 Map of the Hogan Group | |
  Hogan Group Location of Hogan Group in theBass Strait, north ofTasmania | |
| Etymology | Michael Hogan |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Bass Strait |
| Coordinates | 39°15′S146°59′E / 39.250°S 146.983°E /-39.250; 146.983 |
| Archipelago | Hogan Group |
| Total islands | 6-8[1] |
| Major islands | Hogan Island |
| Highest elevation | 130 m (430 ft)[2] |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | Victoria |
| State | Tasmania |
TheHogan Group is a collection of six (to eight[1])islands andislets located in the Bass Strait that define part of the border between mainlandAustralia and the island state ofTasmania. Within the jurisdiction of Tasmania, the Hogan Group forms a land border between the states of Tasmania andVictoria. The island group is officially designated unallocatedCrown land,[3] within theFlinders Municipality in Tasmania and theSouth Gippsland Shire in Victoria.
The Hogan Group comprises theHogan Island,Twin,Long,Round,East,Boundary (or North East) islets, andSeal Rock.
The Hogan Group is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast ofWilsons Promontory in the Bass Strait. The islands are made up of grey and red granite and limestone. A group offur seals live on Boundary Islet. Other plants and animals that live on and near the island group includeCystophora intermedia,eelgrass, kelp, andabalone.[2]
During thePleistocene period, the Hogan Group was part of a land bridge that connected Tasmania to mainland Australia. After the glacial period ended, the Hogan Group were the first group of islands to become isolated byrising sea levels.[1]
The Hogan Group was discovered by Europeans and named in 1801 byJohn Black, captain of the brigHarbinger, who named the island group afterMichael Hogan, the owner of his ship. There are records of settlers on the island group, who hunted seals and kangaroos and used the islands for grazing land.[1] On 12 October 1900, the first lease was recorded and given for Hogan Island. While the original lease covered the entire island group, since 1959 the lease has only applied to Hogan Island, which has been leased by B.R. Stackhouse since 1967, who uses the island for sheep and cattle grazing.[1]
Black erred in his initial survey, placing the group further north than they actually are, which led to the Victoria-Tasmania land border on Boundary Islet.[4]
