{{Short description|Sand cay in the Timor Sea}} thumb|right|300px|Ashmore and Cartier Islands [[Image:Cartier Island ISS029.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Cartier Island and surrounding reef (NASA satellite image]] '''Cartier Island''' is an uninhabited and unvegetated<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Barry C |last2=Neil |first2=Kerry |last3=Hilliard |first3=Robert |date=January 2004 |title=Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve |url=https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/ashmore-strategy1-13.pdf |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=DAFF |format=PDF}}</ref> sand cay in a platform reef in the Timor Sea, north of Australia and south of Indonesia. It is within the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, an external territory of Australia. The land area of Cartier Island is about {{convert|0.4|ha|1}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140403/140405/ashmore_and_cartier_islands/ | title=Ashmore and Cartier Islands | publisher=Commonwealth of Nations | access-date=2014-04-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407105315/http://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140403/140405/ashmore_and_cartier_islands/ | archive-date=2014-04-07 }}</ref> It is located at {{coord|12|31|S|123|33|E}}, on the edge of the Sahul Shelf, about {{convert|300|km}} off the north west coast of Western Australia, {{convert|200|km}} south of the Indonesian island of Roti, and {{convert|70|km}} south-east of Ashmore Reef.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=Geoscience |date=2025-07-10 |title=Ashmore and Cartier Islands |url=https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/remote-offshore-territories/ashmore-and-cartier-islands |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=Geoscience Australia |language=en}}</ref>

At the southern edge of the reef is a shipwreck of the ''Ann Millicent'', an iron-hulled barge of 944 tons wrecked in 1888.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 2014 |title=Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island Commonwealth Marine Reserves |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/visitors-information-brochureashmore-cartier.pdf |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=DCCEEW |format=PDF}}</ref> The remains of an RAAF Beaufighter can also be seen at low tide. Formerly used as a bombing range, access to the island is prohibited<ref name=":0" /> because of the risk of unexploded ordnance. The area is still a gazetted Defence Practice Area, but is no longer in active use.

Cartier Island is completely unvegetated except for the seagrass ''Thalassia hemprichii'', which grows in pockets of sand within the reef, and may be exposed at low tide.<ref>{{cite book | author = Kenneally, Kevin F. | year = 1993 | chapter = Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island | pages = 43–47 | title = Flora of Australia: Volume 50: Oceanic Islands 2 | location = Canberra | publisher = AGPS Press | isbn = 0-644-14446-7}}</ref>

==History== The island was charted in 1800 and named after the ship ''Cartier''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ashmore and Cartier Islands |url=https://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/ashmore.htm |access-date=2025-10-02 |website=www.britishempire.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Its charted position was somewhat inaccurate until corrected in 1878 during a hydrographic survey by Lieutenant William Tooker in the ''Airlie''. On 5 January 1888 the ''Ann Millicent'' was wrecked on the island during a voyage from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Adelaide, South Australia. In 1909 it was annexed by the United Kingdom, but on 23 July 1931 both Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island were transferred to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=George |first=Alexander S. |last2=Orchard |first2=Anthony E. |last3=Hewson |first3=Helen J. |last4=Thompson |first4=Helen S. |date=1993 |title=Flora of Australia, Volume 50, Oceanic Islands 2 |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/ea399fe6-5ae3-465d-8613-1c10e68a075f/files/flora-australia-50-oceanic-islands-2.pdf |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=DCCEEW}}</ref>

During World War II the area was used as a bombing range. Cartier Island and the surrounding marine area within a {{convert|10|km}} radius was a gazetted Defence Practice Area up to 20 July 2011 and has been used in the past as an air weapons range. Although the site is no longer an active weapons range there is a substantial risk that unexploded ordnance remains in the area.<ref name=envirogov>{{cite web |url=https://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/north-west/cartier |title=Cartier Island Commonwealth Marine Reserve - Overview |website=environment.gov.au |access-date=15 August 2018 |publisher=© Commonwealth of Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU)}}</ref>

Cartier Island is within an area subject to a Memorandum of Understanding (known as the MOU Box) signed by Australia and Indonesia in 1974 and reviewed in 1989, which provided for continued Indonesian traditional fishing within limits.<ref>{{citation |mode=cs1 |last=Domaschenz | first=Phil |section=Management arrangements for the Ashmore Reef Nature Reserve & Cartier Island Marine Reserve |type=Abstract |title=Understanding the Cultural and Natural Heritage Values and Management Challenges of the Ashmore Region |publisher=Department of the Environment |year=2001 |page=7 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/9b6dcace-c78b-4b37-ab00-e755623bfe03/files/ashmore-abstracts.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>

==Environment and protection== The Cartier Island Marine Park covers an area within {{convert|4|nmi|km|0}} of the centre of the reef which is protected as a Sanctuary Zone (IUCN Ia).<ref name=abc2003>{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-06-06/authorities-close-off-cartier-island/1865880 |title=Authorities close off Cartier Island | work=ABC News | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=2003-06-06 }}</ref>

In 2003, environmental authorities closed maritime access to the island and its surrounding reef to build up depleted fish stocks and for safety reasons.<ref name=abc2003/> Announced as a seven-year closure, Environment Australia planned to monitor levels of marine wildlife, and determine the presence of unexploded ordnance.<ref name=abc2003/> Before then, the area was frequented by yachts, and fished by Indonesian boats.<ref name=abc2003/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020549/http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazm01?placename=Cartier&placetype=0&state=0 Cartier Island] at the Gazetteer of Australia [http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/ online] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20251221043938/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ashmore-and-cartier-islands/ Ashmore and Cartier Islands] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070607060922/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html CIA - The World Factbook]

{{Authority control}} {{Coord|12|31|S|123|33|E|source:enwiki-plaintext-parser|display=title}}

Category:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Category:Uninhabited islands of Australia