Boundary Islet is a small, rocky granite island in Bass Strait, 56 kilometers east of the southernmost point of mainland Victoria. It is interesting in that it holds Australia’s shortest international land border. This peculiar situation arises from historical inaccuracies in mapping and surveying, resulting in an 85-meter land border between Tasmania and Victoria. The islet covers an area of just 2 hectares. Historically, it was called North East Islet, but formally changed its name to Boundary Islet in 1990.
Today’s border confusion has its origins in the early 19 th century. At the time, Governor Ralph Darling marked an end point at latitude 39 degrees 12 minutes. This survey line, meant to mark the boundary between Tasmania and Victoria, accidentally cut across Boundary Islet. The official historic proclamations regarding Van Diemen’s Land are shrouded in ambiguity. This uncertainty led to confusion over where the boundary ought to be located.
Historical Context of the Border
This border through Boundary Islet resulted from a series of errors. These inaccuracies have been established since Captain John Black’s hydrographic survey of Bass Strait in 1801. Mr. Denny, an expert on the subject, noted, “The charting that had been done by various people was inaccurate.” The surveying technology of the day, which included sextants and circumferentors, was responsible for a number of mistakes in borders in Australia.
When Governor Darling drew the line, it went straight through Boundary Islet,” Mr. Denny noted. He illustrated just how dangerous this omission is given the unique Australian geography. At that time, the council proclaimed the islands of Bass Strait to be part of Van Diemen’s Land. At the same time, they agreed that the areas to their north should stay with New South Wales.
The Nature Reserve Status
Boundary Islet is designated as a nature reserve, referred to as the North East Islet Nature Reserve. According to a spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, “Boundary Islet is known as the North East Islet Nature Reserve.” This classification highlights the ecological significance of the island, which has been known to be home to one Australian fur seal. According to veteran travel writer Tony Wheeler, there are far more seals living on the islet.
The islet is a nature reserve, demonstrating its ecological surroundings. Yet this status adds to the legal and administrative challenges associated with its dual identity between Tasmania and Victoria. Even the historical accounts of the border are cloudy. This vagueness has led to a lot of interpretation and debate among historians and legal scholars.
Modern Implications
Boundary Islet stands as a reminder of how historical mapping errors can have lasting implications. That even today there is confusion about its status as a border illustrates the contestations inherent in determining territorial limits in the very early colonial history of Australia.
Mr. Denny remarked, “It’s not as simple as it sounds, and we have to go right back to the discovery of Australia by Europeans to find out how the boundary came about.” This thoughtful remark sums up the complex interplay between colonialism, history, and the contemporary legal environment.
Captain John Black’s survey has become a central touchstone for the ongoing debates over the definition of our boundaries. Mr. Wheeler pointed out that “Captain John Black, in his survey of 1801, had slightly misplaced North East Islet, and the boundary runs smack through the middle of the 2-hectare island.”
