Pullen Island (South Australia)
Description
About 300 m long, the island that is largely a mass of weathered granite boulders, with a cove and beach on the northern side providing a landing for small boats. There is little vegetation, though pockets of soil on the higher part of the island support a few plants including the native common boobialla and introduced African boxthorn, tree mallow and buckthorn. Seabirds breeding on the island include little penguins and silver gulls. There is also a large roost of feral pigeons.
Little penguin colony
The 2013 Encounter Bay penguin census conducted by penguin ecologist Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel from Flinders University found no penguins and no active burrows on Pullen Island. The census' report concluded that the colony had not recovered from a prior collapse.
Protected area status
Pullen Island has enjoyed protected area status since 2 September 1948 when it was declared as a closed area for birds under the Animals and Birds Protection Act 1919-1946. On 16 March 1967, the island gained status as a Fauna Conservation Reserve. In 1972, the reserve was re-dedicated as the Pullen Island Conservation Park following the enactment of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
References
- ^ "Search result for "Pullen Island, IS" with the following datasets selected – "NPW and Conservation Reserve Boundaries", "Suburbs and Localities", "Local Government Areas"and "Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ Island conservation parks of Backstairs Passage and Encounter Bay management plans (PDF). Adelaide: National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and Planning. 1983. pp. iii, 23–29. ISBN 0-7243-4588-4.
- ^ Colombelli-Négrel, D. & Kleindorfer, S. Penguin monitoring and conservation activities in the Gulf St Vincent July 2013 – June 2014. Report to the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Natural Resources Management Board, Flinders University, South Australia (2014-04). Retrieved 2014-07-27.
- ^ "CROWN LANDS ACT, 1929-1966: FAUNA CONSERVATION RESERVES DEDICATED" (PDF). THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. Government of South Australia. 16 March 1967. pp. 961–962. Retrieved 5 February 2018.