Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef. It is 87 kilometers (54 miles) northeast of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and 460 kilometers (290 miles) north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital. The island is on the leeward (western) side of Heron Reef, a type of reef with high biodiversity. It supports about 900 of the 1,500 fish species and 72% of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef. During summer, Heron Island is home to more than 200,000 birds, including Noddy Terns and Mutton Birds.
The island is approximately 800 meters (2,600 feet) long and 300 meters (980 feet) wide, covering an area of about 16 hectares (40 acres). The highest point, near the western tip, is 3.6 meters (12 feet) above sea level. A dune ridge along the southern shore rises about 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches) above sea level, while smaller dunes on the northeastern side are about 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) above sea level.
Heron Island and an expanded version of the research station are the setting for much of the first part of Arthur C. Clarke’s The Deep Range.
History
There is no evidence that Indigenous people lived on or visited Heron Island. The island is more than 65 kilometers (35 nautical miles) away from the Australian mainland.
Heron Island was discovered on January 12, 1843, by a Royal Navy expedition that included the corvette HMS Fly and the cutter Bramble. The expedition, led by Captain Francis Blackwood, was working to map the eastern edge of the Great Barrier Reef to create detailed plans for safe travel routes through the reef.
The island was named by Lieutenant Charles Bampfield Yule, who was the commander of the Bramble.
The island was not inhabited until the early 1900s, when a turtle cannery was built. The goal was to make money from the seasonal arrival of green turtles, but the business struggled to stay successful. Other attempts to start fisheries on the island were also abandoned.
In 1932, Captain Christian Poulsen, who brought fishing groups to the reef, saw the island’s potential as a tourist destination. In 1936, he purchased the lease of the island for £290. On September 11, 1943, the entire island was officially declared a National Park.
Land use
Heron Island Resort, run by the Aldesta Group, is located in the north-west corner of the island. The resort is a popular place for scuba diving and snorkelling. It can host up to 300 guests and 100 staff members. Before 2004, the resort was owned by P&O. It was sold to Voyages Hotels & Resorts in 2004. In March 2012, Heron Island Resort was shown in the BBC's nature TV series Great Barrier Reef.
The University of Queensland Heron Island Research Station is located in the island's south-west quarter. It was started in the 1950s by the Great Barrier Reef Committee. The University of Queensland became a partner in its operations in 1970. The facility is one of the world's main places for studying coral reef ecology. In March 2007, the research station had a big fire. No one was hurt in the fire.
In June 2008, new student housing with 80 beds was officially opened. It was first used by students from the Tropical Marine Network. In February 2009, the teaching laboratories and a new research building were reopened. The building includes 9 research labs, a library, a darkroom, a computer room, and an aquaria deck.
In 2010, a modern climate change experimental facility was opened at the Research Station. In late 2014, Sir David Attenborough and Atlantic Productions filmed parts of the documentary David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef at the Heron Island Research Station.
The eastern half of the island is protected and is part of the Capricornia Cays National Park. A permanent ranger's station is located there.
On the western shore of the island, there is a small artificial channel and a wooden jetty. The daily catamaran that travels from Gladstone docks and brings supplies to the island arrives here. The rusted wreck of HMCS Protector is at the entrance to the channel. It was moved there in 1945 to act as a breakwater for ships.
The island does not have a fresh water supply. A small desalination plant on the island uses reverse osmosis technology to provide water for people. Three diesel generators and some solar panels supply electricity to the island.
Ecology
Heron Island has soil that is unusually rich for a tropical coral cay, especially in the dense southern forest. This is because thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica) nest there during the breeding season. These birds dig burrows in the soil, which mixes the organic material and prevents the formation of Jemo soil. Jemo soil is a hard layer of phosphorus-rich material covered by raw organic matter, formed when guano from surface-nesting seabirds leaches into the ground without burrowing animals to mix it.
The center and south of Heron Island are covered by thick forests of Pisonia grandis. The forest is easier to reach near the eastern and northwestern ends, but the central area is very dense and only has a few trails.
Most trees in the forest’s center grow to about 6–8 meters tall, though some reach 10–11 meters. The lower layers of the forest have few plants, with scattered species like Celtis paniculata, Ficus opposita, and Pipturus argenteus growing to 2–4 meters. Some Celtis trees grow taller and reach the top of the Pisonia canopy. Shrubs, including Abutilon albescens, Wollastonia biflora, and the introduced Euphorbia cyathophora, appear in patches. Grasses, mainly Stenotaphrum micranthum, are the main herb plants. In more open areas, Pisonia is less common, and Pandanus tectorius trees and a more developed understory are present.
North of the Pisonia forest, an area of open shrubland with scattered trees stretches from the resort to the island’s eastern tip. Major shrubs include Heliotropium foertherianum and Scaevola taccada, while ground plants are Abutilon and Melanthera. Trees here are mainly Pandanus, with some Celtis, Casuarina equisetifolia subspecies incana, Ficus, and Suriana maritima. Herbs like the parasitic vine Cassytha filiformis, Euphorbia tannensis subspecies eremophila, and grasses such as Lepturus repens var. subulatus are common.
The eastern end has similar vegetation, with Casuarina, Scaevola, and Heliotropium as dominant plants. This type of growth also covers the southern and northern dune ridges. On dune slopes, common plants include Boerhavia repens, Commicarpus chinensis var. chinensis (or Commicarpus australis), Cakile edentula, Euphorbia sparrmanii, and Thuarea involuta.
In the northwestern part of the island, near the resort, a more open forest exists. The main tree here is Cordia subcordata, which is rare elsewhere on the island. Pisonia trees are present but not dominant. Dense shrubs of Abutilon, Euphorbia cyathophora, and Melanthera grow here. Scaevola, Heliotropium, and patches of Sporobolus virginicus grass are found at the forest’s edge.
The area where sea turtles nest on the northern shores is mostly open. Turtle burrowing prevents forest growth, leaving the sand covered with herbs and shrubs like Cakile, Cassytha, Euphorbia eremophila, Lepturus, and Melanthera.
Around the western end, many non-native plants have been introduced by researchers and the resort. These include Euphorbia cyathophora, Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum, Carica papaya, Cocos nucifera, Nerium oleander, and Plumeria rubra.
Heron Island is part of the Capricornia Cays Important Bird Area. The island’s forest and dunes support thousands of nesting seabirds, such as Ardenna pacifica and Anous minutus minutus, during the breeding season (October–April). Over 120,000 white-capped noddies nest on the island during this time.
The only breeding resident heron on Heron Island is the eastern reef egret. While other herons may visit, the term “heron” typically refers to larger species (Ardea), and “egret” refers to smaller ones (Egretta). The white-necked heron (Ardea pacifica) is a rare visitor.
Since 2003, a pair of white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) have nested on the island. However, in June 2019, the tree they nested in fell, killing the female. As of October 2019, the male has been seen with another adult, but no new nest has been built.
At least one species of rat, likely the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans), lives on the island. Though these rats may harm birds by eating eggs and young, their impact is minor due to the island’s proximity to the mainland.
Heron Island is a major nesting site for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and Indopacific loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta gigas). About 98% of nesting turtles are green, and only 2% are loggerheads. Indopacific hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata bissa) are seen near the reef but do not breed there. Other marine life includes reef inhabitants and cetaceans like humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), which pass near the island in October during migration.
Since June 2020, scientists from the World Wildlife Fund Australia, University of Queensland, Deakin University, and the Queensland Government have been studying the effects of global warming on green turtle breeding near Heron Island, Raine Island, and Moulter Cay.
A notable invertebrate on Heron Island is the marine snail Cerithium moniliferum. These snails gather in groups as the tide recedes, feeding on beach rock at a specific height above the low tide line. They move slowly in clusters to retain moisture needed for breathing.
Mosquitoes and other biting insects are rare on the island. However, diseases like avian malaria and avian pox, carried by mosquitoes, have been found in low numbers in the island’s silvereyes.
Geology
Heron Reef is a reef that forms in a lagoon. It has developed in an area with strong tidal flows, which help water move through the reef easily and allow access to the ocean. The reef formed during the Holocene period, but there are signs it may have started forming during the Pleistocene period. In 1937, scientists studied the reef using core samples and found that it has at least 15 meters of stacked limestone layers, with an eastward-sloping disconformity.
Society and culture
Jane Lockhart sank between 11 and 17 December 1868. The ship was a two-mast schooner that left Sydney with various goods bound for Broadsound. It ran aground at an unknown location. Early reports suggested Lady Musgrave Reef, but later accounts placed the wreck near Heron Island. Other sources mentioned One Tree Island or Mast Head. The crew used a lifeboat to reach the pilot station on Great Keppel Island safely. The vessel was built in 1861 at Ulladulla and registered in Sydney with an official number of 36858 and a registered number of 9/1861.
From original reports:
One of the boats sent to the wreck of Jane Lockhart returned with sails and parts of the ship’s ropes. The ship did not hit Bunker’s Group, as previously thought, but instead struck Heron Island, about 90 miles north of Bunker’s Group. When the boat reached the ship, it was partially buried in a reef’s hollow, with the outer part of the hollow protecting it from waves. One side of the ship was visible, and the new copper covering on the hull appeared undamaged. Captain Norris, who led the rescue boat, removed the sails to keep the ship’s position as stable as possible. He left the masts and yards intact.
Six months later, it was reported that the Rose, a schooner, returned from the wreck of Jane Lockhart on Masthead Reef. Captain Dwyer noted that Jane Lockhart remained in a secure location and believed that he and Mr. Norris, who bought the wreck, would eventually recover the ship and bring it to Rockhampton.
During most of the time the ship was on the reef, heavy weather made recovery efforts difficult. However, strong southeast winds calmed for three days, allowing Captain Dwyer to set up a platform between the ship’s masts. Using a rope and a diver from a South Sea island, he retrieved 80 to 90 large iron pulley wheels, along with machinery and supplies, including ale, porter, liqueur brandy, cutlery, and iron tools. Unfortunately, the Rose ran out of water, limiting further recovery efforts until the crew could restock in port.
A photo of Heron Island is included on the Voyager Golden Record, which was sent beyond the Solar System aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. The photo was chosen to show the variety of life and cultures on Earth.