{{Short description|Island off the eastern Tasmanian coast}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox Islands | name = Maria Island | image_caption = | image_size = 280 | map_image = Australia Tasmania location map Maria Island.png | map_alt = | map_size = 280 | map_caption = Location of Maria Island (shaded red) in [[Tasmania]] | map_relief = 1 | native_name = wukaluwikiwayna | native_name_lang = palawa kani | nickname = | etymology = In honour of Maria van Diemen (née van Aelst), wife of [[Anthony van Diemen]]; named in 1642 by [[Abel Tasman]] | location = East coast of Tasmania | coordinates = {{coord|42|38|S|148|05|E|display=inline,title}} | archipelago = Maria Island Group | total_islands = Two | major_islands = Maria Island; [[Ile du Nord]] | waterbody = [[Tasman Sea]] | area_km2 = 115.5 | length_km = 20 | width_km = 13 | highest_mount = Mount Maria | elevation_m = 711 | elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite map |title=42° 37' 17.8" S, 148° 06' 22.2" E |work=Darlington 5828 |scale=1:25 000 |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment |location=Tasmania |date=2000 }}</ref> | country = Australia | country_admin_divisions_title = [[States and territories of Australia|State]] | country_admin_divisions = [[Tasmania]] | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[Local government in Tasmania|Local government area]] | country_admin_divisions_1 = [[Glamorgan Spring Bay Council]] | country_largest_city = Darlington | population = Rangers are the only residents | population_as_of = | density_km2 = | ethnic_groups = | timezone1 = [[Australian Eastern Standard Time|AEST]] | utc_offset1 = +10 | timezone1_DST = [[Australian Eastern Daylight Time|AEDT]] | utc_offset1_DST = +11 | additional_info = [[Maria Island National Park]] }}{{Infobox protected area | name = Maria Island National Park | image = Maria Island Beach.jpg | image_caption = Maria Island Beach | image_alt = | iucn_category = II | iucn_ref = | coordinates = | mapframe = yes | mapframe-shape = yes | map = Tasmania | map_alt = | map_width = 200px | relief = | label = Maria Island National Park | label_position = | location = [[Tasmania]] | established = 1972 | area_ha = | area_km2 = 115.5 | area_ref = | visitation_num = 16,000 | visitation_year = 2005 | visitation_ref = | nearest_city = [[Triabunna]], [[Orford, Tasmania|Orford]] | nearest_town = | governing_body = Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania | website = {{official|https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/maria-island-national-park}} }}[[File:Maria island map.png|thumb|Maria Island]]
'''Maria Island''' ([[palawa kani]]: {{Lang|mis|wukaluwikiwayna}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Managing Aboriginal Cultural Heritage |url=https://parks.tas.gov.au/Documents/Discussion%20Paper%20-%20Aboriginal%20Cultural%20Heritage.pdf |format=pdf |website=[[Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service]] |access-date=12 January 2026}}</ref>) is a mountainous [[island]] located in the [[Tasman Sea]], off the east coast of [[Tasmania]], Australia. The {{convert|115.5|km2|adj=on}} island is entirely occupied by the '''Maria Island National Park''', which includes a [[marine park|marine area]] of {{convert|18.78|km2}} off the island's northwest coast. The island is about {{convert|20|km}} in length from north to south and, at its widest, is about {{convert|13|km}} west to east. At its closest point, Point Lesueur, the island lies approximately {{convert|4|km}} off the east coast of Tasmania and is connected by ferry with [[Triabunna]]. Maria Island lies in the local government area of [[Glamorgan–Spring Bay Council|Glamorgan–Spring Bay]] in the [[South-east LGA Region]] of Tasmania.<ref name=Placename>{{cite web |url=https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1 |title=Placenames Tasmania – Maria Island |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Placenames Tasmania |access-date=4 August 2020 |at=Select “Search”, enter "43770N", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details”}}</ref>
The island has had a mixed history, including two convict eras, two industrial eras, a farming era and, finally, becoming the national park that it is today. Maria Island is popular with visitors, providing an array of interests for the daytripper or overnight visitor to the island.
== Etymology == Tasmanians pronounce the name {{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|r|aɪ|ə}} {{respell|mə|RY|ə}}, as did the early British settlers but the original pronunciation was {{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|r|iː|ə}} {{respell|mə|REE|ə}}. The island was named in 1642 by Dutch explorer [[Abel Tasman]] after Maria van Diemen (née van Aelst), wife of [[Anthony van Diemen]], the [[Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies]] in [[Jakarta|Batavia]]. The island was known as ''Maria's Isle'' in the early 19th century.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-t358 |title=Chart of Van Dieman's Land (cartographic material): compiled from the most authentic documents extant |publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] |year=1826}}</ref>
== Geography == === Physical geography === Maria Island is a mountainous island located in the [[Tasman Sea]], off the east coast of [[Tasmania]], Australia. The {{convert|115.5|km2|adj=on}} island is contained within the [[Maria Island National Park]], which includes a [[Marine park|marine area]] of {{convert|18.78|km2}} off the island's northwest coast. The island measures {{convert|19.3|km}} in length from north to south and, at its widest, about {{convert|13|km}} west to east.<ref>{{cite report |title=Maria Island National Park and Ile Des Phoques Nature Reserve Management Plan 1998 |url=https://parks.tas.gov.au/Documents/mariaplanpdf.pdf |format=pdf |department=Department of Environment and Land Management |year=1998 |location=Hobart, Tasmania |publisher=[[Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service|Parks and Wildlife Service]] |isbn=978-0-7246-2010-4 |page=4 |access-date=12 January 2026}}</ref>
The island takes the form of a figure-eight, with the northern section being significantly larger than the southern. Both parts of the island have quite rugged relief and they are joined by a [[tombolo]] about {{convert|3|km}} long known as McRaes Isthmus. The highest point, Mount Maria, is in the northern part of the island and stands {{convert|711|m}} above sea level. Maria Island has been separated from nearby mainland Tasmania for some 3 to 4 thousand years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=2897 |title=Parks & Wildlife Service - Geological Timeline |access-date=28 December 2017 |archive-date=17 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317190910/http://parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2897 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Human geography and economy === {{unreferenced section|date=April 2024}} The [[strait]] between Maria Island and the east coast of mainland Tasmania is called the [[Mercury Passage]] and was named after HMS ''Mercury'', commanded by [[John Henry Cox]], who charted the area in 1789<ref>{{Cite web |title=Origin of Place Names: Coastal Features |url=https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/hobart/names-coastal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322032019/https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/hobart/names-coastal.html |archive-date=2025-03-22 |access-date=2026-05-22 |website=www.ourtasmania.com.au}}</ref>. There are two towns of size in this part of the east coast: [[Orford, Tasmania|Orford]] at the mouth of the [[Prosser River]] and [[Triabunna, Tasmania|Triabunna]], some {{convert|8|km|mi|spell=in|0}} further north at the head of Spring Bay.
The island's sole settlement is [[Darlington Probation Station|Darlington]], near the northern tip of the island. Darlington has many old buildings and it has{{when|date=April 2024}} no permanent inhabitants other than a few park rangers. During the summer holiday period, up to several hundred tourists visit{{when|date=April 2024}} the island. [[Tourism]] is important to the local economy. In nearby Triabunna, other major industries include [[fishing]], [[forestry]] and [[agriculture]]. [[Rock lobster]], scalefish, [[scallops]] and [[abalone]] are taken near the island by both commercial and recreational fishermen, and [[mussel]]s are farmed in Mercury Passage.
== History == {{mcn section|date=January 2026}} === Aboriginal people === Before the colonial era, [[Tasmanian Aborigines|Aboriginal people]] of the Tyreddeme band of the Oyster Bay tribe journeyed regularly to the island and much evidence of their presence remains, particularly around the bays on either side of the island's isthmus.<ref name="Ryan_tribes">{{cite book |first=Lyndall |last=Ryan |pages=13–44 |title=The Aboriginal Tasmanians |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |date=1996 |isbn=978-1-86373-965-8 }}</ref> In 1802, the French expedition led by [[Nicolas Baudin]] encountered the Aboriginal people of Maria Island, as did the [[Whaling|whalers]] and [[seal hunters]] of the early 19th century. [[René Maugé]], the zoologist on Baudin's expedition, was buried on Point Maugé on south Maria Island.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=State Library of South |title=Baudin, Nicolas. The journal of post Captain Nicolas Baudin. - page 340 : 20-21 February 1802 |url=https://encounter.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/collection/B12582426_3_340.htm |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=encounter.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au}}</ref>
=== Convicts === [[File:Commissariat Store 1825.jpg|thumb|right|Commissariat Store, Darlington]] For two periods during the first half of the 19th century, Maria Island hosted convict settlements. The island's first convict era was between 1825 and 1832 and its second – the probation station era – between 1842 and 1850.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maria Island History {{!}} Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania |url=https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/maria-island-national-park/maria-island-history |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=parks.tas.gov.au}}</ref> Among those held during the second era was the [[Irish nationalist]] leader [[William Smith O'Brien]], exiled for his part in the [[Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848]]. His cottage still exists in the nearby former penal colony [[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]] to where he was deported after his time on Maria Island. He was later transferred to [[New Norfolk]] on the [[Derwent River (Tasmania)|Derwent River]] upstream of [[Hobart]].
Three structures from the first convict era remain in the Darlington area: the Commissariat Store built in 1825 and presently used as the park's reception and visitor centre; the convict penitentiary, completed in 1828 and now used to accommodate visitors rather than detain them; and the convict-built dam on Bernacchis Creek, which still provides Darlington's water.
==== First convict era 1825–32 ==== Lieutenant Governor Arthur established a penal settlement at [[Darlington Probation Station|Darlington]] in 1825 for convicts whose crimes were not of 'so flagrant a nature' that they should be sent to the notorious [[Macquarie Harbour]] settlement on Tasmania's west coast. A small party of soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Peter Murdoch, and fifty male prisoners, arrived at the island aboard the ship ''Prince Leopold'' in March 1825. Initially housing was log and bark huts or tents. After the arrival of a new Commandant, Major Thomas Lord, in August, more permanent buildings were erected using bricks made on the island and sandstone excavated from the sea cliffs. The [[commissariat]] store (1825) and the [[Prison|penitentiary]] (1830) can still be seen today and are the only surviving buildings from this era. Industries such as cloth, blanket and shoe-making, tanning, timber cutting, and pottery were fostered. Frequent escape attempts, complaints about relaxed discipline and the opening of [[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]] in 1830 led to the decision to abandon the settlement in 1832.
==== Second convict era 1842–50 ==== The second convict era commenced in 1842. Under the probation system of the 1840s, convicts were withdrawn from private service and grouped together in government stations. Probation stations were established at Darlington and Point Lesueur (10 kilometres south-southwest of Darlington and also known as Long Point). Agricultural work was a key activity for convicts, particularly as there were in excess of {{convert|400|acre|km2}} of crops to maintain. Officials and 600 male convicts in Darlington were housed in old and altered structures re-used from the first convict era, and new buildings were also erected. Overcrowding and ill-adapted buildings were constant problems.
=== Industry and farming === [[Seal hunting|Sealing]] was conducted on the island from at least 1805.<ref>Parry Kostoglou, ''Sealing in Tasmania; Historical Research Project'', Parks and Wildlife Service, Hobart, 1996, p.70</ref> Shore-based bay whaling was conducted in the 1830s and 1840s at four locations on the island: Darlington, Isle du Nord, Whalers Cove and Haunted Bay.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Michael |title=The Bay Whalers; Tasmania's shore-based whaling industry |date=2003 |publisher=Navarine Publishing |location=Canberra |isbn=978-0958656191 |pages=150–2 |edition=First}}</ref> In the 19th century, whaling ships sometimes anchored off shore and hunted for whales.
From the 1880s, the Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi set up island enterprises, including silk and wine production and a [[Portland cement|cement]] factory, quarrying [[limestone]] deposits at the Fossil Cliffs for the raw material.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chauvel |first1=Pamela |last2=Flexner |first2=James L. |date=2020-12-01 |title=Mapping Difference in the "Uniform" Workers' Cottages of Maria Island, Tasmania |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-019-00531-w |journal=International Journal of Historical Archaeology |language=en |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=902–919 |doi=10.1007/s10761-019-00531-w |s2cid=213562252 |issn=1573-7748|url-access=subscription }}</ref> A substantial cement works was built at Darlington in the early 1920s, with a [[National Portland Cement Limited tramway|2 ft gauge tramway]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Australian Railway Atlas No.1 - Tasmania|date=June 2004|publisher=The Quail Map Company|location=Exeter, UK|isbn=1-898319-69-3|pages=Map 12 & page 26}}</ref> linking the quarries to the cement works and a new jetty. At the height of its fortunes in the early 20th century, Darlington had hundreds of residents and several hotels. The design and layout of the company town established by Bernacchi reflected prevailing ideas of paternalism, though archaeological survey found that the workers cottages had been individualised by their inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chauvel |first1=Pamela |last2=Flexner |first2=James L. |date=2020-12-01 |title=Mapping Difference in the "Uniform" Workers' Cottages of Maria Island, Tasmania |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-019-00531-w |journal=International Journal of Historical Archaeology |language=en |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=902–919 |doi=10.1007/s10761-019-00531-w |s2cid=213562252 |issn=1573-7748|url-access=subscription }}</ref> By July 1930, all of those ventures had failed for a number of reasons, including the [[Great Depression]], poor quality limestone, and competition from mainland producers who were not burdened with high costs of transport.
==== First industrial era 1888–96 ==== Maria Island's potential for wine and silk production, fruit-growing and tourist developments attracted an Italian entrepreneur, Diego Bernacchi. In 1884 Bernacchi secured a long-term lease of the island from the Tasmanian Government and the 'Maria Island Company' was formed. Bernacchi renamed Darlington "San Diego", and the little town soon had in excess of 250 residents of a variety of different nationalities. Bernacchi established a small cement works which made use of the island's limestone deposits. The opening of the Grand Hotel in 1888, complete with dining, billiard and accommodation rooms, saw the promotion of the island as a pleasure resort and [[sanatorium]]. Also constructed during this era were the Coffee Palace, a row of workers' cottages known as the 'Twelve Apostles' and six terraced cottages, built using bricks from the demolished convict separate apartment cells. Some of the old convict buildings were re-modelled to house workers, managers and shops. Bernacchi's family resided in the old religious instructor's house for a time. The 208-cell apartment block from the second convict era was demolished and the bricks used to build other buildings and roads. Only two photographs exist today of this building. Although Bernacchi was enthusiastic, the Maria Island Company went into liquidation in 1892. Bernacchi promoted the island's cement industry and formed a new company for that purpose. It was short-lived, and in 1896 Bernacchi and his family left for [[Melbourne]], and subsequently London. Afterwards, tourists continued to frequent the island where Rosa Adkins ran a boarding house in the former Coffee Palace.
==== Second industrial era 1925–30 ==== Diego Bernacchi returned to Maria Island, determined to exploit the limestone deposits for cement and expand on his initial plans. The National Portland Cement Company Ltd was formed in 1920. The annual report for 1923 revealed that a new {{convert|620|ft|m|adj=on}} pier had been constructed and that buildings were being erected, including a {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=on}} high chimney stack of reinforced concrete. A railway line conveyed limestone to the works. Machinery worth over £125,000 had been imported from Copenhagen and London. The works were officially opened in February 1924. Community life prospered for the 500 or so residents. Social and sports clubs sprang up, dances were held and the old chapel was used as a cinema. A school was erected for the employees' children. The schoolmaster's house of this period is now the Ranger's Office. Unfortunately, production problems were experienced at the works from an early stage, and together with the effects of the [[Great Depression]], caused the cessation of business in 1930.
==== Farming era 1930–72 ==== For a period of 40 years until the late 1960s, the island was dominated by [[agriculture|farming]]. The South Island was farmed by John Robey, a [[South Africa]]n, with his wife Hilda. Robey's Farm is located on the west side of the south island, and although essentially complete in a "just walked away" fashion as late as the early 1980s, the location has since been extensively vandalised, and the farmhouse further damaged by weather and neglect by the Parks and Wildlife Service.
After the conclusion of the second industrial era, Maria Island became a quiet home to a few farming families. In particular, the Adkins, French, Howell, Robey, Hunt and Haigh families spent many years on the island. The Adkins family in particular have a longer association with the island than any other name, with four generations of them calling the island home - commencing in the 1880s and continuing until the 1960s. A number of these families' names are cemented into the island's history by having buildings, farms or sites that still have their name. These include the Adkins' house (burnt down in recent years), French's Farm, Robey's Farm, Hunt's Cottage, Howell's Farm and Haigh's Farm (site only). Farming ended when the Tasmanian Government began purchasing properties from their owners in preparation for declaring the island a national park.
=== National Park === [[File:Beach on Maria Island.jpg|thumb|Tourists walking along a beach north of the Painted Cliffs, Maria Island]]The [[Tasmanian Government]] resumed all of the island's freehold land and established the national park, proclaimed in 1971 and extended in 1991, to include part of the surrounding sea. From the late 1960s various species of fauna were released onto the island, including mammals and birds such as [[Cape Barren goose|Cape Barren geese]] and [[Emu|emus]] (from mainland Australia). Emu numbers increased to an estimated 20–30 by the early 1980s, by which time it was decided they were a risk to visitors and efforts were made to eradicate them. The last emu is thought to have been shot during the first of the Kangaroo culls in 1994. They have not been sighted since.
The island's first ranger was Rex Gatenby. Prior to the island being declared a national park, many of the historical cement works buildings were demolished due to the danger the government thought the buildings would present to tourists. At this time such buildings were not generally considered historically significant.
==Environment== [[File:Vombatus ursinus -Maria Island National Park.jpg|thumb|[[Common wombat]] on Maria Island]] [[File:Cereopsis novaehollandiae 2.jpg|thumb|[[Cape Barren goose]] on Maria Island]]
===Flora and fauna=== Fourteen distinct terrestrial plant communities occur on the island, which is mostly clothed in various forms of [[eucalypt]] forest. Natural and historical clearings provide grazing for many animals, such as [[bare-nosed wombat]]s (''Vombatus ursinus''), some of which are blonde colour, which occur in high quantities on the island<ref name="TheMariaIslandWalk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mariaislandwalk.com.au/maria-island/the-wildlife/|title=The Wildlife of Tasmania | Maria Island Walk}}</ref> and [[Tasmanian pademelon]]s. Nearly all the island's animals are native to Tasmania although some, including [[eastern grey kangaroo]]s, [[Red-necked wallaby|red-necked wallabies]], and [[Cape Barren goose|Cape Barren geese]], were [[Introduced species|introduced]] during the late 1960s and early 1970s. [[Fallow deer]] were also introduced to the island and were present primarily in the French's Farm area. Sheep were present until around 1981, escapes from prior sheep farming operations. Other animals include [[Common brushtail possum|common brushtail]], [[Common ringtail possum|ringtail possums]], [[short-beaked echidna]]s and three species of [[snake]].
[[Cape Barren geese]] are common on the island, as are [[eastern grey kangaroo]]s, [[eastern bettongs]]s and other marsupials. [[Common wombat]]s can be seen almost anywhere. Tasmania's three species of snake are all found on the island: the [[tiger snake]], [[lowland copperhead]] and [[white-lipped snake]].
==== Birds ==== Maria Island has been identified by [[BirdLife International]] as an [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) because it supports significant numbers of [[endangered]] [[swift parrot]]s and [[forty-spotted pardalote]]s, over 1% of the world population of [[Pacific gull]]s, as well as populations of most of Tasmania's [[endemic]] bird species.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |title=IBA: Maria Island |access-date=11 August 2011 |work=Birdata |publisher=Birds Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102341/http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |archive-date=6 July 2011 }}</ref>
==== Tasmanian devils ==== In November 2012, captive [[Tasmanian devil]]s were introduced to the island and are cared for by the [[Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service]] staff who live on the island. These devils form part of the "[[insurance population]]" of devils unaffected by the [[devil facial tumour disease]] that is sweeping through mainland Tasmania's devil population.<ref name=nyt130122>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/science/saving-tasmanian-devils-from-extinction.html?smid=tw-nytimesscience&seid=auto&pagewanted=all&_r=0 |title=Raising Devils in Seclusion |first=Carl |last=Zimmer |work=New York Times |date=22 January 2013 }}</ref> Tasmanian devils are sometimes seen by visitors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://encountermaria.com.au/wildlife/|title=Wildlife}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://gobehindthescenery.com.au/travel-tips/see-tassies-cute-and-cuddly-creatures/ | title=Three Ways to See Tassie's Cute and Cuddly Creatures | date=4 April 2022 }}</ref> There is some evidence that the devils are impacting on the bird life of the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/news/DF1C161FEB608E6BCA257DB700107BD0|title=Save the Tasmanian Devil Program|website=www.tassiedevil.com.au|access-date=2 September 2015|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213180004/http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/news/DF1C161FEB608E6BCA257DB700107BD0|url-status=dead}}</ref> A population of [[Little penguin|little blue penguin]]s that numbered 3,000 breeding pairs before the introduction has since disappeared completely from the island.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-57558396|title = Tasmanian devils devastate penguin population on Australian island|work = BBC News|date = 21 June 2021}}</ref>
=== Marine habitats === The marine section of the national park protects a representative area of Tasmanian East Coast [[marine (ocean)|marine]] [[habitat (ecology)|habitat]], and has significantly larger individuals and populations of key marine [[species]] than surrounding waters. This area is one of the most intensively studied [[Marine Protected Area|marine protected areas]] in [[Australia]] and is popular with divers. The marine section of the park extends from an unnamed point north-east of Bishop and Clerk, westwards to Cape Boullanger and then southwards as far as Return Point. The marine boundary's definition varies, but it is never more than 1 km from Maria Island's low water mark.
Maria Island National Park includes a marine area which stretches from Fossil Bay on the northern coast of the island to Return Point on the west coast, and extends up to a kilometre offshore. South-west of the Painted Cliffs and just outside the marine section of the park, a disused coastal trader was sunk in 2007 to form an [[artificial reef]] dive site. There are also numerous shipwrecks around the island.
=== Climate === Data as of 2016. {{Weather box |location = Maria Island (Point Lesueur; 28 m AMSL) |single line = y |metric first = y |Jan record high C = 35.2 |Feb record high C = 32.6 |Mar record high C = 29.6 |Apr record high C = 27.5 |May record high C = 21.0 |Jun record high C = 18.5 |Jul record high C = 18.0 |Aug record high C = 19.4 |Sep record high C = 23.5 |Oct record high C = 29.0 |Nov record high C = 30.8 |Dec record high C = 35.5 |year record high C = 35.5 |Jan high C = 21.4 |Feb high C = 21.0 |Mar high C = 20.2 |Apr high C = 17.6 |May high C = 15.3 |Jun high C = 13.1 |Jul high C = 12.7 |Aug high C = 13.5 |Sep high C = 15.3 |Oct high C = 16.8 |Nov high C = 18.1 |Dec high C = 19.9 |year high C = 17.1 |Jan low C = 13.6 |Feb low C = 13.8 |Mar low C = 13.0 |Apr low C = 11.2 |May low C = 9.5 |Jun low C = 8.0 |Jul low C = 7.4 |Aug low C = 7.5 |Sep low C = 8.5 |Oct low C = 9.4 |Nov low C = 10.9 |Dec low C = 12.2 |year low C = 10.4 |Jan record low C = 8.1 |Feb record low C = 7.7 |Mar record low C = 6.3 |Apr record low C = 5.2 |May record low C = 4.0 |Jun record low C = 3.5 |Jul record low C = 2.5 |Aug record low C = 1.8 |Sep record low C = 2.8 |Oct record low C = 2.5 |Nov record low C = 4.5 |Dec record low C = 6.2 |year record low C = 1.8 | rain colour = green | Jan rain mm = 45.3 | Feb rain mm = 34.2 | Mar rain mm = 41.3 | Apr rain mm = 34.2 | May rain mm = 38.5 | Jun rain mm = 50.5 | Jul rain mm = 29.8 | Aug rain mm = 44.1 | Sep rain mm = 44.8 | Oct rain mm = 35.1 | Nov rain mm = 54.9 | Dec rain mm = 49.6 | year rain mm = 518.1 | unit rain days= 1 mm |Jan rain days = 5.1 |Feb rain days = 6.0 |Mar rain days = 7.1 |Apr rain days = 5.5 |May rain days = 5.9 |Jun rain days = 6.6 |Jul rain days = 6.9 |Aug rain days = 6.9 |Sep rain days = 6.4 |Oct rain days = 7.1 |Nov rain days = 7.6 |Dec rain days = 6.8 |year rain days = 77.9 |source = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_092124_All.shtml |title = Climate Statistics for Maria Island (Point Lesueur) |publisher = [[Bureau of Meteorology]] |work = Climate statistics for Australian locations |access-date = 23 April 2016}}</ref> }}
== Access == {{mcn section|date=January 2026}}
=== Transport === A ferry sails multiple times a day from the town of Triabunna to the jetty in Darlington Bay at the northern end of Maria Island, a distance by sea of 16 km or nearly nine [[nautical miles]]. In winter, some sailings are subject to demand, while in summer extra sailings are provided. A previous ferry operation out of Louisville (near Orford) is now{{When?|date=February 2026}} defunct. [[Common dolphin]]s, [[Arctocephalus forsteri|Australian fur seal]]s and seabirds such as [[Australasian gannet]]s and [[shy albatross]]es are often seen on the voyage. Tourist flights to the island can be made from Cambridge Airport or Friendly Beaches.
=== Facilities === Very basic accommodation is available in Darlington in "the Penitentiary", a former place of internment, built during the first convict era. Bookings can be made with the Parks and Wildlife Service. There are ten rooms that have bunk beds with vinyl mattresses, a table and chairs, and a wood heater. Nine of the rooms sleep six people each, and the tenth sleeps fourteen people. All cooking gear, lighting, bedding and food must be brought to the island. There is no electricity or running water in the rooms, but toilets, hot showers, and barbecues are nearby. Many visitors also choose to camp in the camping area in Darlington - an advance booking is not necessary for this.
=== Activities and attractions === [[File:Painted Cliffs.jpg|thumb|The Painted Cliffs.]] The historical and natural assets of Maria Island attract many tourists. As well as the industrial and convict buildings and ruins, there are natural features and many walks.
Walking, bicycling, swimming, snorkelling, diving, bird watching, wildlife observation and relaxation are the main activities undertaken by visitors. Many people take interest in Maria Island's history, and most of the island's walks include sites of historic interest. The Painted Cliffs and the Fossil Cliffs are two popular walking destinations for day visitors, both on the island's coastline. The Painted Cliffs are [[sandstone]] with beautiful patterns formed through staining by [[iron oxide]]. The Fossil Cliffs are tall [[limestone]] cliffs containing prolific ancient [[fossil]]s. Longer day walks include tracks that ascend Bishop and Clerk ({{convert|620|m}}) and Mount Maria ({{convert|711|m}}).<ref>{{cite map |title=42° 35' 30.3" S, 148° 06' 51.8" E |work=Darlington 5828 |scale=1:25 000 |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment |location=Tasmania |date=2000 }}</ref> Mount Maria is a six- to seven-hour return walk from Darlington while Bishop and Clerk can be completed in about four hours return.
Nearly all roads and tracks on the island are suitable for bicycling. Bicycles and helmets can be rented in Triabunna and brought over on the ferry. A bicycle is a must for those who want to see as much of the island as possible on a day trip. Bicycle-riding is not permitted on beaches or on the two mountain tracks.
A vehicular track extends from Darlington {{convert|20|km}} south to Haunted Bay on south Maria Island, with a number of side-tracks and points of interest along the way. Haunted Bay is so named because of the constant calling in the evening of the many [[Little penguin|fairy penguins]] that live there. The track south is the usual route for people doing bike rides or multi-day walks. The major campsites outside Darlington are at Frenchs Farm, {{convert|11|km}} from Darlington, and Encampment Cove, a further {{convert|2|km}} away, which is also used by boating visitors. This area is referred to by boaters as Chinamans Bay (Chinamans is the bay just north of Encampment Cove). Both Frenchs Farm and Encampment Cove have rainwater tanks. The Frenchs Farm tank is less likely to run out during summer. Water can be hard to find elsewhere.
From Encampment Cove it is only a little more than a {{convert|1|km}} walk to the ruins of Maria Island's second (probation-era) convict station at Point Lesueur on the island's west coast (also known as Long Point). Soldiers Beach and Bloodstone Beach on the western side of the island are also well worth the effort that it takes to reach them, as are Shoal Bay and Riedle Bay, the beaches either side of McRaes Isthmus.
In 2007, a disused coastal trader, the ''Troy D'', was scuttled outside the marine section of the national park, {{convert|1.7|km}} west-southwest of the Painted Cliffs, with the intention of creating a [[wreck diving|dive wreck]].
== See also == {{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Islands|Environment}}}} *[[Darlington Probation Station]] *[[Protected areas of Tasmania]] *[[List of islands of Tasmania]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{cite book |author=Ludeke, M |date=2005 |edition=2nd |title=Tasmania's Maria Island: A Comprehensive History and Visitor's Guide |location=Hobart |publisher=Ludeke Publishing }}
== External links == {{commons category|Maria Island}} *[https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/maria-island-national-park Maria Island - Parks and Wildlife Service] *{{Wikivoyage inline|Maria Island National Park}}
{{Islands of Tasmania |state=autocollapse}} {{East Coast Tasmania |state=autocollapse}} {{Convicts in Australia}} {{DutchplacenamesAus}}
[[Category:Islands of Tasmania]] [[Category:Australian penal colonies]] [[Category:Defunct prisons in Tasmania]] [[Category:Important Bird Areas of Tasmania]] [[Category:Tombolos]] [[Category:Tasmanian Heritage Register]] [[Category:Seal hunting]] [[Category:Whaling stations in Australia]] [[Category:Maritime history of the Dutch East India Company]] [[Category:Convictism in Tasmania]] [[Category:Localities of Glamorgan–Spring Bay Council]]