Lion Island (New South Wales)

Lion Island

Lion Island viewed from the south with Umina Beach and Brisbane Water in the background.
Geography
Location	Broken Bay
Administration
Australia
State	New South Wales

Lion Island Nature Reserve New South Wales
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Lion Island viewed from West Head
Lion Island Nature Reserve
Nearest town or city	Gosford
Coordinates	33°33′25″S 151°19′04″E / 33.55694°S 151.31778°E / -33.55694; 151.31778Coordinates: 33°33′25″S 151°19′04″E / 33.55694°S 151.31778°E / -33.55694; 151.31778
Established	1956
Area	0.08 km2 (0.0 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

Lion Island is a river island that is located at the mouth to the Hawkesbury River inside Broken Bay, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The island is considered part of the Central Coast Council. It is a descriptive name because it resembles a Sphinx, a mythical figure of a crouching lion.

The island was originally named Mount Elliott Island by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1789, because it resembled Gibraltar where his friend, General Elliott, had inflicted defeats on French and Spanish fleets. This name continued to be used by cartographers until the 1920s.

In 1956, the Lion Island Fauna Reserve was established on the island. In 1977, it was reclassified as the Lion Island Nature Reserve, a protected nature reserve under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1967 and is administered by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. The nature reserve covers all of the island, an area of approximately 8 hectares (20 acres).

Due to the island's significant biodiversity it was added to the Australian National Heritage List in December 2006. The island is a breeding habitat for shearwaters and is free of feral cats and foxes. The island has a weed infestation problem that includes Bitou Bush and Lantana.

Lion Island contains the largest population of little penguins in the Sydney area. In 2007, the population was approximately 300 breeding pairs and appeared to be stable.