Smooth Island (Tasmania)


Smooth Island, is a privately owned island with an area of lying close to the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The island is part of the Sloping Island Group situated in Norfolk Bay and surrounded by the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas. The towns Dunalley and Murdunna are nearby. Smooth Island differs from other Tasmanian islands as it has an unencumbered freehold title down to the high-water mark.

Administration

For administrative purposes, the island is within the Tasman Council, the land district of Pembroke, the legislative council of Rumney and the electorate of Lyons at state and federal levels. It lies within the Fire Management Area Committee Boundary of 'East Coast'.
Smooth Island is privately owned; it has a freehold title with no covenants. In 2014 Smooth Island was gazetted as a Private Forest Timber Reserve. The coast line from the Smooth Island waterline has been classified Zone 23 under the Tasman Interim Planning Scheme 2015.

Access

Smooth island is private property to the coastal high-water mark; unauthorised public access, including mooring of vessels, is prohibited. Subject to authorisation, Smooth Island is easily accessible by boat and helicopter. The island's terrain is suited to the construction of a small airstrip.

Services

The island receives radio coverage from ABC Local Radio, 3G mobile phone coverage from Telstra and wireless coverage from the National Broadband Network. The table below outlines the nearest services and facilities to Smooth Island.
Service typeNameAddressCoordinatesDistance by airDistance by boatDistance by road from MurdunnaReference
Public boat rampMurdunna boat ramp5.7 km5.8 km–
AmbulanceDodges Ferry Ambulance Station17 km21 km28 km
Medical Dodges Ferry Medical17 km21 km28 km
Major hospitalRoyal Hobart Hospital37.5 km56 km65 km
Police Dunalley Police Station6.7 km6.7 km9 km
Mobile phone transmission towerTelstra 3G 850 MHz6 km––
Wireless internet transmission towerNational Broadband Network6 km––
FuelShell Dunalley6.5 km6.5 km9 km
General storeDunalley Supermarket6.7 km6.7 km9 km
Large shopping centreSorell plaza shopping centre25 km29 km40 km

Recreational fishing

"All waters 200 metres seaward from the low water mark of Smooth Island: Shark Refuge Area. No taking of shark, skates or rays, except elephantfish. Where permitted, graball nets must not be set for more than 2 hours and can only be set from sunrise until one hour before sunset. No mullet nets. No set lines."

Geography

Smooth Island lies from both Dunbabin Point and Chronicle Point on the mainland, and from King George Island, measured from the nearest coastlines.
The island has two hilly peaks separated by a saddle. The height above sea level of the North peak, South peak and saddle are, and respectively.

Climate

Smooth island's climate is classified Cfb under the Köppen Climate Classification.

Ecosystem

The following fauna and flora have been observed on Smooth Island:
Iconic nameCommon nameScientific name
ActinopterygiiBluethroat WrasseNotolabrus tetricus
AnimaliaAir-breathing limpetSiphonaria diemenensis
AnimaliaAustralian Marine SlaterLigia australiensis
AnimaliaPurple Mottled Shore CrabCyclograpsus granulosus
AnimaliaRosette barnacleTetraclitella purpurascens
AnimaliaWaratah AnemoneActinia tenebrosa
AnimaliaWestern Pacific purple sea urchinHeliocidaris erythrogramma
AnimaliaSydney CoralGaleolaria caespitosa
AnimaliaSix-plated barnacleChthamalus antennatus
ArachnidaForest ScorpionCercophonius squama
AvesBlack-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens
AvesBrown QuailSynoicus ypsilophorus
AvesCrescent HoneyeaterPhylidonyris pyrrhopterus
AvesForest RavenCorvus tasmanicus
AvesGalahEolophus roseicapilla
AvesHouse SparrowPasser domesticus
AvesKelp GullLarus dominicanus
AvesLittle Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris
AvesLittle PenguinEudyptula minor
AvesNew Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiae
AvesPacific GullLarus pacificus
AvesShort-tailed ShearwaterArdenna tenuirostris
AvesSilvereyeZosterops lateralis
AvesSooty OystercatcherHaematopus fuliginosus
AvesTasmanian wedge-tailed eagleAquila audax fleayi
AvesWedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
AvesWhite-bellied Sea-EagleHaliaeetus leucogaster
ChromistaCommon KelpEcklonia radiata
ChromistaGiant KelpMacrocystis pyrifera
ChromistaNeptune's necklaceHormosira banksii
InsectaAustralian magpie mothNyctemera amicus
InsectaBuff-tailed Bumble BeeBombus terrestris
InsectaCommon BrownHeteronympha merope
InsectaDisappearing GrasshopperSchizobothrus flavovittatus
InsectaEuropean Honey BeeApis mellifera
InsectaHarlequin Red BugDindymus versicolor
InsectaInchman AntMyrmecia forficata
InsectaThynnus zonatus
InsectaOxycanus australis
InsectaOmyta centrolineata
MammaliaDomestic SheepOvis aries
MolluscaAustralian Black NeriteNerita atramentosa
Molluscablacklip abaloneHaliotis rubra
MolluscaCart-Rut ShellDicathais orbita
MolluscaCommon conniwinkBembicium melanostoma
MolluscaGold-mouthed ConniwinkBembicium auratum
MolluscaLittle Black MusselXenostrobus neozelanicus
MolluscaLittle Blue PeriwinkleAustrolittorina unifasciata
MolluscaMediterranean MusselMytilus galloprovincialis
MolluscaPacific OysterMagallana gigas
MolluscaSnakeskin ChitonSypharochiton pelliserpentis
MolluscaSouthern flat oysterOstrea angasi
MolluscaSouthern PeriwinkleAustrocochlea constricta
MolluscaVariegated limpetCellana tramoserica
MolluscaSiphonaria funiculata
MolluscaPenion mandarinus
MolluscaPatelloida alticostata
MolluscaIschnochiton australis
MolluscaDiloma concameratum
MolluscaCominella lineolata
MolluscaCellana solida
MolluscaAplysia
PlantaeAfrican boxthornLycium ferocissimum
PlantaeAustral BrackenPteridium esculentum
PlantaeAustral SeabliteSuaeda australis
PlantaeAustralian BlackthornBursaria spinosa
PlantaeAustralian Pig FaceCarpobrotus rossii
PlantaeAustralian Salt-grassDistichlis distichophylla
PlantaeBeaded SamphireSalicornia quinqueflora
PlantaeBidgee-widgeeAcaena novae-zelandiae
Plantaeblack wattleAcacia mearnsii
PlantaebramblesRubus
PlantaeBuck's-horn PlantainPlantago coronopus
PlantaeCapeweedArctotheca calendula
Plantaecat's-earsHypochaeris radicata
PlantaeClammy goosefootDysphania pumilio
PlantaeClimbing saltbushChenopodium nutans
PlantaeCoast Flax-LilyDianella brevicaulis
Plantaecock's-footDactylis glomerata
Plantaecommon boobiallaMyoporum insulare
Plantaecommon chickweedStellaria media
PlantaeCommon Sow-thistleSonchus oleraceus
Plantaecommon stork's-billErodium cicutarium
PlantaeCommon VetchVicia sativa
PlantaeDwarf NettleUrtica urens
PlantaeEurabbieEucalyptus globulus
PlantaeEuropean blackberry complexRubus fruticosus
Plantaefat henChenopodium album
Plantaefourleaf manyseedPolycarpon tetraphyllum
PlantaeGreater Quaking GrassBriza maxima
PlantaeHorehoundMarrubium vulgare
PlantaeJellybeansDisphyma clavellatum
Plantaekangaroo-appleSolanum laciniatum
Plantaekidney weedDichondra repens
PlantaeKnobby ClubrushFicinia nodosa
PlantaeKokihiTetragonia implexicoma
PlantaelucerneMedicago sativa
PlantaeManna gumEucalyptus viminalis viminalis
PlantaeMirror bushCoprosma repens
PlantaeMonterey cypressCupressus macrocarpa
Plantaemusk stork's-billErodium moschatum
Plantaenarrow-leaved vetchVicia sativa nigra
PlantaeNew Zealand CeleryApium prostratum filiforme
PlantaeoracheAtriplex prostrata
PlantaePurple DewplantDisphyma crassifolium
Plantaerough dog's-tailCynosurus echinatus
PlantaeSalsifyTragopogon porrifolius
PlantaeSeaberry SaltbushRhagodia candolleana
PlantaeSeaberry SaltbushRhagodia candolleana candolleana
PlantaeSheep's sorrelRumex acetosella
PlantaeShore CeleryApium prostratum
PlantaeSilver BanksiaBanksia marginata
PlantaeSmall-flowered CatchflySilene gallica
PlantaeSpiny-headed Mat-rushLomandra longifolia
PlantaeSpotted medickMedicago arabica
PlantaeSticky hop-bushDodonaea viscosa
Plantaesweet briarRosa rubiginosa
PlantaeTasmanian Blue GumEucalyptus globulus globulus
PlantaeTasmanian flax-lilyDianella tasmanica
Plantaevariegated thistleSilybum marianum
PlantaeWhite CorreaCorrea alba
ReptiliaBlotched BluetongueTiliqua nigrolutea

Geology

Smooth Island consists of diabase or dolerite rock, a subvolcanic intrusion that probably occurred from during the Eocene epoch of the Cenozoic era. A geological survey identified consolidated, brownish, fine-grained quartz sandstone occurring on the island's north-east coastline at approximately above sea level, covered by sand. It was said to be similar to the sandstone samples retrieved from South Arm that contained numerous fossils but no fossils were found in the samples taken from Smooth Island. The western aspect of the island contains dolerite with locally developed granophyre from the Jurassic period. The water table is classified as a surficial sediment aquifer.
Because the island predominantly has a sloping hard rock shore, there is little vulnerability to flooding or erosion due to a rise in sea level. A coastal acid sulfate soil analysis produced a result of "extremely low" along the north and north-east side of the island.

Marine ecology

Smooth Island is surrounded by a low-profile reef. A region of gravel or hard sand extends from the reef on the eastern coast towards King George Island and King George Sound. The reef on the western coast is surrounded by sand and a body of silt approaches the south-west coast of the island. Between Smooth Island and King George Island lies a dense bed of seagrass and eelgrass covering about. Studies have found dense populations of South Australian cobbler within this region because this fish prefers patchy beds of eelgrass. The island's east coast has the densest concentration of Little weed whiting in Norfolk Bay; an assessment in 1995–1996 revealed that 88% of the fish caught were of the species Little Rock Whiting and Bridled Leatherjacket.
A species of red algae has been found close to the island. The fish species flathead, trumpeter, perch, cod and Australian salmon can be found in the waters immediately surrounding the island. Dolphins are frequently sighted and killer whales are infrequently sighted near the island. The Spotted handfish and the Live-bearing Seastar are threatened marine species that may be present in the waters surrounding Smooth Island. A killer whale was identified north-east of the current lighthouse position. Several humpback whales were spotted near Smooth Island in June 2017.

Ecological rehabilitation

The terrestrial ecosystem of Smooth Island has been damaged by overgrazing and slashing-and-burning, and through the commercial hunting of wildlife. The island's natural vegetation has been largely displaced by exotic grass, thistle, bracken, scattered eucalypts and African boxthorn bushes. Between and of shearwater rookeries are present on Smooth Island and the impact of repeated fires on these habitats has been studied. The island' current owners intend to systematically restore its native ecosystem. Since March 2014, a diverse range of native Tasmanian flora have been planted throughout the island. Remnant eucalypts are also expected to seed on the island's south-east coast since grazing has ceased.

History

Toponymy

discovered the island on 15 December 1798 and named it "Smooth Island" on his contemporaneous maps but the island does not appear on his 1814 map. In 1824 Thomas Scott referred to the island as "Garden Island" on his maps. The origins of this are not entirely clear, and other sources are inconclusive about the above assertions. and state that the island was first named on a map by "Cross " and "Frankland" ", before stating several pages later that the island was first named "Smooth Island".
According to a 1911 newspaper article, the island "is not named in the map of D'Entrecasteaux, even though it was marked". During the early 21st century, Smooth Island was occasionally listed as "Lot 1 Norfolk Bay, Dunalley TAS 7177" on some real-estate classifieds.
Much confusion exists about the names of many of the islands in South East Tasmania. Garden Island has become an alternative name for both Green Island and Smooth Island. A newspaper article from 1836 refers to a Garden Island in the Pembroke Land District.

Structures

A survey of Smooth Island was completed on 14 July 1863; it reveals the presence of the original jetty, a spring and a guano excavation site on the island. Until 2014, a lighthouse with the international marker identifier K 3621.2 was present on Smooth Island; Marine and Safety Tasmania moved it following demands by the island's owners.

Potential uses

Smooth Island's south and west coasts have alkaline soil while the east slope has acidic soil.
The crops with the greatest yield potential are as follows:
Smooth Island has been the subject of two notable paintings: Michael Weitnauer's Norfolk Bay and Dale Frank's "Dunalley, Smooth Island". It has been mentioned in poems such as "Two Kinds of Silence" by Kathryn Lomer:
I could lose or find myself
in this private Bermuda triangle-
Connelly's Bay, Lime Bay, Smooth Island;
In the dusk Smooth Island's navigation light
begins to blink its code name
to sailors bound for Dunalley

Gallery

Footnotes