Chipping Norton Islands
 One of the islets on the lake | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chipping Norton, Lansvale, Cabramatta |
| Coordinates | 33°54′04″S 150°57′41″E / 33.901221°S 150.961327°E / -33.901221; 150.961327 |
| Adjacent to | Chipping Norton Lake Georges River |
| Total islands | 4 |
| Highest elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | New South Wales |
| Largest settlement | Sydney |
| Demographics | |
| Population | unpopulated |
The Chipping Norton Islands consist of four small lake islands that are found within Chipping Norton Lake in western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[1]
Geography
The four islets, which belong to different suburbs, include:[2]
- Bass Island - Situated in the west towards Cabramatta
- Bulba-Gong (Wildlife Reserve Island) - Located in the eastern part of the lake within Chipping Norton and is the largest
- Crescent Island - Strip-shaped, located in the northwest part of the lake towards Lansvale
- Daruk Island - Found in the centre of the lake to the east and is the most distant to land, but within the bounds of Chipping Norton
Description
The islands are within Liverpool City Council and Fairfield City Council local government areas. Straddling Georges River, they are mostly made up of native wildlife that serve as a refuge for endemic birds. The islands are accessible by boat, though visitor access is prohibited.[3]
Daruk Island is named after the Darug people, an Aboriginal tribe native to Sydney. “Bulba-gong” means 'island' and 'bird', respectively, in the Eora language.[4]
Ecology
There are over fifty different kinds of birds found around the lake, which would visit or inhabit the islands, such as Australian pelicans, Australasian swamphens, egrets, maned ducks, pacific black ducks, sacred ibis, and pardalote. Dolphin and sharks are usually spotted in the surrounding waters.[5]
The woodlands of the region feature sedgelands, reeds and mangroves. Native trees include the swamp oak, forest red gum, blue box, grey box, bangalay and rough-barked apple. The alluvial woodland vegetation is another striking feature of the lake as it is an endangered ecological community.[6]
References
- ^ Daruk Island Geoview.info
- ^ Nature Your Liverpool, 2018
- ^ Chipping Norton Lakes Liverpool Sydney Visitor & Travel Guide
- ^ 2007/2008 Annual Report for Chipping Norton Lake Authority
- ^ "Dog spotted 50m from shore on uninhabited Chipping Norton Lake island". ABC News Australia. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Chipping Norton Lakes". Liverpool City Council.