{{Short description|Island in Shark Bay, Western Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}} [[File:ISS036-E-6777 - View of Western Australia.jpg|thumb|Faure Island ''(top left)'']] {{Location map |Western Australia |label=Faure Island |lon_dir=E |lat_dir=S |lat_deg=25|lat_min=52 |lon_deg=113|lon_min=53 |position=right |width=250 |float=right |mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg |marksize=20 |caption=Location of Faure Island }} '''Faure Island''' is a 58 km<sup>2</sup> island [[pastoral lease]] and [[nature reserve]], east of [[Francois Peron National Park]] on the [[Peron Peninsula]], in [[Shark Bay]], [[Western Australia]]. It lies in line with the [[Monkey Mia]] resort to the west, and the [[Wooramel River]] on the eastern shore of Shark Bay.<ref>''A biological survey of Faure Island, Shark Bay World Heritage property, Western Australia'' / edited by Jacqueline D. Richards and Barry Wilson. Other authors: Australian Wildlife Consultancy. Western Australian Museum, South Australian Museum, Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Museum, 2008. Records of the Western Australian Museum. Supplement, 0313-122X; no. 75. {{ISBN|978-1-920843-36-6}}</ref> It is surrounded by the [[Shark Bay Marine Park]] and [[Shark Bay, Western Australia|Shark Bay World Heritage Site]] and, as the Faure Island Sanctuary, is owned and managed by the [[Australian Wildlife Conservancy]] (AWC).
== History == The island was given its European name by French explorer [[Nicolas Baudin]] in 1801, in honour of the geographer, [[Pierre Faure]], aboard his ship ''[[French corvette Naturaliste|Le Naturaliste]]''.
Pastoral leases over the island were granted to [[Charles Edward Broadhurst|Charles Broadhurst]] in 1873, and to WD Moore & Coy in 1883. For most of the 20th century, from 1905, the Hoult family of [[Denham, Western Australia|Denham]] ran [[sheep]] and [[goat]]s on the island. In 1999 the Hoults sold the lease to the AWC, which removed more than 3400 sheep.<ref> {{cite news | last = Richards | first = Jacqui | title = Return to Faure Island | work = Landscope | pages = 10–17 | publisher = WA Dept of Environment & Conservation | year=2007 }} </ref>
==Landscape and climate== The landscape consists mostly of red and white sandy plains and dunes, with claypans in low-lying areas. The highest point is 26m above sea level. It has some limestone and red sand cliff shores, like Peron Peninsula.
The vegetation is predominantly low [[shrub]]s of [[Acacia ramulosa linophylla|Acacia ramulosa]]. There are also [[mallee Woodlands and Shrublands|mallee]] shrublands, [[Triodia (plant)|spinifex]] grasslands, [[samphire]]/''[[Atriplex]]'' shrublands, and coastal [[mangrove]]s.<ref>[http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=268127 Faure Island] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000644/http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=268127 |date=1 October 2007 }} in the [[Gazetteer of Australia]] [http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/ online]</ref>
The climate is semi-arid to arid, with hot dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall is erratic, falling mainly in winter, with an annual average of 222 mm. [[Cyclone]]s may sometimes bring rainfall in summer and autumn.<ref>[http://www.australianwildlife.org/faureisland.asp?Type=Climate Faure Island: Climate]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Wildlife== ===Birds=== Faure Island is an important breeding area for many [[seabird]]s, as well as being important for [[bird migration|migratory]] [[wader]]s using the [[East Asian - Australasian Flyway]].<ref name=FIwildlife>{{Cite web |url=http://www.australianwildlife.org/faureisland_wildlife.asp |title=Faure Island: Wildlife |access-date=10 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225182031/http://www.australianwildlife.org/faureisland_wildlife.asp |archive-date=25 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> With the neighbouring much smaller (5 ha) Pelican Island and their associated mudflats, it has been identified as a 5821 ha [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA). The Faure and Pelican Islands (Shark Bay) IBA supports breeding colonies of [[fairy tern]]s and over 1% of the world populations of [[red-necked stint]] and [[pied oystercatcher]]. Together with the nearby [[Quoin Bluff]] and [[Freycinet Island]] IBA, it supports more than 1% of the world population of [[pied cormorant]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |title=IBA: Faure and Pelican Islands (Shark Bay) |access-date=2011-06-20 |work=Birdata |first= |last= |publisher=Birds Australia |date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102341/http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |archive-date=6 July 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>
===Mammals=== [[File:Perameles bougainville - Gould.jpg|thumb|Western barred bandicoots have been reintroduced to the island.]] The original native mammal fauna of Faure Island did not survive the introduction of [[livestock]] and the presence of [[feral cat]]s.<ref>Thomas, N & Whisson, L (2001). In Farewell felines of Faure : follow-up survey of feral cats on Faure Island. Dept. of Conservation & Land Management, [Woodvale, W.A.]</ref> However, sub-fossil evidence of the former presence of native mammals has brought reintroduction of the [[boodie]], [[Shark Bay mouse]], [[banded hare-wallaby]] and [[western barred bandicoot]].<ref name="FIwildlife" /><ref>Tom Curtis (2008) Boodie abode: Australia's Faure is an island of good news for boodies, bandicoots, and banded hare wallabies.(Australian Wildlife Conservancy) Boodie abode: Australia's Faure is an island of good news for boodies, bandicoots, and banded hare wallabies. In Wildlife Conservation, v.111, no.2, 2008 March–April, p.34-41 ({{ISSN|1048-4949}})</ref> An attempt to reintroduce the [[greater stick-nest rat]] failed.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Short|first1=Jeff|last2=Copley|first2=Peter|last3=Ruykys|first3=Laura|last4=Morris|first4=Keith|last5=Read|first5=John|last6=Moseby|first6=Katherine|date=2019-10-08|title=Review of translocations of the greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor): lessons learnt to facilitate ongoing recovery|url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/WR19021|journal=Wildlife Research|language=en|volume=46|issue=6|pages=455–475|doi=10.1071/WR19021|s2cid=203389727|issn=1448-5494|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Marine surrounds== The island is located within the Shark Bay Marine Park and is adjacent to both the [[Wooramel Seagrass Bank]] and the Faure Sill sandbank that is a major component in the creating of the conditions within the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve.
==See also== * [[List of islands of Western Australia]]
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071226071644/http://www.australianwildlife.org/aboutawc.asp AWC]
{{coord|25|52|S|113|53|E|display=title|region:AU_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki}} {{AWC Reserves}} {{AusplacesnamedbyFrench |state=expanded}}
[[Category:Nature reserves in Western Australia]] [[Category:Australian Wildlife Conservancy reserves]] [[Category:Important Bird Areas of Western Australia]] [[Category:1999 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Islands of Shark Bay]]