Clarke Island (Tasmania)

Part of the Furneaux Group, Clarke Island (Lungtalanana Island) off the northeast coast of Tasmania, south of Cape Barren Island. Off its west coast lies the shipwreck of the Litherland, which sank 1853 and was discovered in 1983.

History

During 1794, European settlement in New South Wales was yet to develop agricultural self sufficiency, and merchant ships from India at the time supplied the colony. One such ship, the Sydney Cove, travelling from a southerly direction to New South Wales, sailed into Banks Strait due to strong winds and ran aground between two islands, now known as Preservation Island and Rum Island. The supercargo of the ship, William Clark, for whom Clarke Island is named, took a long boat with seventeen others and rowed to nearby Cape Everard before running aground. He recorded details of the trek in his diary. Only three people Clark and two seamen were found by fishermen at Wattamolla Beach, south of Port Hacking. Arriving at Port Jackson, they informed Governor Hunter of...
Read More