 Brush Island viewed from the northern end of Murramarang Beach | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tasman Sea |
| Highest elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | New South Wales |
| Brush Island Nature Reserve New South Wales | |
|---|---|
  Brush Island Nature Reserve | |
| Nearest town or city | Bawley Point |
| Coordinates | 35°31′45″S150°25′00″E / 35.52917°S 150.41667°E /-35.52917; 150.41667 |
| Established | July 1963 (1963-07)[1] |
| Area | 0.47 km2 (0.2 sq mi)[1] |
| Managing authorities | NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service |
| Website | Brush Island Nature Reserve |
| See also | Protected areas of New South Wales |
TheBrush Island is acontinental island, contained within theBrush Island Nature Reserve, aprotectednature reserve, known as Mit Island in the Dhurga language of the Murramamrang people of the Yuin nation see (http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p326831/html/ch01.xhtml) It is located off thesouth coast ofNew South Wales,Australia. The 47-hectare (120-acre) island and reserve is situated within theTasman Sea, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south-east of the coastal village ofBawley Point.
The island wasgazetted as a nature reserve in July 1963 and is important for breedingseabirds.[2] The reserve is listed on Australia’sRegister of the National Estate,[3] and has an unmannedlighthouse.
The island lies 350 metres (1,150 ft) from the tip of Murramarang Point. It is 880 metres (2,890 ft) long, with a maximum width of 560 metres (1,840 ft), and rises to about 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level. Its shorelines are steep, rocky cliff faces with erosion gullies on the northern side. The gullies are both caused and used by thelittle penguins whose tracks and burrows cover most of the island.[3]
The island was sighted by CaptainJames Cook on 22 April 1770 during hisfirst voyage to theSouth Pacific Ocean. Cook had planned to shelterHMSEndeavour between the unnamed island and mainland but was prevented by high seas.[4] InsteadEndeavour continued its northward path along the coast, making her first Australian landfall a week later atBotany Bay.[4]
The island supports a coastal vegetation cover of herbs, low shrubs and stunted trees, includingCarpobrotus glaucescens,Lomandra longifolia,Einadia hastata,Myoporum insulare,Enchylaena tomentosa,Acacia longifolia,Westringia fruticosa,Banksia integrifolia andCasuarina glauca.[2]
Seabird species nesting on the island include thewedge-tailed shearwater,short-tailed shearwater, little penguin andsooty oystercatcher.[3]White-faced storm petrels andsooty shearwaters were found there for the first time in 2008.[5]
The island became infested withblack rats in 1932 after a steamer, theNorthern Firth, ran aground there. In 2005 the rats were eradicated after a poisoning campaign by theNSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.[5]
