Kent Group

{{Short description|Group of islands in Tasmania, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox islands | name = Kent Group | native_name =  | native_name_link = | native_name_lang = | sobriquet =  | image_name = Kent Group, Bass Strait from the air, restoration.jpg | image_size = 280 | image_caption = Kent Group | image_alt = | map = Australia Tasmania | map_alt = | map_width = 280 | map_caption = Location of the Kent Group in [[Bass Strait]] | map_relief = 1 | label = | label_position = | coordinates = {{coord|39|27|36|S|147|19|48|E|display=inline,title}} | etymology = [[William Kent (Royal Navy officer)|William Kent]] | location = [[Bass Strait]] | pop = | archipelago = | waterbody = | total_islands = 6 | major_islands = [[Deal Island (Tasmania)|Deal Island]] | area_ha = 1576 | area_footnotes = <ref name=kgnp/> | rank = | length_km =  | length_footnotes = | width_km =  | width_footnotes = | coastline_km =  | coastline_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_footnotes = | highest_mount = | country = Australia | country_admin_divisions_title = [[States and territories of Australia|State]] | country_admin_divisions = [[Tasmania]] | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country_admin_divisions_1 = | country_admin_divisions_title_2 = | country_admin_divisions_2 = | country_capital_type = | country_capital = | country_largest_city_type = | country_largest_city = | country_capital_and_largest_city = | country_largest_city_population = | country_leader_title = | country_leader_name = | country_area_km2 =  | demonym = | population = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_rank = | population_rank_max = | density_km2 = | density_rank = | density_footnotes = | ethnic_groups = | timezone1 = | utc_offset1 = | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | website = | additional_info = }} [[File:Kent Group map.png|thumb|Kent Group map]] The '''Kent Group''' are a grouping of six [[granite]] [[island]]s located in [[Bass Strait]], north-west of the [[Furneaux Group]] in Tasmania, Australia.<ref>{{Gazetteer of Australia |name=Kent Group (TAS) |feature=TAS05356 }}</ref> Collectively, the group is comprised within the [[Kent Group National Park]].<ref name=kgnp>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/kent/index.html |title=Kent Group National Park |department=[[Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service]] |publisher=Tasmanian Government |access-date=30 June 2006 |archive-date=20 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820105329/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/kent/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The islands were named Kent's Group by [[Matthew Flinders]], "in honour of my friend captain [[William Kent (Royal Navy officer)|William Kent]], then commander of {{HMS|Supply|1759|2}}" when Flinders passed them on 8 February 1798 in ''[[Francis (1793)|Francis]]'' (on her way to salvage ''[[Sydney Cove (1796 ship)|Sydney Cove]]'').<ref name="flinders">{{cite Q |Q19027014 |mode=cs1 |last=Flinders |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Flinders |page=cxxiv }}</ref> The largest island in the group is [[Deal Island (Tasmania)|Deal Island]]; the others, in order of descending size, are [[Erith Island (Tasmania)|Erith Island]], [[Dover Island (Tasmania)|Dover Island]], [[North East Isle (Tasmania)|North East Isle]], [[South West Isle (Tasmania)|South West Isle]] and [[Judgement Rocks]].

==History== [[Seal hunting]] took place on the islands from at least 1803.<ref>''The Sydney Gazette'', 3 February 1803, p.2.</ref>

==Shipwrecks== Murray Pass, named for the explorer [[John Murray (Australian explorer)|John Murray]], between Deal and Erith Islands has long been used by ships to shelter from gales in Bass Strait, but it is a dangerous, partly open, [[roadstead]], and many ships have been wrecked after sudden changes in wind direction and speed. Others have hit the island either while attempting to shelter or through poor navigation in darkness or bad weather, several with heavy loss of life. They include:<ref>Broxam & Nash, ''Tasmanian Shipwrecks'', Volumes 1 and 2, Navarine Publishing, Canberra, 1998 and 2000, {{ISBN|0-9586561-5-0}} and {{ISBN|0-9586561-6-9}}</ref>

* 1816, ''[[The Brothers (ship)|Brothers]]'', [[schooner]], 40 tons, Captain [[William Hovell]], one life lost. * 1819, ''[[Daphne (brig)|Daphne]]'', [[brig]], 151 tons, Captain John Howard, no lives lost. * 1819, ''[[John Palmer (1814 schooner)|John Palmer]]'', [[schooner]], 37 tons, Captain Bastian, two lives lost (one ex ''Daphne'') * 1831, ''Ionia'', [[brig|snow]], 226 tons, Captain Buck. ?Three lives lost. * 1850, ''Ida'', schooner, 50 tons, no loss of life. * 1851, ''White Squall'', schooner, 104 tons, Captain Chattock, no loss of life. * 1852, ''[[Dorset (1838 ship)|Dorset]]'', brig, 82 tons, Captain Birdwood, no loss of life. * 1852, ''Mary'', brig, 308 tons, no loss of life. * 1855, ''Elizabeth Mason'', schooner, 79 tons, Captain McIntyre, no loss of life. * 1856, ''Kendall'', schooner, 157 tons, Captain Read, no lives lost. * 1862, ''Reindeer'', schooner, 104 tons, Captain Morris, all hands (about 8) lost. * 1863, ''General Jessup'', [[barque]], 193 tons, Captain Hodge, no loss of life. * 1866, ''Boscarne'', schooner, 63 tons, Captain Black, no loss of life. * 1875, ''Essie Black'', barque, 281 tons, Captain Sivier, all hands (about 10) lost. * 1877, ''Bulli'', iron [[steamship]], 524 tons, Captain Randell, no loss of life (a popular dive wreck). * 1921, ''Karitane'', steel steamship, 1376 tons, Captain Spain, no loss of life. * 1930, ''Ida N'', new fishing boat, 25 tons, Captain Busk, no lives lost. * 1961, ''St Nicholas'', newly completed fish carrier, 45 tons, no loss of life.

==See also== * [[List of islands of Tasmania]] * [[Protected areas of Tasmania]]

== References == {{Reflist |30em}}

[[Category:Islands of Bass Strait]] [[Category:Shipwrecks of Tasmania]] [[Category:Islands of Northern Tasmania]] [[Category:Seal hunting]]