# Mewstone

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mewstone
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mewstone.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mewstone
> Source revision: 1353963102
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Island in Tasmania, Australia

Mewstone Nickname: Mewstone Island; The Mewstone Mewstone is an important breeding site for shy albatrosses Mewstone Location off the south coast of Tasmania Etymology Great Mew Stone, an island near Plymouth, United Kingdom Geography Location South coast Tasmania Coordinates 43°44′17″S 146°22′16″E / 43.73806°S 146.37111°E / -43.73806; 146.37111 Archipelago Pedra Branca Adjacent to Southern Ocean Area 13.1 ha (32 acres)[1] Highest elevation 150 m (490 ft) Administration Australia State Tasmania Region South coast Demographics Population Unpopulated

**Mewstone** is an unpopulated island, composed of [muscovite](/source/Muscovite) [granite](/source/Granite), located close to the [south coast](/source/South_Coast_Tasmania) of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia. The 13.1-hectare (32-acre) island has steep cliffs and a small flat summit and is part of the [Pedra Branca](/source/Pedra_Branca_(Tasmania)) group, lying 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southeast of [Maatsuyker Island](/source/Maatsuyker_Island), and 22 kilometres (14 mi) off the south coast of Tasmania. Mewstone comprises part of the [Southwest National Park](/source/Southwest_National_Park) and the [Tasmanian Wilderness](/source/Tasmanian_Wilderness) [World Heritage Site](/source/World_Heritage_Site).[1][2]

The highest point of the island is approximately 150 metres (490 ft) [above sea level](/source/Australian_Height_Datum).[2] Mewstone has abundant bird life and has been identified by [BirdLife International](/source/BirdLife_International) as an [Important Bird Area](/source/Important_Bird_Area) (IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world populations of [shy albatrosses](/source/Shy_albatross) and [fairy prions](/source/Fairy_prion).[3]

## Etymology

In 1642 it was described by [Abel Tasman](/source/Abel_Tasman), who said it "resembles a lion".[4] In 1773 it was named by [Tobias Furneaux](/source/Tobias_Furneaux)[5] in [HMS *Adventure*](/source/HMS_Adventure_(1771)). It is likely that Mewstone was named after the [Great Mew Stone](/source/Great_Mew_Stone), an island about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south-southeast of Furneaux's birthplace in [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth), [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom). The Great Mewstone got its name from the old English name for the herring gull; mew.[6]

Although it is sometimes referred to as *Mewstone Island* or *The Mewstone*, its official name is simply *Mewstone*.[7]

## Flora and fauna

There is very little flora due to the rocky nature of the island. What little plant life there is grows in crevices in the rocks where soil has accumulated.[8]

Recorded breeding [seabirds](/source/Seabird) include [fairy prion](/source/Fairy_prion) (20,000 pairs), [silver gull](/source/Silver_gull), [black-faced cormorant](/source/Black-faced_cormorant) and [shy albatross](/source/Shy_albatross) (7,500 pairs). Mewstone is the largest of only three shy albatross breeding [colonies](/source/Seabird_colony) in the world, the other two being [Albatross Island](/source/Albatross_Island_(Tasmania)) and [Pedra Branca](/source/Pedra_Branca%2C_Tasmania).[1] [Australian fur seals](/source/Arctocephalus_forsteri) [haul-out](/source/Hauling-out) on small ledges. The [Tasmanian tree skink](/source/Tasmanian_tree_skink) is also present.[2]

## See also

- [Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Australia)
- [Islands portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Islands)

- [List of islands of Tasmania](/source/List_of_islands_of_Tasmania)

- [South East Cape](/source/South_East_Cape)

- [South West Cape](/source/South_West_Cape%2C_Tasmania)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-consmgt_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-consmgt_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-consmgt_1-2) ["Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060822190600/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/IslandCare/southern_islands.pdf) (PDF). [Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service](/source/Tasmania_Parks_and_Wildlife_Service). 2002. p. 14. Archived from [the original](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/IslandCare/southern_islands.pdf) (PDF) on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brothers2001_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brothers2001_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Brothers2001_2-2) Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; Halley, Vanessa (2001). *Tasmania's Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features*. Hobart: [Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery](/source/Tasmanian_Museum_and_Art_Gallery). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7246-4816-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7246-4816-X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["IBA: Mewstone"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102341/http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm). *Birdata*. Birds Australia. Archived from [the original](http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Heeres, J. E., ed. (2006). ["Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal of his Discovery of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand in 1642 with Documents Relating to his Exploration of Australia in 1644...to which are added his Life and Labours, 1898"](http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600571h.html). Gutenberg of Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-adb_5-0)** Sprod, Dan (2005). ["Furneaux, Tobias (1735 - 1781)"](https://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/AS10174b.htm). *[Australian Dictionary of Biography](/source/Australian_Dictionary_of_Biography)*. National Centre of Biography, [Australian National University](/source/Australian_National_University). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-522-84459-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-522-84459-7). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1833-7538](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1833-7538). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [70677943](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/70677943). Retrieved 5 May 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Great Mewstone"](http://www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/explore/wembury/the-great-mewstone). South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Retrieved 13 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Place Name Search for Mewstone, Tasmania"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000116/http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazm01?placename=mewstone&placetype=0&state=TAS). [Geoscience Australia](/source/Geoscience_Australia). Archived from [the original](http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazm01?placename=mewstone&placetype=0&state=TAS) on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-whites_book_8-0)** White, Gary (1980). *Islands of South-West Tasmania*. Sydney: [self-published](/source/Self-published). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9594866-0-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9594866-0-7).

## External links

- [Mewstone viewed from the south](http://www.viewtasmania.com.au/discover/aadjc.htm)

v t e South West region of Tasmania, Australia Settlements Adamsfield Melaleuca Strathgordon Governance Braddon (federal) Franklin (federal) Braddon (state) Franklin (state) Derwent Valley Council Huon Valley Council West Coast Council Mountains Engineer Range Frenchmans Cap Anne Frankland Range Citadel, The Cleft Peak Cupola, The Frankland Greycap Lion, The Lloyd Jones Murpheys Bluff Redtop Right Angle Scotts Secheron Terminal Arthur Range Federation King William Range Mount King William Prince of Wales Range (Tasmania) Diamond Peak Protected areas, parks and reserves Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Nature Reserve Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area Southwest National Park South West Wilderness Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Rivers Anne Davey Franklin Gordon Huon Serpentine Spero Lakes Natural Edgar Artificial reservoirs Gordon Pedder Lake Pedder Action Committee United Tasmania Group Dams Completed Edgar Gordon Scotts Peak Serpentine Cancelled Franklin Dam controversy Commonwealth v Tasmania The Wilderness Society Harbours, bays, inlets and estuaries Bathurst Harbour Bathurst Channel James Kelly Basin Port Davey Coastal features High Rocky Point Low Rocky Point Point Hibbs South Coast South West Cape Power stations Gordon Transport Gordon River Road Scotts Peak Dam Road Railways Great Western Railway (proposed never constructed) Landmarks Natural Gordon Splits Man-made Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse Port Davey Track South Coast Track People of note Bob Brown Peter Dombrovskis Helen Gee James Goodwin Brenda Hean Richard Jones Deny King Eric Reece Olegas Truchanas T. B. Moore Islands Eddystone Hibbs Pyramid Inner Rocks Sidmouth Rock Breaksea Fitzroy Kathleen Main Mavourneen Munday North Maatsuyker (group) Chicken De Witt Flat Top Flat Witch Hen Ile du Golfe Louisa Maatsuyker (island) Needles Round Top Walker Western Rocks Swainson (group) Big Caroline Hay Lourah Shanks Swainson Mutton Bird (group) East Pyramids Mutton Bird Island Mutton Bird Islet (southeast) Mutton Bird Islet (southwest) Sugarloaf Sugarmouse Wendar Wild Wind Pedra Branca Mewstone Trumpeter Coffee Pot, The Hobbs Trumpeter West Pyramid Books and newspapers Tasmania's offshore islands Tasmania's Wilderness Battles The South West Book South West Tasmania Resources Survey Flora, fauna, and fishlife Orange-bellied parrot Pedder galaxias Pedder earthworm Pedder planarian Pedra Branca skink Bioregions Southern Ranges (bioregion) West (bioregion) Indigenous heritage Kutikina Cave Toogee language Western Tasmanian languages

v t e Islands and islets of Tasmania, Australia Islands located in the Bass Strait Curtis Group Cone Curtis Devils Tower Sugarloaf Rock Furneaux Group Anderson Babel Badger Bass Battery Beagle Big Green Big Black Billy Goat Bird Boxen Briggs Cape Barren Cat Chalky Clarke Craggy Doughboy East Kangaroo Fifty Foot Fisher Flinders Forsyth Goose Great Dog Gull GVH Inner Little Goose Inner Sister Isabella Key Lady Barron Little Little Anderson Little Badger Little Chalky Little Dog Little Goose Little Green Little Spike Long Low Low (Prime Seal) Marriott Middle Pasco Mid Woody Mile Moriarty Mount Chappell Neds Night North Pasco North West Mount Chappell Outer Sister Oyster Passage Pelican Preservation Prime Seal Puncheon Roydon Rum Samphire Sentinel South Pasco Spike Storehouse Tin Kettle Vansittart Wright Wybalenna Hogan Group Southern Boundary East Hogan Long Round Seal Twin Hunter Group Albatross Hunter Three Hummock Kent Group Deal Dover Erith Judgement North East South West New Year Group Christmas Councillor King New Year Rodondo Group Rodondo Island East Moncoeur Island West Moncoeur Island Waterhouse Group Baynes Bird Cygnet Foster George Little Swan Little Waterhouse Maclean Ninth Paddys St Helens Swan Tenth Waterhouse ungrouped Garden Island (Tamar River) Goat Robbins Three Sisters Walker Islands located in the Southern Ocean ungrouped Big Caroline Breaksea Chicken Coffee Pot De Witt East Eddystone Fitzroy Flat Top Flat Witch Hay Hen Hibbs Hobbs Ile du Golfe Inner Kathleen Louisa Lourah Maatsuyker Mavourneen Mewstone Munday Mutton Bird Mutton Bird (southeast) Mutton Bird (southwest) Needles Round Top Shanks Sidmouth Sugarloaf Sugarmouse Swainson Trumpeter Walker Wendar Western West Wild Wind Islands located in the Tasman Sea Partridge Group Arch Charity Faith Hope Partridge Sloping Group Barren Fulham Hog King George Little Spectacle Sloping Smooth Spectacle Visscher Woody Tasman Group Dart The Lanterns Tasman Wedge ungrouped Actaeon Boomer Bruny des Phoques du Nord Eddystone Egg Friars Garden Governor Green Images Lachlan Maria Nuggets Pedra Branca Picnic Satellite Schouten Islands located in the South West Pacific Ocean Bishop and Clerk Judge and Clerk Macquarie Category Commons

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mewstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mewstone) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mewstone?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.