Perth, Western Australia hosts a variety of unique and biologically diverse habitats found nowhere else on Earth. Many of these habitats include islands. Islands provide habitat and safe refuge for endangered native fauna as they are free of invasive species and the pressures of human development. Coastal islands of this region heavily feature limestone as their base structure, while the inland islands are predominantly made of serpentine soil.
Coastal islands
The coastal islands of the Perth metropolitan region are:
Name Location Locality Size (ha) Distance from mainland (km) Notes Rottnest Island – 1,900 17 Home to the largest population of quokkas in the world. Garden Island – 1,200 2.2 (connected by the Garden Island Causeway) Home to a tammar wallaby population. One of the Royal Australian Navy's main bases is also located on the island. Carnac Island – 19 6.9 High abundance of tiger snakes. Penguin Island Shoalwater 12.5 0.7 Home to the largest population of fairy penguins in the world. Seal Island Shoalwater 1.4 0.9 Home to a small population of Australian sea lions. Bird Island Peron 0.8 0.4 Part of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. Shag Island Shoalwater 0.4 0.85 Part of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. Little Island Hillarys 0.1 1.9 Part of the Marmion Marine Park. Trigg Island Trigg 0.1 Part of the Marmion Marine Park.
Satellite islands of Rottnest Island
Name Location Size (m2) Distance from Rottnest Island (m) Notes Dyer Island 7,000 730 Australian sea lions sun themselves on the northern beach. Green Island 1,800 60 Lies within the Kitson Point snorkelling trail. Wallace Island 1,300 140 Known for seabirds resting on the island. Parakeet Island 800 30 Lies within a popular snorkelling area near Parakeet Bay.
Inland islands
Inland islands include those located in the Swan River, Canning River, and Beeliar Wetlands.
Name Location Locality Size (ha) Notes Heirisson Island East Perth 28.5 Originally several smaller islands. Home to a small population of western grey kangaroos. Kuljak Island Ascot 28 The surrounding wetlands are a Bush Forever site. Lake Island Joondalup 14 Crucial nesting site for the endangered Carnaby's black cockatoo. Malup Island Joondalup 11 Part of Yellagonga Regional Park. Ron Courtney Island Ascot 1.6 Good fishing spot for catching mulloway, tailor and black bream. Monger Island Wembley 1.3 Created in the 1960s as a bird refuge. Elizabeth Quay Island Perth 0.6 Artificial islet in Elizabeth Quay with playground and kiosk. Jualbup Island Shenton Park 0.3 Used as a feeding, resting and breeding site for a variety of native water birds.
See also List of islands of Western Australia Perth Water
References