Rottnest Island
Encyclopedia
Rottnest Island is located 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) off the coast of Western Australia
, near Fremantle
. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar
people, meaning "place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long, and 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) at its widest point with a total land area of 19 sqkm. It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the Rottnest Island Authority. No private ownership of land is allowed. It is antipodal
to the island of Bermuda
.
The Western Australian vernacular diminutive is "Rotto", or "Rottnest". It has been an important local holiday destination for over 50 years.
The island is administered by the Rottnest Island Authority, an agency of the Western Australian government, set up specifically for this purpose. The authority collects revenue by imposing a landing fee on all visitors to the island. In 2004, a Taskforce set up by the State Government made 103 recommendations aimed at achieving a sustainable future for Rottnest Island. In recent years, implementation of the recommendations has seen the majority of the RIA-administered accommodation refurbished or upgraded.
Aboriginal mythology
as Wadjemup, meaning 'Place across the water'. Aboriginal artefacts on the island have been dated from 6,500 to more than 30,000 years ago. However, recent evidence suggests human occupation significantly before 50,000, possibly as early as 70,000 BP.
There were no people on the island when European exploration began in the 17th century, and the Aboriginal people on the mainland did not have boats that could make the crossing, so the island had probably been uninhabited for several thousand years.
The island was observed by various Dutch
sailors from 1610, including Frederick de Houtman
in 1619. The first Europeans known to land on the island were 13 Dutch sailors including Abraham Leeman from the Waeckende Boey who landed near Bathurst Point
on 19 March 1658 while their ship was careened
nearby. The ship had sailed from Batavia
(Jakarta) in search of survivors of the missing Vergulde Draeck
which was later found wrecked 80 km north near present day Ledge Point
. Samuel Volkersenn, the skipper of the Waeckende Boey described the island in his journal:
In his 1681 chart the English
captain John Daniel
marked an island as Maiden's Isle, possibly referring to Rottnest. The name did not survive, however.
The island was given the name "Rattenest" (meaning "rat's nest" in the Dutch language
) by the Dutch
fleet captain Willem de Vlamingh
on 29 December 1696. De Vlamingh described the eponymous indigenous marsupial
, called a quokka
, as a large rat
.
Other explorers who stopped at the island included members of the French expedition of Nicholas Baudin in the Naturaliste and the Geographe in 1801 (when he planted a flag and left a bottle with a letter) and 1803, Phillip Parker King in 1822, and Captain James Stirling
in 1827. Early visitors commonly reported that much of the island was heavily wooded, which is not the case today.
In 1830, shortly after the establishment of the British Swan River Colony
at nearby Fremantle
, Robert Thomson settled on the island with his wife and seven children. Thomson developed pasture land west of Herschel Lake as well as salt harvesting and refining from the several salt lakes which was then exported to the mainland settlement. Salt was an important commodity before the advent of refrigeration.
It has been estimated that there may be as many as 369 Aboriginal graves on the island. Some 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned there.
for boys was opened on 16 May 1881.
In May 1898 two boys disappeared, apparently drowned, after escaping from the reformatory and stealing a dinghy.
After twenty years of operation, the facility closed on 21 September 1901 when the remaining 14 inmates were transferred to an industrial school on the mainland. The superintendent during the entire period was John Watson.
The reformatory buildings are now used as holiday accommodation as part of the Rottnest Lodge.
camp in both World War I
and World War II
. In WWI it was mostly used for German and Austrian suspected enemy aliens, before being closed towards the end of the war due to poor living conditions. During WWII the camp was used exclusively for Italian enemy aliens. The camp was closed about halfway through the war, and its occupants were sent to various other internment and work camps on the mainland.
Also during World War II, two 9.2-inch guns were installed near the middle of the island at Oliver Hill, and two 6-inch guns installed at Bickley Point, for defence of the Fremantle
port. The location of the island was seen as being important to the defence of the important port of Fremantle
, the major base for the Allies
in the Indian Ocean, as bombardment of any attacking ships could be made from the island before the ships would come into range of the port.
A light railway was built from the jetty at Kingstown Barracks on Thomson Bay, to transport materiel
and munitions to the guns. The military fixtures including the barracks and railway became known as the "Rottnest Island Fortress".
After WWII the guns and infrastructure were decommissioned and parts of the railway removed. The 9.2-inch battery, however, was saved from disposal because the high cost of removing and shipping the guns to the mainland exceeded their value as scrap metal.
In the 1990s the gun emplacements and railway were extensively reconstructed and today a popular tourist activity includes tours over the guns and the tunnels with the journey to the battery being made on a purpose-built train.
, Osprey
, Pied Oystercatcher
, Silver Gull
, Crested Tern, Fairy Tern
, Bridled Tern
, Rock Parrot
and the Reef Heron. The island salt lakes contain brine shrimp
which support birds such as the Red-necked Avocet
, Banded Stilt
, Ruddy Turnstone
, Curlew Sandpiper
, Red-capped Dotterel, Australian Shelduck
, Red-necked Stint
, Grey Plover
, White-fronted Chat
, Caspian Tern
and the Crested Tern. Several pairs of Osprey
nest at Rottnest each year; one nest at Salmon Point is estimated to be 70 years old. Introduced peafowl
are often seen near the main settlement.
The island has been identified by BirdLife International
as an Important Bird Area
(IBA) because it supports important breeding populations of the Fairy Terns (200-300 breeding pairs), over 1% of the non-breeding population of Banded Stilts (with up to 20,000 birds) and regionally-significant numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwater
s and Red-necked Stints.
Rottnest is one of the few areas in the world where the quokka
can be found. This is largely due to the exclusion of introduced predators from the mainland.
Reptiles include dugite
(Pseudonaja affinis), the Southern Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops australis
), King's Skink (Egernia kingii
), Bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa), Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus), West Coast Ctenotus (Ctenotus fallens) and Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis
). There are three species of frogs: the Moaning Frog
(Heleioporus eyrei), the Western Green Tree Frog (Litoria moorei) and the Sandplain Froglet (Crinia insignifera).
With the extensive reefs surrounding the island, many species of fish, crustaceans, and coral can be found. Larger species such as bottlenose dolphin
s, Australian Sea Lion
s and humpback whale
s are occasionally seen. A small colony of southern fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) reside at Cathedral Rocks.
), the Rottnest Island Teatree (Melaleuca lanceolata
) and Acacia rostellifera
. The Rottnest Island Daisy (Trachymene coerulea) is a commonly occurring flowering native which is also grown widely as an ornamental garden plant. Coastal dune flora include Searocket (Cakile
), Beach spinifex (Spinifex longifolius
) and Wild Rosemary (Olearia axillaris
).
The island became largely devoted to recreational use from the 1900s, aside from a brief period of exclusive military use during World War II
. It is now visited annually by nearly 500,000 visitors, an average of 330,000 of those arriving by ferry or air taxi. 70% of all visitors come for the day only. The majority of visitors arrive in summer, with nearly 20% of all visitors coming in January.
The main settlement is located at Thomson Bay, which is a protected north-easterly bay facing the mainland. Other settlements are located at Geordie Bay and Longreach Bay on the northern side of the island. All are sheltered bays and well suited for boating and swimming. Many other bays around the island have permanent boat moorings which can be leased from the Rottnest Island Authority.
The island has accommodation for up to 2,850 visitors, while day-only visitors can number up to 5,000 at any one time. Rottnest Island Authority accommodation options include 308 villas, units and cottages which sleep 4, 6 or 8 people and which are self-catering. This style of accommodation is reasonably basic. Demand for accommodation is very high during the summer months, with ballots held annually for accommodation during the January and Easter school holiday periods.
Other accommodation options include the YHA and group accommodation at Kingstown Barracks, the Hotel Rottnest (formerly called the "Quokka Arms Hotel" and prior to that the Governor's
residence), the Rottnest Lodge and a camping ground which includes campsites and as well as semi-permanent tents.
Most visitors arrive on one of the ferries from Fremantle, Perth, and Hillarys
. These are operated by Boat Torque/Rottnest Express, Hillarys Fast Ferries and Oceanic Cruises. Rottnest Island Airport
for light aircraft
(YRTI) is located near the main settlement.
The island is popular destination with Year-12 school leavers celebrating the end of their exams each November (known in Western Australia as 'Leavers week' or just 'Leavers') - the island is closed to the general public during this time. Identification and proof of being a current secondary school leaver is required to access the island during this period.
Catering facilities in the Thomson Bay foreshore area include a Dome coffee shop
, a seafood restaurant and the Hotel Rottnest. The main settlement has a general store including a liquor outlet, a bakery, cafe/coffee shop, Red Rooster
, Subway and clothing stores. The Lodge includes several restaurants and bars also. Longreach includes a general store and liquor outlet.
A luxury hotel was planned for the island, due to have opened by the 2008-09 summer. In March 2009 negotiations between the Rottnest Island Authority and the developer, Broadwater Hotels, collapsed. The Authority stated that "The development of a new hotel at Mt Herschel remains a priority for the Authority, and we will be going to the market with a request for proposals in the next few months." The Rottnest Society has criticised the state government over lack of public consultation over the development: "The government has let us all down in not keeping a written commitment to allow the Western Australian public to comment via a properly constituted public comment process on the concept plans for the proposed new hotel at Mt Herschel". The Society "... is seriously concerned that the introduction of 'high-end' tourists may well bring pressure for more 'up-market' facilities and services on the island, more coach tours, and a much greater disparity between 'high-end' and 'low-end' accommodation."
The island was the site of an important Australian High Court
case. Nagle v Rottnest Island Authority (1993) 177 CLR 423 arose after a man, dove off a rock on Rottnest Island and became a quadriplegic. It was held that, as the island authority had promoted the site as a venue for swimming and had not put up a warning notice, it was liable for causing the injury.
, is popular in the summer months. The season opens on 15 November each year, and runs until 30 June. Crayfish may be caught in special traps or "pots", or when diving either by hand or by using a crayfish "loop". The loop is a spring-loaded steel cable attached to a long pole. It is illegal to use any means that might puncture the shell to catch the crayfish. The bag limit is 6 per license per day, with a maximum of 12 per boat per day.
A snorkel trail at Parker Point features underwater interpretative plaques that give information about the marine environments surrounding Rottnest. The island is the southernmost point along the Western Australian coastline at which coral grows. The Rottnest Island Wreck Trail was developed in conjunction with the Western Australian Museum
in 1980 as the first underwater interpretative trail in the southern hemisphere. Visits to some of the Rottnest Island shipwrecks
, in essence a museum-without-walls can be made by glass bottomed boat, or by scuba and snorkel. The SS Macedon site is one of the most visited wrecks in Australia.
The island features historic buildings and pleasant beaches (all reachable via the many cycling tracks; cycling being the island's main mode of transport - private or hire cars are not allowed on the island).
As Rottnest is isolated from the mainland, and has no fresh surface water, providing water, power and waste disposal has always been difficult and expensive. In 1996 Rottnest introduced the first public place recycling
program in Western Australia. In 2000 the island won the 3R awards (reduce, reuse and recycle). A daily supply barge - Spinifex - makes a return trip from Fremantle, delivering supplies and removing rubbish.
For many years during the twentieth century, the water supply was rainwater harvested from several large bitumen sealed catchment areas behind Longreach Bay. In the 1970s fresh water was found underground and was used to supplement the rainfall supply. In 1995 the supply was further supplemented with desalinated groundwater, using a reverse osmosis
plant producing up to 500 kL per day.
Experimental wind turbine
s were commissioned in 1978, however high maintenance requirements and excessive power generation resulted in diesel remaining the main power source. In 2004 a new 600 kW wind-diesel system was erected; other works at the time included upgrades to the power station and the installation of low load diesel generators. The wind turbine delivers approximately 37% of Rottnest's power requirements and saves over 400,000 litres of diesel per year and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by over 1,100 tonnes.
Two lighthouses operate on the island to aid passing maritime traffic: Bathurst Lighthouse
and Wadjemup Lighthouse
.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, near Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar
Noongar
The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
people, meaning "place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long, and 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) at its widest point with a total land area of 19 sqkm. It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the Rottnest Island Authority. No private ownership of land is allowed. It is antipodal
Antipodes
In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth....
to the island of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
The Western Australian vernacular diminutive is "Rotto", or "Rottnest". It has been an important local holiday destination for over 50 years.
The island is administered by the Rottnest Island Authority, an agency of the Western Australian government, set up specifically for this purpose. The authority collects revenue by imposing a landing fee on all visitors to the island. In 2004, a Taskforce set up by the State Government made 103 recommendations aimed at achieving a sustainable future for Rottnest Island. In recent years, implementation of the recommendations has seen the majority of the RIA-administered accommodation refurbished or upgraded.
Pre-history
Rottnest Island was inhabited by Aboriginal people until rising sea levels separated the island from the mainland of Western Australia approximately 7,000 years ago. The island features in NoongarNoongar
The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
Aboriginal mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
as Wadjemup, meaning 'Place across the water'. Aboriginal artefacts on the island have been dated from 6,500 to more than 30,000 years ago. However, recent evidence suggests human occupation significantly before 50,000, possibly as early as 70,000 BP.
There were no people on the island when European exploration began in the 17th century, and the Aboriginal people on the mainland did not have boats that could make the crossing, so the island had probably been uninhabited for several thousand years.
European exploration and settlement
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sailors from 1610, including Frederick de Houtman
Frederick de Houtman
Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...
in 1619. The first Europeans known to land on the island were 13 Dutch sailors including Abraham Leeman from the Waeckende Boey who landed near Bathurst Point
Bathurst Lighthouse
Bathurst Lighthouse is one of two lighthouses on Rottnest Island, the other being Wadjemup Lighthouse. It is located on Bathurst Point, in the north east of the island, and was activated in 1900...
on 19 March 1658 while their ship was careened
Careening
Careening a sailing vessel is the practice of beaching it at high tide. This is usually done in order to expose one side or another of the ship's hull for maintenance and repairs below the water line when the tide goes out....
nearby. The ship had sailed from Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
(Jakarta) in search of survivors of the missing Vergulde Draeck
Vergulde Draeck
The Vergulde Draeck was a Dutch East India Company ship of the seventeenth century. She sailed from Texel bound for Batavia , under Pieter Albertsz and was carrying trade goods and eight chests of silver worth 78,6000 guilders...
which was later found wrecked 80 km north near present day Ledge Point
Ledge Point, Western Australia
Ledge Point is a small coastal township 105 km north of Perth, Western Australia. It was established to service the local fishing and crayfishing industries....
. Samuel Volkersenn, the skipper of the Waeckende Boey described the island in his journal:
In slightly under 32° S. Lat. there is a large island, at about 3 miles' distance from the mainland of the South-land; this island has high mountains, with a good deal of brushwood and many thornbushes, so that it is hard to go over; here certain animals are found, since we saw many excrements, and besides two seals and a wild cat, resembling a civet-cat, but with browner hair. This island is dangerous to touch at, owing to the rocky reefs which are level with the water and below the surface, almost along the whole length of the shore; between it and the mainland there are also numerous rocks and reefs, and slightly more to southward there is another small island.
This large island to which we have been unwilling to give a name, leaving this matter to the Honourable Lord Governor-General's pleasure, may be seen at 7 or 8 miles' distance out at sea in fine weather. I surmise that brackish or fresh water might be obtainable there, and likewise good firewood, but not without great trouble.
In his 1681 chart the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
captain John Daniel
John Daniel (ship's captain)
John Daniel, , was an English sea captain who charted part of the coast of Australia in 1681 before, William Dampier sighted the mainland of Australia in 1688....
marked an island as Maiden's Isle, possibly referring to Rottnest. The name did not survive, however.
The island was given the name "Rattenest" (meaning "rat's nest" in the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
fleet captain Willem de Vlamingh
Willem de Vlamingh
Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the central west coast of Australia in the late 17th century.- Vlamingh and the VOC :...
on 29 December 1696. De Vlamingh described the eponymous indigenous marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
, called a quokka
Quokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
, as a large rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
.
Other explorers who stopped at the island included members of the French expedition of Nicholas Baudin in the Naturaliste and the Geographe in 1801 (when he planted a flag and left a bottle with a letter) and 1803, Phillip Parker King in 1822, and Captain James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
in 1827. Early visitors commonly reported that much of the island was heavily wooded, which is not the case today.
In 1830, shortly after the establishment of the British Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
at nearby Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Robert Thomson settled on the island with his wife and seven children. Thomson developed pasture land west of Herschel Lake as well as salt harvesting and refining from the several salt lakes which was then exported to the mainland settlement. Salt was an important commodity before the advent of refrigeration.
Aboriginal prison
Ten Aboriginal prisoners were sent to Rottnest Island in August 1838. The Colonial Secretary announced in June 1839 that the island would become a penal establishment for Aboriginal people, and between 1838 and 1931, except for the period 1849 to 1855, Rottnest was used as an Aboriginal prison. A quadrangular shaped building was contructed in 1863-64 and generally referred to as "The Quod". It is used today for tourist accomodation.It has been estimated that there may be as many as 369 Aboriginal graves on the island. Some 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned there.
Boys reformatory
A reformatoryReformatory
Reformatory is a term that has had varied meanings within the penal system, depending on the jurisdiction and the era. It may refer to a youth detention center, or an adult correctional facility. The term is still in popular use for adult facilities throughout the United States, although most...
for boys was opened on 16 May 1881.
In May 1898 two boys disappeared, apparently drowned, after escaping from the reformatory and stealing a dinghy.
After twenty years of operation, the facility closed on 21 September 1901 when the remaining 14 inmates were transferred to an industrial school on the mainland. The superintendent during the entire period was John Watson.
The reformatory buildings are now used as holiday accommodation as part of the Rottnest Lodge.
Military history
Rottnest was the site of an internmentInternment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
camp in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In WWI it was mostly used for German and Austrian suspected enemy aliens, before being closed towards the end of the war due to poor living conditions. During WWII the camp was used exclusively for Italian enemy aliens. The camp was closed about halfway through the war, and its occupants were sent to various other internment and work camps on the mainland.
Also during World War II, two 9.2-inch guns were installed near the middle of the island at Oliver Hill, and two 6-inch guns installed at Bickley Point, for defence of the Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
port. The location of the island was seen as being important to the defence of the important port of Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, the major base for the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in the Indian Ocean, as bombardment of any attacking ships could be made from the island before the ships would come into range of the port.
A light railway was built from the jetty at Kingstown Barracks on Thomson Bay, to transport materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
and munitions to the guns. The military fixtures including the barracks and railway became known as the "Rottnest Island Fortress".
After WWII the guns and infrastructure were decommissioned and parts of the railway removed. The 9.2-inch battery, however, was saved from disposal because the high cost of removing and shipping the guns to the mainland exceeded their value as scrap metal.
In the 1990s the gun emplacements and railway were extensively reconstructed and today a popular tourist activity includes tours over the guns and the tunnels with the journey to the battery being made on a purpose-built train.
Flora and fauna
Birds
Many coastal birds frequent Rottnest. These include the Pied CormorantPied Cormorant
The Australia Pied Cormorant , Phalacrocorax varius, also known as the Pied Cormorant or Pied Shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. It is found around the coasts of Australasia. In New Zealand it is usually known either as the Pied Shag or by its Māori name of Karuhiruhi...
, Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, Pied Oystercatcher
Pied Oystercatcher
The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
, Silver Gull
Silver Gull
The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
, Crested Tern, Fairy Tern
Fairy Tern
The Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
, Bridled Tern
Bridled Tern
The Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans.-Description:...
, Rock Parrot
Rock Parrot
The Rock Parrot , also known as the Rock Elegant, is a parrot which is endemic to coastal South Australia, southern Western Australia, and that continent's offshore islands, including Rottnest Island. It is a small, predominantly olive-green parrot...
and the Reef Heron. The island salt lakes contain brine shrimp
Brine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans known as brine shrimp. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, has changed little externally since the Triassic period...
which support birds such as the Red-necked Avocet
Red-necked Avocet
The Red-necked Avocet is a water bird found throughout Australia, except for the northern parts of the Northern Territory....
, Banded Stilt
Banded Stilt
The Banded Stilt is a nomadic stilt from Australia. It belongs to the monotypical genus Cladorhynchus. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band found on breeding adults, but this is mottled or entirely absent in non-breeding adults and juveniles. Its remaining plumage is pied and the eyes...
, Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone
The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
, Curlew Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
, Red-capped Dotterel, Australian Shelduck
Australian Shelduck
The Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds.This is a bird which breeds...
, Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint
The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
, Grey Plover
Grey Plover
The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
, White-fronted Chat
White-fronted Chat
The White-fronted Chat is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia, being found across southern Australia from Shark Bay in Western Australia around to the Queensland/New South Wales border.- References :* at NSW Govt Office of Environment and Heritage...
, Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
and the Crested Tern. Several pairs of Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
nest at Rottnest each year; one nest at Salmon Point is estimated to be 70 years old. Introduced peafowl
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
are often seen near the main settlement.
The island has been identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) because it supports important breeding populations of the Fairy Terns (200-300 breeding pairs), over 1% of the non-breeding population of Banded Stilts (with up to 20,000 birds) and regionally-significant numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...
s and Red-necked Stints.
Other animals
Quokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
can be found. This is largely due to the exclusion of introduced predators from the mainland.
Reptiles include dugite
Dugite
Dugite is a common name for the highly venomous snake, Pseudonaja affinis, an Australian species which can inflict a fatal bite.-Description:...
(Pseudonaja affinis), the Southern Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops australis
Ramphotyphlops australis
Ramphotyphlops australis, or the Southern blindsnake, is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family....
), King's Skink (Egernia kingii
Egernia kingii
Egernia kingii, King's Skink, is a species of skink native to coastal regions of south-western Australia common on Rottnest Island and Penguin Island and some coastal areas with open forest and open heath...
), Bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa), Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus), West Coast Ctenotus (Ctenotus fallens) and Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis
Lialis burtonis
Lialis burtonis, or Burton's legless lizard, is a pygopodid lizard found in Australia and New Guinea.-Description:...
). There are three species of frogs: the Moaning Frog
Moaning Frog
The Moaning Frog is a burrowing frog native to south-western Western Australia.-Physical description:The Moaning Frog is rotund, with a large head and large, bulbous eyes. The dorsal surface is brown, with marbling of white, grey or yellow, and the ventral surface is white. The arms and legs are...
(Heleioporus eyrei), the Western Green Tree Frog (Litoria moorei) and the Sandplain Froglet (Crinia insignifera).
With the extensive reefs surrounding the island, many species of fish, crustaceans, and coral can be found. Larger species such as bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
s, Australian Sea Lion
Australian Sea Lion
The Australian Sea Lion , also known as the Australian Sea-lion or Australian Sealion, is a species of sea lion that breeds only on the south and west coasts of Australia...
s and humpback whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
s are occasionally seen. A small colony of southern fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) reside at Cathedral Rocks.
Plants
The island includes three endemic woodland tree species, the Rottnest Island Pine (Callitris preissiiCallitris preissii
Callitris preissii is a species of conifer in the Cupressaceae family, found only in Australia.Common Names: Rottnest Island pine , Murray pine, maroong, Southern Cypress pine, or Slender Cypress pine -External Links:...
), the Rottnest Island Teatree (Melaleuca lanceolata
Melaleuca lanceolata
Melaleuca lanceolata is a small tree or shrub in the genus Melaleuca, native to Australia. It has a number of common names including Black Paperbark, Moonah, Rottnest Island Teatree and Western Black Tea tree....
) and Acacia rostellifera
Acacia rostellifera
Acacia rostellifera, commonly known as summer-scented wattle or skunk tree is a coastal tree or small tree in the family Fabaceae...
. The Rottnest Island Daisy (Trachymene coerulea) is a commonly occurring flowering native which is also grown widely as an ornamental garden plant. Coastal dune flora include Searocket (Cakile
Cakile
Cakile is a genus within the flowering plant family Brassicaceae. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in the region concerned, the European searocket Cakile maritima...
), Beach spinifex (Spinifex longifolius
Spinifex longifolius
Spinifex longifolius, commonly known as Beach Spinifex, is a perennial grass that grows along the northern and eastern rim of the Indian Ocean.-Description:It grows as a tussock from 30 centimetres to a metre high, and up to two metres wide...
) and Wild Rosemary (Olearia axillaris
Olearia axillaris
Olearia axillaris is a shrub of the Asteraceae family, found in coastal areas of Australia. Commonly known as the Coastal Daisybush, it was one of the first edible plants to be discovered by Europeans.-Description:...
).
Climate
Tourism and facilities
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is now visited annually by nearly 500,000 visitors, an average of 330,000 of those arriving by ferry or air taxi. 70% of all visitors come for the day only. The majority of visitors arrive in summer, with nearly 20% of all visitors coming in January.
The main settlement is located at Thomson Bay, which is a protected north-easterly bay facing the mainland. Other settlements are located at Geordie Bay and Longreach Bay on the northern side of the island. All are sheltered bays and well suited for boating and swimming. Many other bays around the island have permanent boat moorings which can be leased from the Rottnest Island Authority.
The island has accommodation for up to 2,850 visitors, while day-only visitors can number up to 5,000 at any one time. Rottnest Island Authority accommodation options include 308 villas, units and cottages which sleep 4, 6 or 8 people and which are self-catering. This style of accommodation is reasonably basic. Demand for accommodation is very high during the summer months, with ballots held annually for accommodation during the January and Easter school holiday periods.
Other accommodation options include the YHA and group accommodation at Kingstown Barracks, the Hotel Rottnest (formerly called the "Quokka Arms Hotel" and prior to that the Governor's
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
residence), the Rottnest Lodge and a camping ground which includes campsites and as well as semi-permanent tents.
Most visitors arrive on one of the ferries from Fremantle, Perth, and Hillarys
Hillarys, Western Australia
Hillarys is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Joondalup. It is part of the Whitfords precinct, and is located 21 km north-northwest of Perth's central business district via Mitchell Freeway and Hepburn...
. These are operated by Boat Torque/Rottnest Express, Hillarys Fast Ferries and Oceanic Cruises. Rottnest Island Airport
Rottnest Island Airport
Rottnest Island Airport is a small airport for light aircraft, situated about 800 metres from the main settlement at Thomson Bay. Daily air services operate to the island. In the past these have been from Perth Airport, but in recent years have been mainly from Jandakot.The single runway runs...
for light aircraft
Light aircraft
A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross take-off weight of or less.Many aircraft used commercially for freight, sightseeing, photography and scheduled flights are light aircraft.Examples of light aircraft include:...
(YRTI) is located near the main settlement.
The island is popular destination with Year-12 school leavers celebrating the end of their exams each November (known in Western Australia as 'Leavers week' or just 'Leavers') - the island is closed to the general public during this time. Identification and proof of being a current secondary school leaver is required to access the island during this period.
Catering facilities in the Thomson Bay foreshore area include a Dome coffee shop
Dome (coffeehouse)
Dome Coffee is a franchise chain of European-style café restaurants based in Perth, Australia.It was founded by Patria Jaffries and Phil May in 1990....
, a seafood restaurant and the Hotel Rottnest. The main settlement has a general store including a liquor outlet, a bakery, cafe/coffee shop, Red Rooster
Red Rooster
Red Rooster is an Australian fast food restaurant chain. Red Rooster specialises in selling roasted chicken and other related products.- History :...
, Subway and clothing stores. The Lodge includes several restaurants and bars also. Longreach includes a general store and liquor outlet.
A luxury hotel was planned for the island, due to have opened by the 2008-09 summer. In March 2009 negotiations between the Rottnest Island Authority and the developer, Broadwater Hotels, collapsed. The Authority stated that "The development of a new hotel at Mt Herschel remains a priority for the Authority, and we will be going to the market with a request for proposals in the next few months." The Rottnest Society has criticised the state government over lack of public consultation over the development: "The government has let us all down in not keeping a written commitment to allow the Western Australian public to comment via a properly constituted public comment process on the concept plans for the proposed new hotel at Mt Herschel". The Society "... is seriously concerned that the introduction of 'high-end' tourists may well bring pressure for more 'up-market' facilities and services on the island, more coach tours, and a much greater disparity between 'high-end' and 'low-end' accommodation."
The island was the site of an important Australian High Court
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
case. Nagle v Rottnest Island Authority (1993) 177 CLR 423 arose after a man, dove off a rock on Rottnest Island and became a quadriplegic. It was held that, as the island authority had promoted the site as a venue for swimming and had not put up a warning notice, it was liable for causing the injury.
Activities
Diving is a popular activity at Rottnest. Its varied limestone reef terrain, and plentiful fish make it a interesting diving destination. In particular, diving for crayfish Western rock lobsterWestern rock lobster
Panulirus cygnus is a species of spiny lobster , found off the west coast of Australia. Panulirus cygnus is the basis of Australia's most valuable fishery, making up 20% of value of Australia's total fishing industry, and is identified as the western rock lobster.-Description:The species has five...
, is popular in the summer months. The season opens on 15 November each year, and runs until 30 June. Crayfish may be caught in special traps or "pots", or when diving either by hand or by using a crayfish "loop". The loop is a spring-loaded steel cable attached to a long pole. It is illegal to use any means that might puncture the shell to catch the crayfish. The bag limit is 6 per license per day, with a maximum of 12 per boat per day.
A snorkel trail at Parker Point features underwater interpretative plaques that give information about the marine environments surrounding Rottnest. The island is the southernmost point along the Western Australian coastline at which coral grows. The Rottnest Island Wreck Trail was developed in conjunction with the Western Australian Museum
Western Australian Museum
The Western Australian Museum is the state museum for Western Australia.The Western Australian Museum has seven main sites: two in Perth within the Perth Cultural Centre, two in Fremantle , and one each in Albany, Geraldton, and Kalgoorlie-Boulder...
in 1980 as the first underwater interpretative trail in the southern hemisphere. Visits to some of the Rottnest Island shipwrecks
Rottnest Island shipwrecks
Since the first Europeans visited the west coast of Australia in the 17th century, Rottnest Island has seen numerous shipwrecks. The 11 kilometre long and 4.5 km wide island is surrounded by hidden and partly exposed reefs whilst being buffeted by the Roaring Forties...
, in essence a museum-without-walls can be made by glass bottomed boat, or by scuba and snorkel. The SS Macedon site is one of the most visited wrecks in Australia.
The island features historic buildings and pleasant beaches (all reachable via the many cycling tracks; cycling being the island's main mode of transport - private or hire cars are not allowed on the island).
Annual events
- The Rottnest Channel SwimRottnest Channel SwimThe Rottnest Channel Swim is an annual open water swimming event from Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia, near Perth. It is open to solo swimmers and teams of two or four. It is one of the largest open water swimming events in the world. The distance is...
is a long distance swimming event from Cottesloe BeachCottesloe, Western Australia-Transport:Cottesloe is served by Swanbourne, Grant Street, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Victoria Street railway stations on the Fremantle line. Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle. All services are...
to Rottnest Island, is held annually. - The Rottnest Marathon & Fun Run is an annual running event operated late each October by the West Australian Marathon Club. Event distances are 5 km, 10 km and Marathon (42.2 km).
- The 'Rottnest Comedy & Short Film Festival' is an event showcasing Western Australian Short Comedy Films, Stand-Up Comedians and Musicians held annually from 2009.
- Leavers week (November)
- 'Swim Thru Rottnest' is an annual 1600-metre swim held on the first Saturday in December. The event was first held in 1977. Competitors start on the east side of the Army Jetty in Thomson Bay, swim to the natural jetty and then return to the Army jetty. The event is run by the Cottesloe Crabs Winter Swimming Club.
- 'The Doctor' is a 23 km surfski and paddle race from the Army jetty to Scarborough Beach.
- 'Fremantle to Rottnest Big Splash' is a masters swimming race from Leighton Beach to Rottnest
Services
Rottnest Island has few permanent residents with most island workers commuting from the mainland.As Rottnest is isolated from the mainland, and has no fresh surface water, providing water, power and waste disposal has always been difficult and expensive. In 1996 Rottnest introduced the first public place recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
program in Western Australia. In 2000 the island won the 3R awards (reduce, reuse and recycle). A daily supply barge - Spinifex - makes a return trip from Fremantle, delivering supplies and removing rubbish.
For many years during the twentieth century, the water supply was rainwater harvested from several large bitumen sealed catchment areas behind Longreach Bay. In the 1970s fresh water was found underground and was used to supplement the rainfall supply. In 1995 the supply was further supplemented with desalinated groundwater, using a reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
plant producing up to 500 kL per day.
Experimental wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s were commissioned in 1978, however high maintenance requirements and excessive power generation resulted in diesel remaining the main power source. In 2004 a new 600 kW wind-diesel system was erected; other works at the time included upgrades to the power station and the installation of low load diesel generators. The wind turbine delivers approximately 37% of Rottnest's power requirements and saves over 400,000 litres of diesel per year and reduce greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions by over 1,100 tonnes.
Two lighthouses operate on the island to aid passing maritime traffic: Bathurst Lighthouse
Bathurst Lighthouse
Bathurst Lighthouse is one of two lighthouses on Rottnest Island, the other being Wadjemup Lighthouse. It is located on Bathurst Point, in the north east of the island, and was activated in 1900...
and Wadjemup Lighthouse
Wadjemup Lighthouse
Completed in 1849, the original Wadjemup Lighthouse was Western Australia's first stone lighthouse and was built to provide a safer sailing passage for ships to Fremantle Port and the Swan River Colony....
.
Popular culture
- The US television show The Amazing Race 9The Amazing Race 9The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on...
featured an episode with events on the island. - The movie Under the Lighthouse DancingUnder the Lighthouse DancingUnder the Lighthouse Dancing is a 1997 Australian romantic drama film directed by Graeme Rattigan, based on a true story.-Plot:Three couples travel to Rottnest Island near Perth, Western Australia for the weekend...
was filmed on the island. - An episode of the ABC TVABC TelevisionABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
program Surfing the Menu was filmed on the island. - An eight-minute film, Amy Goes To Wadjemup Island, was shot on the island in 2006.
- An early film, Trip to Rottnest, made by the Australian Government to popularise Rottnest as a holiday destination, is thought to be one of the first of its kind.
- Rottnest features prominently in Robert DreweRobert DreweRobert Duncan Drewe is an Australian journalist, novelist and short story writer.-Biography:Drewe was born in Melbourne, but moved with his family to Perth, Western Australia at the age of six. He was educated at Hale School, and in his final year was appointed School Captain...
's memoir The Shark Net. - The West Australian poet and author Hal Gibson Pateshall ColebatchHal Gibson Pateshall ColebatchHal Gibson Pateshall Colebatch , also known as Hal G. P. Colebatch and Hal Colebatch is an Australian author, poet, lecturer, journalist, editor, and lawyer.-Personal history:...
(whose father, Sir Hal ColebatchHal ColebatchSir Harry Pateshall Colebatch CMG , better known as Sir Hal Colebatch, was a long-serving and occasionally controversial figure in Western Australian politics...
was the first Chairman of the Rottnest Island Board), has written many poems about Rottnest, especially in his collection The Light River (Connor Court publishers, 2007). Colebatch's 2011 novel "Countertstrike" (Acashic) also has scenes set on Rottnest, which is called Lighthouse Island in the book. - West Australian author and Supreme CourtSupreme courtA supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
Judge Nicholas HasluckNicholas HasluckThe Honourable Justice Nicholas Paul Hasluck AM is an Australian novelist, poet and short story writer, and judge. He lives in Perth, Western Australia with his wife, Sally-Anne, and has two children.-Early life:...
has also written poems and fictionalised accounts of Rottnest.
See also
- List of features of Rottnest Island — alpha lists of cottage names, and named features usually found on Rottnest maps
- Rottnest Island shipwrecksRottnest Island shipwrecksSince the first Europeans visited the west coast of Australia in the 17th century, Rottnest Island has seen numerous shipwrecks. The 11 kilometre long and 4.5 km wide island is surrounded by hidden and partly exposed reefs whilst being buffeted by the Roaring Forties...
— details on the twelve larger shipwrecks in close proximity to the island - Colonial buildings of Rottnest IslandColonial buildings of Rottnest IslandRottnest Island was first settled by European colonists in 1830 following their arrival at Western Australia and the Swan River Colony. Soon after, construction of a variety of private and public buildings commenced, many of which were built with aboriginal convict labour and which remain today...