Macquarie Island
| Nickname: Macca | |
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Contour map of Macquarie Island
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 Macquarie Island
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| Geography | |
| Location | Southwestern Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 54°30′0″S 158°57′0″E / 54.50000°S 158.95000°E |
| Area | 128 km2 (49 sq mi) |
| Length | 35 km (21.7 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 410 m (1,350 ft) |
| Highest point |
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Australia
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| State | Tasmania |
| Demographics | |
| Population | No permanent inhabitants |
| Additional information | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, viii |
| Designated | 1997 (21st session) |
| Reference no. | 629 |
| State Party | Australia |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
Macquarie Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54° 30' S, 158° 57' E. Politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978 and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997. It was a part of Esperance Municipality until 1993 when the municipality was merged with other municipalities to Huon Valley. The island is home to the entire royal penguin population during their annual nesting season. Ecologically, the island is part of the Antipodes Subantarctic Islands tundra ecoregion.
Since 1948 the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) has maintained a permanent base, the Macquarie Island Station, on the isthmus at the northern end of the island at the foot of Wireless Hill. The population of the base, the island's only human inhabitants, usually varies from 20 to 40 people over the year. A heliport is located near the base.
In September 2016, the Australian Antarctic Division confirmed it will close its research station on the island in 2017. However, shortly afterwards the Australian Government responded to widespread backlash to the decision by announcing funding to upgrade aging infrastructure and continue existing operations at Macquarie Island.
The Australian/Briton Frederick Hasselborough discovered the uninhabited island accidentally on 11 July 1810 when looking for new sealing grounds. He claimed Macquarie Island for Britain and annexed it to the colony of New South Wales in 1810. The island took its name after Colonel Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. Hasselborough reported a wreck "of ancient design", which has given rise to speculation that the island may have been visited before by Polynesians or others.
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Wikipedia