Springbank Island
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Springbank Island in the foreground of Black Mountain, behind
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra () |
| Coordinates | 35°17′25″S 149°6′39″E / 35.29028°S 149.11083°ECoordinates: 35°17′25″S 149°6′39″E / 35.29028°S 149.11083°E |
| Total islands | 1 |
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Australia
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Springbank Island, within Lake Burley Griffin, is located in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The island was named after the rural property that was partly submerged as a result of the creation of the lake and now composes part of the island.
Springbank Island is located in the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, adjacent to the suburb of Acton. The only means of access is across the lake by boat. The perimeter of the island is lined with trees. The island is quite bare, other than the treed picnic area and shelter (at the western end of the island). The island is not irrigated, there is no power source on the island, and overnight camping is prohibited. Barbecue facilities, tap water, picnic tables, and toilets are available. The National Capital Authority is responsible for oversight and management of the island. Springbank Island is the venue for Canberra Beach Cricket, a semi-annual beach cricket carnival.
Springbank included both the river flats of the Molonglo River and Black Mountain plus a sizeable portion of the area now occupied by the Australian National University (ANU). In October 1831, John MacPherson was granted 640 acres (260 ha) of land. The homestead of the property was on the high ground that now forms Springbank Island.
The MacPherson family lived at Springbank; John MacPherson being the first resident landholder in Canberra, and his wife Helen and their children the first European family to live in what is now the Australian Capital Territory. One of their children, John Alexander MacPherson, grew up to become, briefly, the 7th Premier of Victoria. It has been suggested that he was probably the first European boy born on the Limestone Plains.
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Wikipedia