Gabo Island is a 154-hectare (380-acre) island located off the coast of eastern Victoria, Australia, between Mallacoota and Cape Howe on the border with New South Wales.[1] It is separated from the mainland by a 500-metre-wide (1⁄4-nautical-mile) channel; access is available by arranged flights and boats.[2] Gabo Island is a shipping reference commonly referred to in Victorian weather warnings issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The island is an unincorporated area under the direct administration of the government of Victoria.
.jpg) Gabo Island Lighthouse | |
  Gabo Island Location off the coast near Shire of East Gippsland | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bass Strait |
| Coordinates | 37°33′47″S 149°54′39″E / 37.5629167°S 149.9109722°E |
| Length | 2.4 km (1.49 mi)[1] |
| Width | 0.8 km (0.5 mi)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 52 m (171 ft)[1] |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | Victoria |
Gabo Island Lighthouse
editGabo Island is well known for its historic lighthouse. This lighthouse, Australia's second tallest, was completed in 1862 and made from pink granite quarried from the island itself. The focal plane of the light is situated at 55 metres (180 ft) above sea level, the characteristic is a group of three flashes that occurs every twenty seconds. A keeper's house is occupied by a caretaker; another building may be rented for overnight stays.[3]
Climate
editGabo Island has a moderate oceanic climate (Cfb) with mild summers and cool winters and rainfall spread throughout the year. The island features 60.8 clear days annually, higher than Melbourne's 48.6 days, mainly due to the foehn effect that is experienced in the eastern seaboard. Due to a strong foehn effect, the island registered a high of 32.1 °C on 19 September 2023.[4]
| Climate data for Gabo Island Lighthouse | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.8 (105.4) |
39.1 (102.4) |
38.6 (101.5) |
35.0 (95.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
22.5 (72.5) |
23.3 (73.9) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.0 (87.8) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.2 (99.0) |
38.4 (101.1) |
40.8 (105.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.0 (69.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
14.1 (57.4) |
14.7 (58.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
17.9 (64.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) |
16.2 (61.2) |
15.4 (59.7) |
13.5 (56.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
8.2 (46.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
9.7 (49.5) |
11.2 (52.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
2.2 (36.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
2.8 (37.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 70.2 (2.76) |
67.7 (2.67) |
72.5 (2.85) |
84.4 (3.32) |
98.3 (3.87) |
103.4 (4.07) |
85.4 (3.36) |
71.5 (2.81) |
72.5 (2.85) |
74.4 (2.93) |
73.1 (2.88) |
66.7 (2.63) |
941.9 (37.08) |
| Average precipitation days | 9.4 | 9.1 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.4 | 13.7 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 144.7 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[5] | |||||||||||||
Birds
editThe island is home to the world's second largest colony of little penguins.[2] Gabo and nearby Tullaberga Island have been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because of the numbers of breeding penguins (up to 21,000 pairs) and white-faced storm petrels (up to 20,000 pairs).[6] Concern of predation of native birds and animals led to a successful feral cat eradication program on the island between 1987 and 1991.[7][8]
Literary references
edit“The wind that blows by Gabo,” is the title of a poem by E.J. Brady.[9]
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Map of Gabo Island, Victoria, Australia -
Map of Gabo Island
References
edit- ^ a b c d Reilly, P. N. (September 1977). "Seabird islands No 45, Gabo Island, Victoria" (PDF). Corella. 1 (3): 51–53. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ a b Parks Victoria. "Gabo Island". Archived from the original on 27 July 2008.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Victoria". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- ^ Gabo Island's first September 32C in over a century of records by Ben Domensino from Weatherzone. 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Climate Statistics for Gabo Island Lighthouse". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ^ "IBA: Gabo and Tullaberga Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
- ^ Twyford, B. K.; Humphrey, P. G.; Nunn, R. P.; Willoughby, L (2000). "Eradication of Feral Cats (Felis catus) from Gabo Island, south-east Victoria". Ecological Management and Restoration. 1 (1): 42–49. doi:10.1046/j.1442-8903.2000.00007.x.
- ^ Nogales, Manuel; Martín, Aurleio; Tershy, Bernie. R.; Donlan, C. Josh; Witch, Dick; Puerta, Néstor; Wood, Bill; Alonso, Jesús (2004). "A review of feral cat eradication on islands". Conservation Biology. 18 (2): 310–319. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00442.x. hdl:10261/22249. S2CID 11594286. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Brady, E.J., (1933) Wardens of the sea, Sydney, Endeavour Press, p.24-26
External links
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