Lion Island, New South Wales
Lion Island is in the Hawkesbury River just inside the entrance to Broken Bay. It is located in the Gosford local government area[1]. Lion Island gains its name from a supposed resemblance to a Sphinx, a mythical Lion[2].
In 1956 the entire 8 hectare area of the island became a Fauna Reserve. It was reclassified as a Nature Reserve under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1967.[1]
The island contains the largest population of little penguins in the Sydney area[1] and is free of feral cats and foxes[2]. It is listed in the Register of the National Estate as a breeding habitat for a shearwaters and little penguins[1][3].
The cap at the Eastern end of Lion Island is composed of Hawkesbury Sandstone. The shores of the island are composed of the older Narrabeen Group of sandstones and shales.[1]
The island has a weed infestation problem, with problem weeds including Bitou Bush and Lantana.[1]
Access to the island is restricted by permit to conservation, education and research purposes.[1]
In 2005, documentary filmmaker Damien Lay erroneously claimed that the wreckage of a Japanese midget submarine, which disappeared after the attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942, was buried under sand on the seabed, just east of Lion Island[4][5].
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Lion Island, Long Island and Spectacle Island Nature Reserves Plan of Management, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, May 2002.
- ^ a b Lion Island sign board at West Head Lookout
- ^ Australian Heritage Database, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Lion, Long and Spectacle Island Nature Reserves, Ku-ring-gai Chase Rd, Bobbin Head, NSW, Department of the Environment and Heritage
- ^ Steve Meacham, Down to the wire ... solving a 60-year mystery, Sydney Morning Herald, November 29, 2005
- ^ Investigation fails to find midget sub, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, December 19, 2005. 5:34pm (AEDT)
External links
- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
Categories
Protected areas of New South Wales | New South Wales Central Coast