2.1 Location
Tasman Island Lighthouse is located off the south-east coast of Tasmania on Tasman Island, a 280-metre high plateau landmass within the Tasman Sea. Situated just south of Cape Pillar and the Tasman Peninsular, the island is approximately 16.7 kilometres south-east of Port Arthur and 67.7 kilometres south-east of the city of Hobart. The lighthouse is located along the eastern side of the island.
Coordinates: 43˚ 14.3722’ S, 148˚ 00.3046’ E
Figure 3. Location of Tasman Island (Imagery © TerraMetrics, Map data: @2022 Google)
Figure 4. Tasman Island and lightstation (Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO. Image @2022 TerraMetrics)
2.2 Setting and landscape
Tasman Island stands as an impressive display of dolerite rock formation with a flat plateau approximately 1.2 square kilometres in size. With its highest point registering at 300 metres above sea level, the island holds an average height of 280 metres above sea level. During the period of its staffed history, the island was noted to have fertile soil, and the forestry on the island was cleared for grazing and firewood.
Figure 5. View of Tasman Island from the air (© AMSA, 2019)
Fauna and flora
Once covered in thick forestry, the island is now relatively bare after decades of deforestation efforts for cattle grazing. Floral genus that remain on the island include:
- heathy scrub
- sheoak woodland
- sedgeland
- coastal mosaic
- Cape Pillar sheoak
The island is recognised as an important bird area and houses the largest fairy prion colony in Tasmania. Ground nesting birds such as the Short-tailed shearwater, Sooty shearwater and Fairy prion which were predated by feral cats until a successful eradication programme funded by the Pennicott Foundation in 2011.
Former keepers have noted that there has been an increase in the number of land birds on Tasman Island with the increase of vegetation since de-staffing of the station, there include:
- White belied Sea eagle
- Lewins Rail
- Yellow-tailed black cockatoo
- Beautiful Firetail
- New Holland Honeyeater
- Satin Flycatcher
- Silvereye
- Swamp Harrier
Reptiles recorded on the island include:
- Metallic skink
- White’s skink
- Oscillated skink
- Sheoak skink
- Tasmanian Tree skink
The cricket Tasmanoplectron isolatum has only been recorded on Tasman Island.
An Australian and New Zealand fur seal colony can be found at the island’s northern end, and humpback whales have been recorded migrating in the vicinity of the island. Friends of Tasman Island—a volunteer branch of Wildcare Inc.—assists with the conservation and preservation of the island’s cultural and environmental values.5
2.3 Lease and ownership
AMSA leases the Tasman Island Lighthouse from the Minister administering the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 (TAS).
Figure 6. Tasman Island Lighthouse map of lease (Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community
The AMSA lease consists of one lot, approximately 2,456 metres-squared in size. The current lease commenced on 1 May 1998 for a period of 25 years.
2.4 Access
Due to the island’s sheer dolerite cliffs, access to the lighthouse is only achievable by authorised helicopter. Access inside the lighthouse is restricted to authorised personnel only.
Figure 7. View of helipad at Tasman Island Lighthouse (© AMSA, 2019)
2.5 Listings
Tasman Island Lighthouse is included on the following heritage registers:
Listing | ID |
Commonwealth Heritage List | 1055666 |
Register of the National Estate | 1028727 |
Tasmanian Heritage Register | 56238 |
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Footnotes
5 Friends of Tasman Island,” Wildcare Tasmania, accessed May 2020