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Sir Joseph Banks Group
The Sir Joseph Banks Group is an archipelago in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf about 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consists of 21 islands of which eighteen are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park while the surrounding waters are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park. It is considered to be an important seabird breeding site.
The islands are low-lying, with the highest point on Spilsby of about 50 metres (160 feet) They consist mainly of a granite base beneath limestone and are usually capped with calcrete or sandy soil. Reevesby and Spilsby are the largest islands in the group. Spilsby Island is privately owned and continues to be grazed by sheep, as well as holding a few holiday cottages.
The group consists of the following islands:
One of the islands was known by the alternative name, Milne Island, in the 19th century.
Visits to the islands are only possible by boat, with the closest mainland access point being the coastal town of Tumby Bay, 22 kilometres (14 miles) to the north-west. Some islands are not open to the general public because of their environmental sensitivity.
There is no evidence to indicate usage by Indigenous Australians in prehistoric times. It is unknown if anyone ever set foot on the islands prior to the first confirmed European discovery in 1802. The islands were named by Matthew Flinders on 23 February 1802 on his voyage of exploration in HMS Investigator. The group is named after Sir Joseph Banks, who was a sponsor of the Investigator voyage. Many islands in the group are named after places in Flinders and Banks' home county of Lincolnshire, England. The name of Reevesby Island allegedly honors Banks' country residence, Revesby Abbey, though the spelling is inconsistent. Kirkby Island is named after the then president of the Royal Society. The nearest major population centre to the islands is Port Lincoln, the name of which also refers to Flinders and Banks' Lincolnshire connection.
Some of the group's islands were grazed in the 1800s, including Spilsby Island, where a man called J. Sawyer, his wife and children lived with about 800 sheep. In 1869, leases on islands in the group were offered for a seven year term. Sawyer held leases on multiple islands from 1871 until 1884. The lease was later held by the Scruby family, who also leased Stickney Island. In 1885, leases were offered on Langton, Spilsby, Sibsey and Stickney islands. Sawyer secured the leases on Langton and Stickney islands, while Spilsby Island was let to two men: Bishop and Wetherstone, and Sibsey Island was let to C. A. Oldham.
In the early 20th century, guano was quarried at Marum Island by the Spencer Gulf Fertilizer Company. The company also quarried guano from the Bicker Isles in Boston Bay.
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Sir Joseph Banks Group
The Sir Joseph Banks Group is an archipelago in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf about 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consists of 21 islands of which eighteen are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park while the surrounding waters are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park. It is considered to be an important seabird breeding site.
The islands are low-lying, with the highest point on Spilsby of about 50 metres (160 feet) They consist mainly of a granite base beneath limestone and are usually capped with calcrete or sandy soil. Reevesby and Spilsby are the largest islands in the group. Spilsby Island is privately owned and continues to be grazed by sheep, as well as holding a few holiday cottages.
The group consists of the following islands:
One of the islands was known by the alternative name, Milne Island, in the 19th century.
Visits to the islands are only possible by boat, with the closest mainland access point being the coastal town of Tumby Bay, 22 kilometres (14 miles) to the north-west. Some islands are not open to the general public because of their environmental sensitivity.
There is no evidence to indicate usage by Indigenous Australians in prehistoric times. It is unknown if anyone ever set foot on the islands prior to the first confirmed European discovery in 1802. The islands were named by Matthew Flinders on 23 February 1802 on his voyage of exploration in HMS Investigator. The group is named after Sir Joseph Banks, who was a sponsor of the Investigator voyage. Many islands in the group are named after places in Flinders and Banks' home county of Lincolnshire, England. The name of Reevesby Island allegedly honors Banks' country residence, Revesby Abbey, though the spelling is inconsistent. Kirkby Island is named after the then president of the Royal Society. The nearest major population centre to the islands is Port Lincoln, the name of which also refers to Flinders and Banks' Lincolnshire connection.
Some of the group's islands were grazed in the 1800s, including Spilsby Island, where a man called J. Sawyer, his wife and children lived with about 800 sheep. In 1869, leases on islands in the group were offered for a seven year term. Sawyer held leases on multiple islands from 1871 until 1884. The lease was later held by the Scruby family, who also leased Stickney Island. In 1885, leases were offered on Langton, Spilsby, Sibsey and Stickney islands. Sawyer secured the leases on Langton and Stickney islands, while Spilsby Island was let to two men: Bishop and Wetherstone, and Sibsey Island was let to C. A. Oldham.
In the early 20th century, guano was quarried at Marum Island by the Spencer Gulf Fertilizer Company. The company also quarried guano from the Bicker Isles in Boston Bay.