| North Keeling Island | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Official name | Pulu Keeling National Park |
| Designated | 17 March 1996 |
| Reference no. | 797[1] |
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North Keeling is a small, uninhabited coral atoll, approximately 1.2 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) in area, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north ofHorsburgh Island. It is the northernmost atoll and island of theAustralian territory of theCocos (Keeling) Islands. It consists of just one C-shaped island, a nearly closed atoll ring with a small opening into the lagoon, about 50 metres (160 ft) wide, on the east side. The lagoon is about 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi) in area. The island is home to the only surviving population of the endemic, and endangered,Cocos buff-banded rail, as well as large breeding colonies ofseabirds. Since 1995, North Keeling Island and the surrounding sea to 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from shore have been within the Pulu Keeling National Park.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are believed to have first been seen by Europeans in 1609 by CaptainWilliam Keeling, after whom they are named, of theEast India Company on a journey fromJava in theDutch East Indies. North Keeling was sketched by Ekeberg, a Swedish captain, in 1749, showing the presence ofcoconut palms. It also appears on a 1789 chart produced by British hydrographerAlexander Dalrymple.[2]
North Keeling was visited in 1836 by CaptainRobert FitzRoy and his companionCharles Darwin inHMS Beagle, who was, as with many other visitors, unable to land on the island.
In the 19th century many people suffering fromBeriberi were put ashore at the island. Several graves are present, some from these people, but also fromshipwrecks.
On 9 November 1914, the German cruiserSMS Emden attacked a wireless and cable station atDirection Island, attracting the attention of Australian cruiserHMAS Sydney.[3] At 11:20, after an hour-and-a-half-long battle, the heavily damagedEmden was beached on North Keeling Island.[3] In 1915, a Japanese company proposed that the ship be repaired and refloated, but an inspection byHMAS Protector concluded that wave damage toEmden made such an operation unfeasible.[4] By 1919, there were reports that the wreck had almost completely broken up and disappeared.[4]
Between the First and Second World Wars, groups of about 20Cocos Malays were stationed on the island for up to a fortnight at a time to harvest timber, coconuts and birds to take back toHome Island. In the 1970s and 1980s, the acquisition of more efficient boats andfirearms led to an increase in seabird hunting and concern about its impact on the seabird breeding colonies.
In 1986, an agreement was reached between theAustralian National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Cocos Malay people to restrict and sustainably manage any further hunting on North Keeling. In 1989Cyclone John devastated thered-footed booby colony on North Keeling and legal hunting ceased to allow the population to recover. Since then no legal hunting has taken place.[2]
The Pulu Keeling National Park was established on 12 December 1995. It is important as a breeding island forseabirds and marineturtles. It is home to the endemicCocos buff-banded rail,Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi and to theCocos angelfish.
The national park was declared for the following purposes:
Access is by permit only.
The island is listed as awetland of international importance under theRamsar Convention on 17 March 1996, as Ramsar Site 797. The island has also been identified byBirdLife International as anImportant Bird Area because it supports over 1% of the world populations ofred-footed boobies,lesser frigatebirds andcommon noddies. It has what is possibly the largest red-footed booby colony in the world as well as the second largest population of lesser frigatebirds in Australian territory.[5]