island nursery. On the mountain sides higher than about 350 m there is the Big Mountain Palm (Hedyscepe canterburyana); it has large golf-ball-sized fruits while the Little Mountain Palm (Lepidorrhachis mooreana) has marble-sized fruits and is only found on the mountain summits.
A total of 202 different birds have been recorded on the island. Eighteen species of land birds breed on the island and there are many more migratory species that occur on the island and its adjacent islets, many tame enough that it is possible for humans to get quite close.
Fourteen species of seabird
s breed on the island. Red-tailed Tropic Birds (Phaethon rubricauda) can be seen in large numbers circling the Malabar cliffs where they perform acrobatic courting rituals. Between September and May thousands of Shearwaters (Ardenna carneipes and Ardenna pacifica) return to the island at dusk each day. Petrels are regular visitors. From the Little Island Track between March and November one of the world’s rarest birds, the Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri) also performs courtship displays during winter breeding and it is extremely tame. The island was its only breeding location for many years after the breeding colony on Norfolk Island was exterminated in the late 19th century. The Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta) was discovered breeding on Mount Gower in 1914 by ornithologist Roy Bell
while collecting specimens for Gregory Mathews
and the Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) was only confirmed as a breeder in 1971; its numbers have increased following the elimination of feral cat
s from the island. The Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) which breeds in very large numbers in summer in early days had its chicks heavily harvested by the islanders for food. The Wedge-tailed (Ardenna pacifica) and Little Shearwaters (Puffinus assimilis) also breed on the island. Breeding White-bellied Storm-petrels (Fregetta grallaria) were another discovery by Roy Bell. Masked Boobies (Sula dactylatra tasmani) are the largest seabirds breeding on Lord Howe and can be seen nesting and gliding along the sea cliffs at Mutton Bird Point all year round. Sooty terns (Onychoprion fuscatus) can be seen at Ned's Beach, and are the most numerous of the island's breeding seabirds and their eggs were formerly harvested for food. The Lord Howe Island woodhen is a flightless endemic species saved from extinction by a local conservation. Common Noddies (Anous stolidus) and Black Noddies (Anous minutus) build nests in trees and bushes, while the White Tern (Gygis alba) simply lays its single egg precariously in a slight depression on a tree branch, and the Grey Ternlet (Procelsterna cerulea) lays its egg in a cliff hollow.
Species of landbirds that breed on the island group include three endemic passerine
subspecies
of the Lord Howe Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis contempta), Lord Howe Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis tephropleurus) and Lord Howe Currawong (Strepera graculina crissalis). The iconic endemic rail, the flightless Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) is the only surviving member of its genus: its ancestors could fly but with no predators and plenty of food on the island this ability was lost. This made it easy prey to islanders and feral animals and by the 1970s the population was less than 30 birds. From 1978 to 1984 feral animals were removed and birds raised in captivity to be successfully reintroduced to the wild, the population now being safe and stable.
Only one native mammal
remains on the islands, the Large Forest Bat
(Eptesicus sagittula), another endemic bat Nyctophilus howensis is known only from a skull and is now presumed extinct, possibly the result of the introduction of ship rats.
Reptiles, amphibians and insects
Two terrestrial reptiles are native to the island group: the Lord Howe Island Skink (Oligosoma lichenigera)
and the Lord Howe Island Gecko (Christinus guentheri
). Both are rare on the main island but more common on smaller islands offshore. The Garden Skink (Lampropholis delicata) and the Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata
) have been accidentally introduced from the Australian mainland in recent years.
The Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) disappeared from the main island soon after the introduction of rats. In 2001 a tiny population was discovered in a single Melaleuca howeana
shrub on the slopes of Ball's Pyramid
. The Lord Howe stag beetle (Lamprima insularis) is a colourful endemic beetle seen during summer months. Another endemic invertebrate, the Lord Howe Placostylus, has also been affected by the introduction of rats. Once common, the species is now endangered and a captive breeding program is under way to save the snail from extinction. Australian underwater photographer Neville Coleman
has photographed various nudibranch
s at Lord Howe Island.
There are no snakes, no venomous or stinging insects, animals or plants, and no daytime sharks off the beaches.
Marine life
Marine environments are near-pristine with a mixtures of temperate, subtropical and tropical species derived from cool-temperate ocean currents in the winter and the warm East Australian Current
, which flows from the Great Barrier Reef
, in summer. Of the 490 fish species recorded 13 are endemic and 60% are tropical. The main angling fish are Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and Bluefish (Girella cyanea) while game fish include marlin, tuna and giant kingfish called "greenbacks". Over 80 species of coral
occur in the reefs surrounding the islands.
About 10 percent of Lord Howe Island's forests have been cleared for agriculture, and another 20 percent has been disturbed, mostly by domestic cattle and feral sheep, goats and pigs. As a result, 70% of the island remains relatively untouched with a variety of plants and animals, many of which are endemic, some of which are rare or threatened. Two species of plants, nine terrestrial birds, one bat and at least four invertebrates have become extinct since 1778. Endemism at the generic
level includes the palms Howea
, Hedyscepe
and Lepidorrhachis
, a woody daisy Lordhowea
, the tree Negria, the leech Quantenobdella howensis, three annelid worm genera (Paraplutellus, Pericryptodrilus and Eastoniella), an isopod shrimp Stigmops, a hemipteran bug Howeria and a cricket Howeta.
The Lord Howe Island Board instigated an extensive biological and environmental survey (published in 1974),which has guided the island conservation program. In 1981, the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act proclaimed a 'Permanent Park Preserve' over the north and south ends of the island. Administration of the preserve was outlined in a management plan for the sustainable development of the island prepared by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
, which has a ranger stationed on the island. The Island was cited under the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.
Offshore environmental assets are protected by the Lord Howe Island Marine Park
. This consists of a State Marine Park managed by the Marine Parks Authority of New South Wales in the waters out to 3 nautical miles around the island and including Ball's Pyramid. It also includes a Commonwealth Marine Park
extending from 3 to 12 nautical miles out and managed by the federal Department of the Environment and Heritage. In total the Marine Park covers about 3005 sqkm.
Feral animals and plants
Pigs and goats were released on the island as potential food in the early 1800s, the goats destroying shrubs and grasses used as nesting sites and the pigs eating eggs and chicks and disturbing land nuzzling for food. Several birds have become extinct on the island since the arrival of humans. The first round of extinctions included the Lord Howe Swamphen
or White Gallinule, White-throated Pigeon, Red-crowned Parakeet
and the Tasman Booby
, which were eliminated by visitors and settlers during the nineteenth century either from overhunting for food or protection of crops. Black cats were released from provisioning whaling ships in the 1840s and mice from Norfolk Island in 1860. In 1918 the Black Rat
was accidentally introduced with the shipwreck of the SS Makambo
which ran aground at Ned's Beach. This triggered a second wave of extinctions, including the Vinous-tinted Thrush, Robust White-eye
, Lord Howe Starling
, Lord Howe Fantail
and the Lord Howe Gerygone
as well as the destruction of the native phasmid and decimation of palm fruits. Bounties were offered for rat and pig tails and 'ratting' became a popular pursuit. Subsequent poisoning programs have kept populations low. The Lord Howe Boobook
may have become extinct through predation by, or competition with, the Tasmanian Masked Owl
s which were introduced in the 1920s in a failed attempt to control the rat population. Stray dogs are also a threat as they could harm the native wood hen and other birds.
Invasive plants like Crofton Weed (Eupatorium adenophorum) and Tiger Lily (Lilium formosum) occur in inaccessible areas and probably cannot be eradicated but others are currently being managed. In 1995 the first action was taken to control the spread of introduced plants of the island, chiefly Ground Asparagus
and Bridal Creeper
, but also Cherry Guava, Madeira Vine
, Cotoneaster
, Ochna
and Cestrum
. This has been followed by weeding tours and the formation of the Friends of Lord Howe Island group in 2000. Programs have also been started to remove weeds from private properties and revegetate some formerly cultivated areas. An Environmental Unit was created by the Board and it includes a Flora Management Officer and a permanent Weed Officer. Weeds have been mapped and an eradication program is in place, supported by improved education and quarantine procedures.
Despite the large number of introduced species that harm Lord Howe's native flora and fauna, feral pigs and cats were eradicated by the early 2000s. the goat population has been reduced to just a few animals, and there are ongoing efforts to control rodents and introduced plants. A recovery program has restored the Lord Howe Woodhen
numbers from only 20 in 1970 to approximately 200 in 2000, not that distant from carrying capacity
.
Climate change
According to an analysis by Tim Flannery
, the ecosystem of Lord Howe Island is threatened by climate change
and global warming
, with the reefs at risk from rises in water temperature. The Great Barrier Reef
is specifically identified as being at risk to the effects of global warming on Australia
, and the same analysis applies to the reefs of Lord Howe Island. Cool climate flora and fauna are at risk from rises in temperature, because there is limited scope for migration to higher altitudes. In 2011 the island, as an official event of the UNESCO International Year of Chemistry
hosted the first international conference dedicated to the creation of a global artificial photosynthesis
project.
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
between Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about 900 kilometres (559.2 mi) from Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of 16.56 km2. Along the west coast there is a sandy semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
. Most of the population lives in the north, while the south is dominated by forested hills rising to the highest point on the island, Mount Gower
Mount Gower
Mount Gower dominates the southern tip of Lord Howe Island and has its peak at 875 metres .Average climbing time to Mount Gower's summit is 8 – 10 hours. The path is rope-assisted and rated as one of the world's best one-day hikes...
(875 m or 2,870.7 ft). The Lord Howe Island Group of islands comprises 28 islands, islets and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself the most notable of these is the volcanic and uninhabited Balls Pyramid about 23 km to the south-east. To the north there is the Admiralty Group
Admiralty Group
For the islands in the Bismarck Archipelago see Admiralty IslandsThe Admiralty Group of islets consists of eight rocky outcrops within 2 km of the north of Lord Howe Island: Soldier’s Cap, Sugarloaf, Noddy, South Island, Tenth of June, North Rock, Flat Rock and Roach Island...
, a cluster of seven small uninhabited islands.
The first reported sighting of Lord Howe Island was on 17 February 1788 when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball
Henry Lidgbird Ball
Henry Lidgbird Ball was a Royal Navy officer, best known for discovering and exploring Lord Howe Island.In 1788, having previously commanded HMS Supply, Lieutenant Ball commanded the vessel entrusted with shipping the first group of settlers from Botany Bay to Norfolk Island.Between 1788 and 1790,...
, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply was on its way from Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island. On the return journey Ball sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. It subsequently became a provisioning port for the whaling industry, and was permanently settled in June 1834. When whaling declined, the worldwide export of the endemic kentia palm
Kentia palm
The Kentia palm or Thatch palm is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It is also widely grown on Norfolk Island. Its "fronds" or leaves grow up to 3 metres long.The species is considered vulnerable by the World Conservation Union...
s began in the 1880s, which remains a key component of the Island's economy. The other continuing industry, tourism, began after World War II.
The Lord Howe Island Group is part of the state of New South Wales that, for legal purposes, is regarded as an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
administered by the Lord Howe Island Board which reports to the New South Wales Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. The island's standard time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
is UTC+10:30
UTC+10:30
UTC+10:30 is an identifier for a +10:30 time offset from UTC. This time is used in:-As daylight saving time :*Australia **New South Wales - Broken Hill, New South Wales only...
, or UTC+11
UTC+11
UTC+11 is an identifier for a +11 hour time offset from UTC. This time is used in:-As standard time :*Federated States of Micronesia**Kosrae, Pohnpei and surrounding area*New Caledonia*Solomon Islands*Vanuatu*Russia...
when daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
applies. The currency is the Australian dollar. Commuter airlines are linked to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Port Macquarie and Norfolk Island.
The Lord Howe Island Group is recorded by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of global natural significance. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest with many of the plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Other natural attractions include the diversity of its landscapes, the variety of upper mantle and oceanic basalts, the world's southernmost barrier coral reef, nesting seabirds, and its rich historical and cultural heritage. The Lord Howe Island Act of 1981 established a "Permanent Park Preserve" (covering approximately 70 per cent of the island). The surrounding waters are a protected region designated the Lord Howe Island Marine Park
Lord Howe Island Marine Park
Lord Howe Island Marine Park consists of the waters 3 nautical miles off Lord Howe Island, Balls Pyramid and a New South Wales state marine park. The waters 3 to 12 nautical miles from Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid were declared a federal marine park on 21 June 2000, see Lord Howe Island...
.
1788–1834 First European visits
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
of the South Pacific. The first reported European sighting of Lord Howe Island was on 17 February 1788 when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball
Henry Lidgbird Ball
Henry Lidgbird Ball was a Royal Navy officer, best known for discovering and exploring Lord Howe Island.In 1788, having previously commanded HMS Supply, Lieutenant Ball commanded the vessel entrusted with shipping the first group of settlers from Botany Bay to Norfolk Island.Between 1788 and 1790,...
, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply (the oldest and smallest of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
ships) was on its way from Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
with a cargo of 15 convicts (9 male, 6 female) to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
. On the return journey of 13 March 1788 Ball observed Ball's Pyramid and sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. Numerous turtles and tame birds were captured and returned to Sydney. Ball named Mount Lidgbird
Mount Lidgbird
Mount Lidgbird is located in the southern section of Lord Howe Island, just north of Mount Gower, and has its peak at 777 metres ....
and Balls Pyramid after himself and the main island after Richard Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
, First Earl Howe, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time.
Many names on the island date from this time, and also from May of the same year when the island was visited by four ships of the First Fleet, HMS Supply, Charlotte
Charlotte (ship)
The Charlotte was a First Fleet transport ship of 335 tons, built on the River Thames in 1787. She was a light sailer, and had to be towed down the English Channel for the first few days of the voyage...
, Lady Penrhyn
Lady Penrhyn (ship)
The Lady Penrhyn was a First Fleet transport ship of 333 tons, built on the River Thames in 1786. Her master, William Compton Sever, was part-owner. Nicholas anstis was second in command....
and Scarborough
Scarborough (ship)
'Scarborough' was a transport ship of 430 tons, built at Scarborough in 1782. She formed part of the First Fleet, which commenced European settlement of Australia in 1788....
when much of the plant and animal life was first recorded in the journals and diaries of visitors like David Blackburn, Master of the Supply. Watercolour sketches of native birds including the Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris
Lord Howe Woodhen
The Lord Howe Woodhen, Gallirallus sylvestris, also known as the Lord Howe Island Woodhen or Lord Howe Rail, is a flightless bird of the rail family . It is endemic to Lord Howe Island off the Australian coast. It is a small olive brown bird, with a short tail and a downcurved bill...
), White Gallinule (Porphyrio albus
Lord Howe Swamphen
The Lord Howe Swamphen or White Gallinule, Porphyrio albus, was a large bird in the family Rallidae endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. It was similar to the Purple Swamphen, but with shorter and more robust legs and toes. Its plumage was white, sometimes with a few blue feathers, and it was...
), and Lord Howe Pigeon (Columba vitiensis godmanae), were made by artists including George Raper
George Raper
- Career :Raper was born to Henry and Catherine Raper in London, England on 19 September 1769. On 20 August 1783 he joined the Royal Navy's HMS Rose as a captain's servant. After further service on HMS Racehorse, he joined HMS Sirius on 15 November 1786...
and John Hunter. As the latter two birds were soon hunted to extinction these paintings are their only remaining pictorial record. Over the next three years the Supply returned to the island several times in search of turtles and the island was also visited by ships of the Second
Second Fleet (Australia)
The Second Fleet is the name of the second fleet of ships sent with settlers, convicts and supplies to colony at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, Australia. The fleet comprised six ships: one Royal Navy escort, four convict ships, and a supply ship....
and Third Fleet
Third Fleet (Australia)
The Third Fleet consisted of 11 ships which set sail from United Kingdom in February, March and April 1791 bound for the Sydney penal settlement, with over 2000 convicts. The passengers consisted of convicts, military personnel and notable people sent to fill high positions in the colony...
s. Between 1789 and 1791 the Pacific whale industry
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
was born with British and American whaling ships chasing Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...
) along the equator to the Gilbert and Ellice archipelago
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
, then south into Australian and New Zealand waters. The American fleet numbered 675 ships and Lord Howe was located in a region known as the 'Middle Ground' noted for Sperm Whales and Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis
Southern Right Whale
The southern right whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching...
).
The island was subsequently visited by many government and whaling ships sailing between New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Norfolk Island and across the Pacific, including many from the American whaling fleet, so its reputation as a provisioning port preceded settlement, some ships leaving goats and pigs on the island as food for future visitors. Between July and October 1791 the Third Fleet ships arrived at Sydney and within days the deckwork was being reconstructed for a future in the lucrative whaling industry. Whale oil was to become New Holland's (Australia) most profitable export until the 1830s, and it was the whaling industry that shaped Lord Howe Island's early history.
1834–1841 Settlement
Permanent settlement on Lord Howe was established in June 1834 when the British whaling barque Caroline, sailing from New Zealand and commanded by Captain John Blinkenthorpe, landed at what is now known as Blinky Beach. They left three men, George Ashdown, James Bishop and (unknown) Chapman, who were employed by a Sydney whaling firm to establish a supply station. The men were initially to provide meat by fishing and by raising pigs and goats from feral stock. They landed with (or acquired from a visiting ship) their Maori wives and two Maori boys. Huts were built in an area now known as Old Settlement which had a supply of fresh water, and a garden was established west of Blinky Beach.This was a cashless society; the settlers bartered their stores of water, wood, vegetables, meat, fish and bird feathers for clothes, tea, sugar, tools, tobacco and other commodities not available on the island — but it was the whalers’ valuation that had to be accepted. These first settlers eventually left the island when they were bought out for £350 in September 1841 by businessmen Owen Poole and Richard Dawson (later joined by John Foulis) whose employees and others now settled on the island.
1842–1860 Trading provisions
The new business was advertised and ships now trading between Sydney and the New HebridesNew Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
(Vanuatu) would also put in to the island. Rover's Bride, a small cutter, became the first regular trading vessel. Between 1839 and 1859 between five and twelve ships made landfall each year, occasionally closer to 20 with seven or eight at a time laying off the reef. In 1842 and 1844 the first children were born on the island. Then in 1847 Poole, Dawson and Foulis, bitter at failing to obtain a land lease from the New South Wales Government, abandoned the settlement although three of their employees remained. One family, the Andrews, after finding some onions on the beach in 1848, cultivated them as the 'Lord Howe Red Onion' which was popular in the southern hemisphere for about 30 years until the crop was attacked by smut disease
Smut (fungus)
The smuts are multicellular fungi, that are characterized by their large numbers of teliospores. The smuts get their name from a Germanic word for dirt because of their dark, thick-walled and dust-like teliospores. They are mostly Ustilaginomycetes and can cause plant disease...
.
In 1849 there were just 11 people living on the island but it was not long before the island farms expanded. In the 1850s gold was discovered on mainland Australia where crews would abandon their ships, preferring to dig for gold than to risk a life at sea. As a consequence many vessels avoided the mainland and Lord Howe Island experienced an increasing trade which peaked between 1855 and 1857. In 1851 about 16 people were living on the island. Between 1839 and 1859 between five and twelve ships made landfall per year (occasionally closer to 20) with seven or eight at a time laying off the reef. Vegetable crops now included potatoes, carrots, maize, pumpkin, taro, watermelon — even grapes, passionfruit and coffee. Between 1851 and 1853 there were several aborted proposals by the NSW Government to establish a penal settlement on the island.
From 1851 to 1854 Henry Denham
Henry Denham
Henry Denham was one of the outstanding English printers of the sixteenth century.He was apprenticed to Richard Tottel and took up the freedom of the Stationers' Company on August 30, 1560. In 1564 he set up his own printing house in White Cross Street, Cripplegate, but in the following year he...
captain of HMS Herald
HMS Herald (1822)
HMS Herald was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1821 as HMS Termagant, commissioned in 1824 as Herald and converted to a survey ship in 1845...
, which was on a scientific expedition
European and American voyages of scientific exploration
The era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment...
to the southwest Pacific (1852–1856), completed the island's first hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling and related disciplines. Strong emphasis is placed on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, sea floor and submerged...
. On board were three Scottish biologists, William Milne
William Grant Milne
William Grant Milne , was a Scottish botanist.A gardener at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, Milne joined the HMS Herald expedition to the southwestern Pacific as a botanist. The expedition visited, inter alia, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales and Western Australia...
(a gardener-botanist from the Edinburgh Botanic Garden), John Macgillivray
John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray was a Scottish-naturalist, active in Australia between 1842 and 1867.MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen, the son of ornithologist William MacGillivray. He took part in three of the Royal Navy's surveying voyages in the Pacific...
(naturalist) who collected fish and plant specimens, and Assistant Surgeon and zoologist Denis Macdonald
John Denis Macdonald
Sir John Denis Macdonald was a surgeon and fellow of the Royal Society of London.Born in Cork, County Cork, Ireland, Macdonald served as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Navy. In later life he researched in the fields of zoology and natural history...
. Together these men established much basic information on the geology, flora and fauna of the island.
In about 1853 a further three settlers arrived on the American whaling barque Belle, captained by Ichabod Handy. As well as George Campbell (who died in 1856) and Jack Brian (who left the island in 1854), the third, Nathan Thompson, brought three women (called Botanga, Bogoroo, and a girl named Bogue) from the Gilbert Islands. When his first wife Botanga died he then married Bogue. Thompson was the first resident to build a substantial house in the 1860s from mainland cedar washed up on the beach. Most of the residents with island ancestors have blood relations or are connected by marriage to Thompson and his second wife Bogue.
In 1855 the island was officially designated as part of New South Wales by the Constitution Act.
1861–1890 Scientific expeditions
From the early 1860s whaling declined rapidly with the increasing use of petroleum, the onset of the Californian goldrush, and the American Civil War — with unfortunate consequences for the island. To explore alternative means of income Thompson, in 1867, purchased the Sylph which was the first local vessel to trade with Sydney (mainly pigs and onions). It anchored in deep water at what is now Sylph’s Hole off Old Settlement Beach, but was eventually tragically lost at sea in 1873 which added to the woes of the island at this time.In 1869 the island was visited by a magistrate P. Cloete aboard the Thetis investigating a possible murder. He was accompanied by Charles Moore
Charles Moore (botanist)
Charles Moore was an Australian botanist. He arrived in Sydney on 14 January 1848 and took up the position of Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, a position he held until 5 May 1896. In this time he undertook several trips in eastern New South Wales as a plant and seed collector.He...
, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney and his assistant, William Carron who forwarded plant specimens to Ferdinand Mueller at the botanic gardens in Melbourne who, by 1875, had catalogued and published 195 species. Also on the ship was William Fitzgerald a surveyor and Mr Masters from the Australian Museum
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
. Together they surveyed the island with the findings published in 1870 when the population was listed as 35 people, their 13 houses built of split palm battens thatched on the roof and sides with palm leaves. At about this time there began a downturn of trade with the demise of the whaling industry and sometimes six or twelve months passed without a vessel calling. With the provisions rotting in the storehouses the older families lost interest in market gardening.
From 1860 to 1872 forty-three ships had collected provisions, but from 1873 to 1887 there were fewer than a dozen. This prompted some activity from the mainland. A 1876 a government report on the island was submitted by surveyor William Fitzgerald based on a visit in the same year. He suggested that coffee be grown but the kentia palm
Kentia palm
The Kentia palm or Thatch palm is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It is also widely grown on Norfolk Island. Its "fronds" or leaves grow up to 3 metres long.The species is considered vulnerable by the World Conservation Union...
was already catching world attention. In 1878 the island was declared a Forest Reserve and Captain Richard Armstrong became the first resident government administrator. He encouraged schools, tree-planting and the palm trade, dynamited the north passage to the lagoon, and built roads but, having managed to upset the residents, parliamentarian John Wilson was sent from the mainland in April 1882 to investigate the situation. With Wilson was a team of scientists that included H. Wilkinson from the Mines Department, W. Condor from the Survey Department, J. Duff from the Sydney Botanical Gardens and A. Morton from the Australian Museum. J. Sharkey from the Government Printing Office took the earliest known photographs of the Island and its residents. A full account of the island appeared in the report from this visit published as "Lord Howe Island 1882", which also recommended that Armstrong be replaced. Meanwhile the population had increased considerably and included 29 children; the report recommended that a schoolmaster be appointed. This study sealed a lasting relationship with three scientific organisations, the Australian Museum, Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
.
1890–present
The palm trade began in the 1880s when the lowland Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) was first exported to Britain, Europe and America but the trade was only placed on a firm financial footing when the Lord Howe Island Kentia Palm Nursery was formed in 1906 (see below).
The first plane to appear on the island was in 1931 when Francis Chichester
Francis Chichester
Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE , aviator and sailor, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the world by the clipper route, and the fastest circumnavigator, in nine months and one day overall.-Early life:Chichester was born in Barnstaple,...
alighted on the lagoon in a Gipsy Moth converted into a floatplane. It was damaged here in an overnight storm but repaired with the assistance of islanders and then took off successfully nine weeks later for a flight to Sydney. After World War II, in 1947, tourists arrived on Catalina and then Sandringham flying boats operating out of Rose Bay, Sydney, and landing on the lagoon, the journey taking about 3.5 hours. These seaplanes were replaced by twin-engined aircraft (in 2011 Dash 8 turbo-props) when the Lord Howe Island Airport
Lord Howe Island Airport
Lord Howe Island Airport is a regional and international airport providing air transportation to Lord Howe Island, a dependency of New South Wales, Australia. Lord Howe Island is located in the Tasman Sea, east of mainland Port Macquarie...
was completed in 1974. In 2002, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyer struck Wolf Rock
Wolf Rock, Lord Howe Island
Wolf Rock, or sometimes spelt Wolfe Rock in the past, is a rock and reef east of Lord Howe Island.The rock is named after the Wolf, an ex-Royal Navy gun brig built in 1814, which was working as a whaling ship when on 6 August 1837 it struck an outer reef near Lord Howe Island...
, a reef at Lord Howe Island, and almost sank. In recent times tourism has increased and the government of New South Wales has been increasingly involved with issues of conservation.
On 17 October, 2011, a supply ship, M/V Island Trader with twenty tons of fuel ran aground in the lagoon. The ship refloated at high tide with no loss of crew or cargo.
Governance and land tenure
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
until it passed to New South Wales in 1855, although until at least 1876 the islanders lived in "a relatively harmonious and self-regulating community". In 1878 Richard Armstrong was appointed administrator when the NSW Parliament declared the island a Forest Reserve. But as a result of ill feeling, and an enquiry, he was eventually removed from office on 31 May 1882 (he returned later that year though to view the transit of Venus from present-day Transit Hill). After his removal the island was administered by four successive magistrates until 1913 when a Sydney-based Board was formed until 1948 when a resident superintendent was appointed. In 1913 the three-man Lord Howe Island Board of Control was established, mostly to regulate the palm seed industry, but also administering the affairs of the island from Sydney until the present Lord Howe Island Board was set up in 1954.
The Lord Howe Island Board is a NSW Statutory Authority established under the Lord Howe Island Act, 1953, to administer the island as part of the state of New South Wales. It reports directly to the state's Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, and is responsible for the care, control and management of the island. Its duties include: the protection of World Heritage values; the control of development; the administration of Crown Land, including the island's protected area; provision of community services and infrastructure; and regulating sustainable tourism. In 1981 the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act gave islanders the administrative power of three members on a five-member Board. The Board also manages the Lord Howe Island Kentia Palm Nursery which, together with tourism, provides the island's only sources of external income. Under an amendment bill in 2004 the Board now comprises seven members, four of whom are elected from the islander community, thus giving the approximately 350 permanent residents a high level of autonomy. The remaining three members are appointed by the Minister to represent the interests of business, tourism and conservation. The full Board meets on the island every three months while the day-to-day affairs of the island are managed by the Board's administration, with a permanent staff that had increased to 22 people by 1988.
Land tenure
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
has been an issue since first settlement as island residents repeatedly requested freehold title or an absolute gift
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
of cultivated land. Original settlers were squatters. The granting of a 100 acres (40.5 ha) lease to Richard Armstrong in 1878 drew complaints and a few short-term leases (Permissive Occupancies) were granted. In 1913, with the appointment of a Board of Control, permissive occupancies were revoked and the Board itself given permissive occupancy of the island. Then the Lord Howe Island Act of 1953 made all land the property of the Crown. Direct descendants of islanders with permissive occupancies in 1913 were granted perpetual leases on blocks of up to 5 acres (2 ha) for residential purposes. Short-term special leases were granted for larger areas used for agriculture, so in 1955, 55 perpetual leases and 43 special leases were granted. The 1981 amendment to the act extended political and land rights to all residents of 10 years or more. There remains an active debate concerning the proportion of residents with tenure and the degree of influence on the Board of resident islanders in relation to long-term planning for visitors, and issues relating to the environment, amenity and global heritage.
Geography
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
between Australia and New Zealand the island is 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) east of mainland Port Macquarie, 702 kilometres (436.2 mi) northeast of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and about 772 kilometres (479.7 mi) from Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
to its northeast. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of 16.56 km2. Along the west coast there is a semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
with white sand, the most accessible of the island's eleven beaches. Both the north and south sections of the island are high ground of relatively untouched forest, in the south comprising two volcanic mountains, Mount Lidgbird
Mount Lidgbird
Mount Lidgbird is located in the southern section of Lord Howe Island, just north of Mount Gower, and has its peak at 777 metres ....
(777 m or 2,549.2 ft) and Mount Gower
Mount Gower
Mount Gower dominates the southern tip of Lord Howe Island and has its peak at 875 metres .Average climbing time to Mount Gower's summit is 8 – 10 hours. The path is rope-assisted and rated as one of the world's best one-day hikes...
which, rising to 875 m (2,870.7 ft), is the highest point on the island. In the north, where most of the population live, high points are Malabar (209 m or 685.7 ft) and Mount Eliza (147 m or 482.3 ft). Between these two uplands is an area of cleared lowland with some farming, the airstrip, and housing. The Lord Howe Island Group of islands comprises 28 islands, islets and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself the most notable of these is the pointed rocky islet Balls Pyramid, a 551 metres (1,807.7 ft) eroded volcano about 23 km to the south-east, which is uninhabited but bird-colonised. To the north there is the Admiralty Group
Admiralty Group
For the islands in the Bismarck Archipelago see Admiralty IslandsThe Admiralty Group of islets consists of eight rocky outcrops within 2 km of the north of Lord Howe Island: Soldier’s Cap, Sugarloaf, Noddy, South Island, Tenth of June, North Rock, Flat Rock and Roach Island...
, a cluster of seven small uninhabited islands. Just off the east coast is Mutton Bird Island, and in the lagoon is Blackburn (Rabbit) Island.
Geological origins
Lord Howe Island is the highly eroded remains of a 7 million-year-old shield volcanoShield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
, the product of eruptions that lasted for about a half-million years. It is one of a chain of islands that occur on the western rim of an undersea shelf, the Lord Howe Rise
Lord Howe Rise
The Lord Howe Rise is an underwater plateau that extends from southwest of New Caledonia to the Challenger Plateau, west of New Zealand. To its west is the Tasman Basin and to the east is the New Caledonia Basin. Lord Howe Rise has a total area of about 1,500,000 square km, and generally lies about...
, which is 3000 km long and 300 km wide extending from New Zealand to the west of New Caledonia and consisting of continental rocks that separated from the Australian plate 60 to 80 million years ago to form a new crust in the deep Tasman Basin. The shelf is part of Zealandia
Zealandia (continent)
Zealandia , also known as Tasmantis or the New Zealand continent, is a nearly submerged continental fragment that sank after breaking away from Australia 60–85 million years ago, having separated from Antarctica between 85 and 130 million years ago...
, a microcontinent nearly half the size of Australia that gradually submerged after breaking away from the Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
n supercontinent. The Lord Howe seamount chain
Lord Howe seamount chain
The Lord Howe seamount chain is a Miocene seamount chain on northern Lord Howe Rise, Zealandia. The chain is defined by coral-capped guyots, extends to the north for 1000 km , most likely the result of the Indo-Australian Plate moving northward over a stationary hotspot....
is defined by coral-capped guyot
Guyot
A guyot , also known as a tablemount, is an isolated underwater volcanic mountain , with a flat top over 200 meters below the surface of the sea. The diameters of these flat summits can exceed ....
s stretching to the north of the island for 1000 km (600 mi) and including the Middleton
Middleton Reef
Middleton Reef is a coral reef in the Tasman Sea. It is separated by a deep oceanic pass some 45 km wide from nearby Elizabeth Reef, forming part of the Lord Howe Rise underwater plateau. Middleton Reef is around 220 km from Lord Howe Island and 555 km from the coast of New South...
220 kilometres (136.7 mi) and Elizabeth
Elizabeth Reef
Elizabeth Reef is a coral reef in the Tasman Sea. The reef is separated by a deep oceanic pass, some 45 km wide, from nearby Middleton Reef, both of which are part of the underwater plateau known as the Lord Howe Rise. Elizabeth Reef is around 160 km from Lord Howe Island and...
(160 kilometres (99.4 mi) away) reefs of the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve. This chain of nine volcanic peaks was probably produced by the northward movement of the Indo-Australian Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
The Indo-Australian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding ocean, and extends northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and adjacent waters...
over a stationary hotspot
Hotspot (geology)
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on, near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them...
so the oldest guyots were the first formed and most northerly as the plate moved northward at a rate of 6 cm per year (see plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
).
Basalts and calcarenite
Two periods of volcanic activity produced the major features of the island. The first about 6.9 million years ago produced the northern and central hills while the younger and highly eroded Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird were produced about 6.3 million years ago by successive basalt (an extrusive igneous rock) lava flows that once filled a large volcanic calderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
(crater) and can now be seen as horizontal basalt strata on mountain cliffs (at Malabar and Mt Gower) occasionally interspersed with dikes
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
(vertical lava intrusions). Geological pyroclastic remnants of volcanic eruption can be seen on Roach Island (where the oldest rocks occur) and Boat Harbour as tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
(ash), breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
(with angular blocks), and agglomerate
Agglomerate
Agglomerates are coarse accumulations of large blocks of volcanic material that contain at least 75% bombs...
(rounded 'bombs'). Offshore on the Lord Howe Rise water depths reach 2000 m falling to 4000 m to the west of the rise. From the dimensions of the rock on which the island stands it has been calculated that the island has eroded to one fortieth of its original size.
Rocks and land at the foot of these mountains is calcarenite
Calcarenite
thumb|250px|The [[Pietra di Bismantova]] in central [[Italy]] is an example of calcarenite formation.Calcarenite is a type of limestone that is composed predominately, more than 50 percent, of detrital sand-size , carbonate grains...
, a coral sand, blown inland during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
between 130,000 and 20,000 years ago and cemented into stratified layers by water percolation. In this rock are fossils of bird bones and eggs, land and marine snails and the extinct endemic Horned Turtle (Meiolania platyceps
Meiolania
Meiolania is an extinct genus of cryptodire turtle from the Oligocene to Holocene, with the last relict populations at New Caledonia which survived until 2,000 years ago....
) now thought to be an ancient relictual non-swimming tortoise with relatives in South America. The crescent of the island protects a coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
and lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
, the barrier reef, at 31° S, is the most southerly in the world. Beach sands, rather than consisting of quartz grains derived from granite, as on the mainland, are made of fragments of shell, coral and coralline algae
Coralline algae
Coralline algae are red algae in the order Corallinales. They are characterized by a thallus that is hard because of calcareous deposits contained within the cell walls...
, together with basalt grains, and basaltic minerals like black diopside
Diopside
Diopside is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral with composition MgCaSi2O6. It forms complete solid solution series with hedenbergite and augite, and partial solid solutions with orthopyroxene and pigeonite. It forms variably colored, but typically dull green crystals in the monoclinic prismatic class...
, and green olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
. The lowland consists of alluvial
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
soils.
The island continues to erode rapidly and is expected to be fully submerged within 200,000 years taking an appearance akin to the Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs.
Climate
Lord Howe Island has a subtropicalSubtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
climate. In general the summers are mild or warm with rainfall erratic but occasionally heavy while in winter it is cool with rainfall more or less uniform. There is a gradual transition from summer to winter conditions and vice versa. Winds are frequent and salt-laden being moderate easterlies in the summer and fresh to strong westerlies in the winter. July is the windiest month, and the winter months are subject to frequent gales and strong winds. Storm events and occasional cyclonic activity also affect the island. Rainfall records are maintained in the north where rainfall is less than in the frequently cloud–shrouded mountains of the south. There can be wide variation in rainfall from year to year. July and August are the coldest months with an average of about 13°C and no frost. Average maximum temperatures range from between 17°C and 20°C in the winter to between 24°C and 27°C in the summer. Average minimum temperatures range from between 12°C and 15°C in the winter to between 18°C and 22°C in the summer. The humidity averages in the 60% to 70% range year round becoming more noticeable on warmer summer days than in the cooler winter months. The island has reasonably high rainfall, with an annual average and median of about 1600 mm. The driest months are from November to February. The highest temperature ever recorded is 29.5°C and the lowest 6°C.
Economy
Trading vegetables, meat, fish and other perishables with visiting ships ceased in the 1870s when the whaling industry collapsed. With such a small population the economy is now extremely simple with external income derived from only two significant sources, the overseas sale of Kentia palm seeds and seedlings, and tourism.The native Kentia Palm (known locally as the Thatch Palm as it was used to thatch the houses of the early settlers) is now the most popular decorative palm in the world. The mild climate of the island has evolved a palm which can tolerate low light, a dry atmosphere and lowish temperatures – ideal for indoor conditions. Up to the 1980s the palms were only sold as seed but from then onwards only as high quality seedlings. The nursery received certification in 1997 for its high quality management complying with the requirements of Australian Standard
Standards Australia
Standards Australia was established in 1922 and is recognised through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian government as the peak non-government standards development body in Australia. It is a company limited by guarantee, with 72 members representing groups interested in the...
AS/NZS 150 9002.
Seed is gathered from natural forest and plantations, most collectors being descendants of the original settlers. Seed is then germinated in soil-less media and sealed from the atmosphere to prevent contamination. After testing they are picked, washed (bare-rooted), sanitised and certified then packed in sealed in insulated containers for export. They grow both indoors and out and are popular for hotels and motels world-wide. Nursery profits are returned to enhance the island ecosystem. The nursery plans to expand the business to include the Curly Palm and other native plants of special interest.
Tourism
To relieve pressure on the small island environment only 400 tourists are permitted at any one time. The island is reached by plane from Sydney or Brisbane in less than two hours. The Permanent Park Preserve declared in 1981 has similar management guidelines to a National Park.Facilities
With fewer than 800 people on the island at any time, facilities are limited; they include a bakery, butcher, general store, liquor store, restaurants, post office, museum and information centre, a police officer, a ranger and an ATM at the bowling club. Stores are shipped to the island fortnightly by the Island Trader from Port Macquarie. There is a small four-bed hospital and dispensary. A small botanic garden displays labelled local plants in its grounds. Diesel-generated power is 240 V AC, as on the mainland. There is no public transport nor mobile phone coverage, but there are public telephones, fax facilities and internet access as well as a local radio station and newsletter, The Signal.
Tourist accommodation ranges from luxury lodges to apartments and villa units. The currency is Australian dollar
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
s and there are two banks. There are no camping facilities on the island and remote-area camping is not permitted. To protect the fragile environment of Balls Pyramid (which carries the endangered Lord Howe Island phasmid) recreational climbing there is prohibited. No pets are allowed without permission from the Board. Islanders use tanked rainwater, supplemented by bore water for showers and washing clothes.
Activities
As distances to sites of interest are short, cycling is the main means of transport on the island. Tourist activities include golf (9-hole), lawn bowls, tennis, fishing (including deep-sea game fishing), yachting, windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, and boat trips (including glass-bottom tours of the lagoon). Swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
are also popular in the lagoon, as well as off Tenth of June Island, a small rocky outcrop in the Admiralty group where an underwater plateau drops 36 metres to reveal extensive gorgonia and black corals growing on the vertical walls. Other diving sites are found off Balls Pyramid, 26 km away, where there are trenches, caves and volcanic drop-offs.
Bushwalking, natural history tours, talks, and guided walks take place along the many tracks, the most challenging being the eight-hour guided hike to the top of Mount Gower. There are 11 beaches and hand-feeding the metre-long Kingfish
Silver gemfish
The silver gemfish or gemfish, Rexea solandri, is a snake mackerel of the genus Rexea, found in south eastern Australia and around New Zealand at depths of between 100 and 700 m...
(Rexea solandri) and large wrasse
Wrasse
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 82 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes....
at Ned's Beach is very popular. Walking tracks cover the island with difficulty graded from 1-5, they include – in the north: Transit Hill 2 hours return, 2 km; Clear Place, 1–2 hours return; Stevens Reserve; North Bay, 4 hours return, 4 km; Mt Eliza; Old Gulch, 20 minutes return, 300 m; Malabar Hill and Kims Lookout, 3 hours, or 5 hours return, 7 km and – in the south: Goat House Cave, 5 hours return, 6 km; Mount Gower, 8 hours return, 14 km; Rocky Run and Boat Harbour; Intermediate Hill, 45 minutes return, 1 km; Little Island, 40 minutes return, 3 km. Recreational climbers must obtain permission from the Lord Howe Island Board.
Demographics
For the 2006 census, the resident population was 348 people and the number of tourists was not allowed to exceed 400. Early settlers were European and American whalers and many of their offspring have remained on the island for more than six generations. Residents are now involved with the Kentia Palm industry, tourism, retail, some fishing and farming. In 1876 it was observed that on Sundays although there was a suspension of games and labour, there were no religious services. Nowadays, in an area known locally as 'Church Paddock', there are Anglican, CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Adventist
Adventist
Adventism is a Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller, whose followers became known as Millerites...
churches, the religious affiliations on the island being 30% Anglican, 22% no religion, 18% Catholic and 12% Seventh Day Adventist. There is an approximately equal division of the sexes with 47% of the population in the age group 25–54 and 92% holding Australian citizenship.
Plants
Lord Howe island is a distinct terrestrial ecoregion known as the Lord Howe Island subtropical forestsTropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
. It is part of the Australasia ecozone
Australasia ecozone
The Australasian zone is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous , with the geographic region of Australasia...
and shares many biotic affinities with Australia, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. Almost half of the island's native plants are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
and many of the island's unique plants grow on or around the mountain summits where the height has allowed the development of a true cloud forest and many different microhabitats from sealevel to the summits. One of the best known is Howea
Howea
Howea is a genus of two palms, H. belmoreana and H. forsteriana, both endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. H. forsteriana in particular is commonly grown as an indoor plant in the Northern Hemisphere, and the two species form the mainstay of the island's palm seed industry and more importantly...
, an endemic genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of palms (Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
) that are commonly known as kentia palm
Kentia palm
The Kentia palm or Thatch palm is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It is also widely grown on Norfolk Island. Its "fronds" or leaves grow up to 3 metres long.The species is considered vulnerable by the World Conservation Union...
s and make handsome houseplants. Annual exports provide a revenue of over AU$2 million, providing the only major industry on the island apart from tourism.
Origin
In geological terms at 7 million years old Lord Howe Island is relatively young and was never part of any continent, its flora and fauna colonising the island from across the sea, carried by wind, water or birds, possibly assisted at a geological time when other islands were exposed, enabling island hopping
Island hopping
Island hopping is a term that refers to the means of crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination.- Forms :...
. Nevertheless, it is far enough away and has had sufficient time to evolve endemic species. The high degree of endemism is emphasised by the presence of five endemic genera: Negria, Lordhowea, Howea, Lepidorrhachis, and Hedyscepe. Island plants are similar to those of Norfolk Island, the two islands sharing some endemic species, for example, the critically endangered species of creeping vine Calystegia affinis
Calystegia affinis
Calystegia affinis is a critically endangered species of climbing or creeping vine in the plant Convolvulaceae family. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island....
. The combined flora of these two islands is more closely related to that of New Zealand and New Caledonia than to that of Australia. There is also a small but clear link with the plants of Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. The closest mainland affinities are with the vegetation of subtropical south-eastern Queensland. A link with Gondwanaland is indicated by the presence of endemic species like the Wedding Lily (Dietes robinsoniana
Dietes robinsoniana
Dietes robinsoniana, the Lord Howe Wedding Lily is only found naturally growing at Lord Howe Island. It grows on cliff faces, often in exposed situations. Found also on forest margins and the tops of Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird and behind the beaches on Lord Howe Island.This is the largest plant...
) whose only living relatives occur in South Africa.
The flora of the island is relatively untouched with a large number of rare plants, 44% being endemic to the island. With a diversity of conditions ranging from valleys, to ridges, plains and misty mountain tops there is habitat for a wide range of plant communities which have been comprehensively analysed and mapped. There are 57 species of fern of which 25 are endemic: they are most abundant in the moist environments of the southern island, especially the higher parts of Mount Gower, perhaps the most apparent being the four endemic tree ferns in the genus Cyathea
Cyathea
Cyathea is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. They are mostly terrestrial ferns, usually with a single tall stem. Rarely, the trunk may be branched or creeping. Many species also develop a fibrous mass of roots at the base of the trunk. The genus has a pantropical...
that occur on the southern mountains.
| Total | Indigenous | Endemic | Naturalised |
|---|---|---|---|
| 459 | 241 | 105 (43.6%) | 218 (47.5%) |
Communities and special plants
Plant communities have been classified into nine categories: lowland subtropical rainforest, submontane rainforest, cloud-forest and scrub, lowland swamp forest, mangrove scrub and seagrass, coastal scrub and cliff vegetation, inland scrub and herbland, offshore island vegetation, shoreline and beach vegetation, and disturbed vegetation.
Several plants are immediately evident to the visitor. Banyan (Ficus macrophylla subsp. columnaris) is a remarkable tree with a buttressed trunk and pendulous aerial roots: it can be seen on the track to Clear Place and near Ned's Beach. Pandanus Tree (Pandanus forsteri
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
) has spectacular teepee-like prop roots and pineapple-like fruits that are orange-red when mature, the tough leaves being used for basketry. It occurs in damp areas like creek beds and fine specimens can be seen along the Boat Harbour track. There are ten species of orchid on the island, the most noticeable being the Bush Orchid (Dendrobium macropus) on lowland trees and rocks, bearing cream flowers from August to September. Other prominent flowering plants in the summer include, on the mountain slopes, the whiskery red flowers of Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa and Metrosideros sclerocarpa), the massed small yellow flowers of Corokia (Corokia carpoetoides), orange plump flowers of Pumpkin Tree (Negria rhabdothamnoides), and white spikes of Fitzgerald Tree (Dracophyllum fitzgeraldii). After heavy rain the endemic glowing mushrooms Mycena chlorophanos and Omphalotus nidiformis
Omphalotus nidiformis
Omphalotus nidiformis, or ghost fungus, is a gilled basidiomycete mushroom found in southern Australia most notable for its bioluminescent properties. Generally found growing on dead or dying trees, it is saprotroph and parasite....
can be found in the palm forests.
It is the palms that are the signature plants of the island as the kentia and curly palms especially dominate the landscape in many places, the kentia palm being of special economic importance. All four species are endemic to the island, often occurring in dense pure stands, the one that has proved such a world-wide success as an indoor plant being the Kentia
Kentia palm
The Kentia palm or Thatch palm is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It is also widely grown on Norfolk Island. Its "fronds" or leaves grow up to 3 metres long.The species is considered vulnerable by the World Conservation Union...
or Thatch Palm (Howea forsteriana). This is a lowland palm with drooping leaflets and seed branches in 'hands' of 3-5 while the Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana
Howea belmoreana
Howea belmoreana, the Curly Palm, Kentia Palm, or Belmore Sentry Palm, is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia...
), which occurs on slightly higher ground, has upwardly directed leaflets and solitary 'hands'. Natural hybrids between these species occur on the island and there is a mature specimen of one growing in the island nursery. On the mountain sides higher than about 350 m there is the Big Mountain Palm (Hedyscepe canterburyana); it has large golf-ball-sized fruits while the Little Mountain Palm (Lepidorrhachis mooreana) has marble-sized fruits and is only found on the mountain summits.
Animals
Birds and mammalsFourteen species of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s breed on the island. Red-tailed Tropic Birds (Phaethon rubricauda) can be seen in large numbers circling the Malabar cliffs where they perform acrobatic courting rituals. Between September and May thousands of Shearwaters (Ardenna carneipes and Ardenna pacifica) return to the island at dusk each day. Petrels are regular visitors. From the Little Island Track between March and November one of the world’s rarest birds, the Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri) also performs courtship displays during winter breeding and it is extremely tame. The island was its only breeding location for many years after the breeding colony on Norfolk Island was exterminated in the late 19th century. The Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta) was discovered breeding on Mount Gower in 1914 by ornithologist Roy Bell
Roy Bell (ornithologist)
Raoul Sunday Bell was a professional New Zealand and Australian natural history specimen collector, ornithologist, naturalist and photographer, who spent much time on Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.Bell was born on Raoul Island in the Kermadec...
while collecting specimens for Gregory Mathews
Gregory Mathews
Gregory Macalister Mathews CBE was an Australian amateur ornithologist.Mathews made his fortune in mining shares, and moved to England around 1900....
and the Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) was only confirmed as a breeder in 1971; its numbers have increased following the elimination of feral cat
Feral cat
A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.In many parts of...
s from the island. The Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) which breeds in very large numbers in summer in early days had its chicks heavily harvested by the islanders for food. The Wedge-tailed (Ardenna pacifica) and Little Shearwaters (Puffinus assimilis) also breed on the island. Breeding White-bellied Storm-petrels (Fregetta grallaria) were another discovery by Roy Bell. Masked Boobies (Sula dactylatra tasmani) are the largest seabirds breeding on Lord Howe and can be seen nesting and gliding along the sea cliffs at Mutton Bird Point all year round. Sooty terns (Onychoprion fuscatus) can be seen at Ned's Beach, and are the most numerous of the island's breeding seabirds and their eggs were formerly harvested for food. The Lord Howe Island woodhen is a flightless endemic species saved from extinction by a local conservation. Common Noddies (Anous stolidus) and Black Noddies (Anous minutus) build nests in trees and bushes, while the White Tern (Gygis alba) simply lays its single egg precariously in a slight depression on a tree branch, and the Grey Ternlet (Procelsterna cerulea) lays its egg in a cliff hollow.
Species of landbirds that breed on the island group include three endemic passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Lord Howe Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis contempta), Lord Howe Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis tephropleurus) and Lord Howe Currawong (Strepera graculina crissalis). The iconic endemic rail, the flightless Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) is the only surviving member of its genus: its ancestors could fly but with no predators and plenty of food on the island this ability was lost. This made it easy prey to islanders and feral animals and by the 1970s the population was less than 30 birds. From 1978 to 1984 feral animals were removed and birds raised in captivity to be successfully reintroduced to the wild, the population now being safe and stable.
Only one native mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
remains on the islands, the Large Forest Bat
Large Forest Bat
The Large Forest Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Chiroptera Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(Eptesicus sagittula), another endemic bat Nyctophilus howensis is known only from a skull and is now presumed extinct, possibly the result of the introduction of ship rats.
Reptiles, amphibians and insects
Two terrestrial reptiles are native to the island group: the Lord Howe Island Skink (Oligosoma lichenigera)
Lord Howe Island skink
The Lord Howe Island Skink is a species of skink in the Scincidae family. It is found on Australia's Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.-References:* Australasian Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group 1996.* ....
and the Lord Howe Island Gecko (Christinus guentheri
Christinus guentheri
Christinus guentheri is a species of lizard in the Gekkonidae family.It is found at Australia islands, at the Norfolk and Lord Howe Island, and has a common name Lord Howe Island Southern Gecko....
). Both are rare on the main island but more common on smaller islands offshore. The Garden Skink (Lampropholis delicata) and the Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata
Bleating Tree Frog
The Bleating Tree Frog or Keferstein's Tree Frog is a tree frog of the genus Litoria. This frog is native to coastal eastern Australia, from south-eastern Queensland, to around Eden, New South Wales.- Physical description :...
) have been accidentally introduced from the Australian mainland in recent years.
The Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) disappeared from the main island soon after the introduction of rats. In 2001 a tiny population was discovered in a single Melaleuca howeana
Melaleuca howeana
Melaleuca howeana is a shrub or bush to 3 m tall in the myrtle family. It grows at the Lord Howe Island group. Common in exposed areas, on cliffs and ridges, occasionally forming pure stands....
shrub on the slopes of Ball's Pyramid
Ball's Pyramid
Ball's Pyramid is an erosional remnant of a shield volcano and caldera that formed about 7 million years ago. Ball's Pyramid is southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is high, while measuring only in length and across, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world...
. The Lord Howe stag beetle (Lamprima insularis) is a colourful endemic beetle seen during summer months. Another endemic invertebrate, the Lord Howe Placostylus, has also been affected by the introduction of rats. Once common, the species is now endangered and a captive breeding program is under way to save the snail from extinction. Australian underwater photographer Neville Coleman
Neville Coleman
Neville Coleman is an Australian naturalist, underwater nature photographer, writer, publisher and educator. In 2007 Coleman was inducted to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.Coleman started scuba diving in 1963, exploring Sydney Harbour...
has photographed various nudibranch
Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...
s at Lord Howe Island.
There are no snakes, no venomous or stinging insects, animals or plants, and no daytime sharks off the beaches.
Marine life
Marine environments are near-pristine with a mixtures of temperate, subtropical and tropical species derived from cool-temperate ocean currents in the winter and the warm East Australian Current
East Australian Current
The East Australian Current is an ocean current that moves warm water in a clockwise fashion down the east coast of Australia. It is the largest ocean current close to the shores of Australia. Its source is the tropical Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia...
, which flows from the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, in summer. Of the 490 fish species recorded 13 are endemic and 60% are tropical. The main angling fish are Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and Bluefish (Girella cyanea) while game fish include marlin, tuna and giant kingfish called "greenbacks". Over 80 species of coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
occur in the reefs surrounding the islands.
Conservation
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
level includes the palms Howea
Howea
Howea is a genus of two palms, H. belmoreana and H. forsteriana, both endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. H. forsteriana in particular is commonly grown as an indoor plant in the Northern Hemisphere, and the two species form the mainstay of the island's palm seed industry and more importantly...
, Hedyscepe
Hedyscepe
Hedyscepe canterburyana, the Big Mountain Palm or Umbrella Palm, is the sole species in the genus Hedescepe of the Arecaceae family. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia and is threatened by habitat loss. It is a solitary palm with a distinct crownshaft, and bears unisexual flowers of both...
and Lepidorrhachis
Lepidorrhachis
Lepidorrhachis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family restricted to Lord Howe Island. The genus name for the single, monoecious species, Lepidorrhachis mooreana, comes from two Greek word meaning "scale" and "rachis", and the epithet honors Charles Moore, first director of the...
, a woody daisy Lordhowea
Lordhowea
Lordhowea is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
, the tree Negria, the leech Quantenobdella howensis, three annelid worm genera (Paraplutellus, Pericryptodrilus and Eastoniella), an isopod shrimp Stigmops, a hemipteran bug Howeria and a cricket Howeta.
The Lord Howe Island Board instigated an extensive biological and environmental survey (published in 1974),which has guided the island conservation program. In 1981, the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act proclaimed a 'Permanent Park Preserve' over the north and south ends of the island. Administration of the preserve was outlined in a management plan for the sustainable development of the island prepared by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
, which has a ranger stationed on the island. The Island was cited under the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.
Offshore environmental assets are protected by the Lord Howe Island Marine Park
Lord Howe Island Marine Park
Lord Howe Island Marine Park consists of the waters 3 nautical miles off Lord Howe Island, Balls Pyramid and a New South Wales state marine park. The waters 3 to 12 nautical miles from Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid were declared a federal marine park on 21 June 2000, see Lord Howe Island...
. This consists of a State Marine Park managed by the Marine Parks Authority of New South Wales in the waters out to 3 nautical miles around the island and including Ball's Pyramid. It also includes a Commonwealth Marine Park
Lord Howe Island Marine Park (commonwealth waters)
Lord Howe Island Marine Park is a 3000.63 km² marine park managed by the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage, protecting the waters surrounding Lord Howe Island. It is adjacent to the 465.45 km² Lord Howe Island Marine Park managed by the Marine Parks Authority New...
extending from 3 to 12 nautical miles out and managed by the federal Department of the Environment and Heritage. In total the Marine Park covers about 3005 sqkm.
Feral animals and plants
Pigs and goats were released on the island as potential food in the early 1800s, the goats destroying shrubs and grasses used as nesting sites and the pigs eating eggs and chicks and disturbing land nuzzling for food. Several birds have become extinct on the island since the arrival of humans. The first round of extinctions included the Lord Howe Swamphen
Lord Howe Swamphen
The Lord Howe Swamphen or White Gallinule, Porphyrio albus, was a large bird in the family Rallidae endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. It was similar to the Purple Swamphen, but with shorter and more robust legs and toes. Its plumage was white, sometimes with a few blue feathers, and it was...
or White Gallinule, White-throated Pigeon, Red-crowned Parakeet
Red-crowned Parakeet
The Red-crowned Parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae, is a small species of parrot from New Zealand. The species was once lumped with several other parrots from New Zealand's outlying islands, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, but these have now been afforded full species status...
and the Tasman Booby
Tasman Booby
The Tasman Booby or Lord Howe Masked Booby is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae, described from bones found on Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands in the Tasman Sea...
, which were eliminated by visitors and settlers during the nineteenth century either from overhunting for food or protection of crops. Black cats were released from provisioning whaling ships in the 1840s and mice from Norfolk Island in 1860. In 1918 the Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
was accidentally introduced with the shipwreck of the SS Makambo
SS Makambo
The SS Makambo was a steamship first owned by Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. She was built in Port Glasgow and named after an island in the Solomon Islands. She carried both passengers and cargo and was principally used on routes between eastern Australia and islands in Melanesia and the Tasman Sea...
which ran aground at Ned's Beach. This triggered a second wave of extinctions, including the Vinous-tinted Thrush, Robust White-eye
Robust White-eye
The Robust White-eye , also known as the Lord Howe White-eye or Robust Silvereye, and locally as the "Big Grinnell", was a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family...
, Lord Howe Starling
Lord Howe Starling
The Lord Howe Starling was a small bird in the starling family. It is an extinct subspecies of the Tasman Starling , the only other subspecies being the Norfolk Starling which is also extinct...
, Lord Howe Fantail
Lord Howe Fantail
The Lord Howe Fantail , also known as the Lord Howe Island Fantail or Fawn-breasted Fantail, was a small bird in the fantail family, Rhipiduridae. It is an extinct subspecies of the New Zealand Fantail...
and the Lord Howe Gerygone
Lord Howe Gerygone
The Lord Howe Gerygone , also known as the Lord Howe Island Flyeater or, locally, as the "Rain-bird" or "Pop-goes-the-weasel", was a small bird in the Acanthizidae family which was endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia...
as well as the destruction of the native phasmid and decimation of palm fruits. Bounties were offered for rat and pig tails and 'ratting' became a popular pursuit. Subsequent poisoning programs have kept populations low. The Lord Howe Boobook
Lord Howe Boobook
The Lord Howe Boobook , also known as the Lord Howe Morepork, was a bird in the true owl family endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia...
may have become extinct through predation by, or competition with, the Tasmanian Masked Owl
Tasmanian Masked Owl
The Tasmanian Masked Owl is a bird in the barn-owl family Tytonidae that is endemic to the island state of Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest subspecies of the Australian Masked Owl, the largest Tyto owl in the world, and is sometimes considered a full species...
s which were introduced in the 1920s in a failed attempt to control the rat population. Stray dogs are also a threat as they could harm the native wood hen and other birds.
Invasive plants like Crofton Weed (Eupatorium adenophorum) and Tiger Lily (Lilium formosum) occur in inaccessible areas and probably cannot be eradicated but others are currently being managed. In 1995 the first action was taken to control the spread of introduced plants of the island, chiefly Ground Asparagus
Asparagus densiflorus
Asparagus densiflorus, Sprenger's Asparagus, is a plant native to South Africa. Often used as an ornamental plant, it is considered an invasive weed in many locations. Asparagus fern is a common name; however, it is unrelated to true ferns. Some authorities also use the name A...
and Bridal Creeper
Asparagus asparagoides
Asparagus asparagoides, commonly known as Bridal creeper, Bridal-veil creeper, Gnarboola, Smilax or Smilax asparagus, is a herbaceous climbing plant of the family Asparagaceae native to tropical and southern Africa...
, but also Cherry Guava, Madeira Vine
Anredera cordifolia
Anredera cordifolia, commonly known as the Madeira vine or mignonette vine, is a South American species of ornamental succulent vine of the family Basellaceae. The combination of fleshy leaves and thick aerial tubers makes this a very heavy vine...
, Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster is a genus of woody plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to the Palaearctic region , with a strong concentration of diversity in the genus in the mountains of southwestern China and the Himalayas...
, Ochna
Ochna
Ochna is a genus comprising 86 species of evergreen trees, shrubs and shrublets belonging to the family Ochnaceae. These species are native to tropical woodlands of Africa or Asia. Species of this genus are usually called Ochnas or Mickey-mouse plants, a name coming from the shape of the drupelet...
and Cestrum
Cestrum
Cestrum is a genus of - depending on authority - 150-250 species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, from the southernmost United States south to the Bío-Bío Region in central Chile...
. This has been followed by weeding tours and the formation of the Friends of Lord Howe Island group in 2000. Programs have also been started to remove weeds from private properties and revegetate some formerly cultivated areas. An Environmental Unit was created by the Board and it includes a Flora Management Officer and a permanent Weed Officer. Weeds have been mapped and an eradication program is in place, supported by improved education and quarantine procedures.
Despite the large number of introduced species that harm Lord Howe's native flora and fauna, feral pigs and cats were eradicated by the early 2000s. the goat population has been reduced to just a few animals, and there are ongoing efforts to control rodents and introduced plants. A recovery program has restored the Lord Howe Woodhen
Lord Howe Woodhen
The Lord Howe Woodhen, Gallirallus sylvestris, also known as the Lord Howe Island Woodhen or Lord Howe Rail, is a flightless bird of the rail family . It is endemic to Lord Howe Island off the Australian coast. It is a small olive brown bird, with a short tail and a downcurved bill...
numbers from only 20 in 1970 to approximately 200 in 2000, not that distant from carrying capacity
Carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
.
Climate change
According to an analysis by Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery
Timothy Fridtjof Flannery is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist and global warming activist....
, the ecosystem of Lord Howe Island is threatened by climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, with the reefs at risk from rises in water temperature. The Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
is specifically identified as being at risk to the effects of global warming on Australia
Effects of global warming on Australia
Predictions measuring the effects of global warming on Australia assert that climate change will negatively impact the continent's environment, economy, and communities...
, and the same analysis applies to the reefs of Lord Howe Island. Cool climate flora and fauna are at risk from rises in temperature, because there is limited scope for migration to higher altitudes. In 2011 the island, as an official event of the UNESCO International Year of Chemistry
International Year of Chemistry
The International Year of Chemistry 2011 commemorates the achievements of chemistry, and its contributions to humankind. This recognition for chemistry was made official by the United Nations in December 2008...
hosted the first international conference dedicated to the creation of a global artificial photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis is a chemical process that replicates the natural process of photosynthesis, a process that converts sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen. The term is commonly used to refer to any scheme for capturing and storing the energy from sunlight in...
project.
External links
- Lord Howe Island Tourism Association
- Lord Howe Island Board
- Museum and Information Centre
- World heritage listing (Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities)
- Lord Howe Island subtropical forests (World Wildlife Fund)
- 1789 Chart of Lord Howe Island (UK National Maritime Museum)
- Lord Howe Island Act, 1953 (Australian Legal Information Institute)