Harvey Island is one of the many uninhabited islands located in the Indian Ocean. It is a small coral atoll, measuring just over 3 square kilometres, and is located about 160 kilometres off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka. The island has been uninhabited since 1954, when it was used for military exercises by the Sri Lankan military.
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Harvey Island History
The exact history of Harvey Island is unknown, but it is thought to have been uninhabited since 1954. During this time, the island was used for military exercises by the Sri Lankan military.
According to some sources, the island may have been used as a training ground for members of the Sri Lankan navy; others believe that it may have been used as a prison or concentration camp.
Today, Harvey Island is an abandoned and deserted island frequented by a few feral cats, which freely wander around the island and are commonly seen across other uninhabited islands in the region.
Climate
The climate of Harvey Island is tropical, with a temperature range of 24 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius. The island experiences heavy rainfall throughout the year, with maximum rainfalls occurring in May and June. The island experiences few heavy tropical cyclones, such as Typhoons. The highest recorded wind gust recorded on the island was 180 kilometres per hour (112 knots).
Culture
There is no evidence to suggest that the island was ever inhabited by any humans, and it is currently uninhabited. It is possible that the island may have been used as a training ground for members of the Sri Lankan navy; alternatively, it may have been used as a prison or concentration camp. Today, Harvey Island remains an abandoned and deserted island frequented by a few feral cats.
Politics
The island is currently uninhabited and its status is unknown. Asia’s historians often record the island is still tidal, so it has been asserted that there are some land areas one can parachute in and out of. The waters between Australia and Sri Lanka seem to be known as an area surrounding a “landfall” situation, this being where military vessels move into or leave port at certain strategic moves during operations.
Government services
The island is not part of any Australian state or territory. Geological status
Harvey Island is an abandoned shoal rock. In 1944, a GM -8 weather unit used its magnetic locator to determine the exact geographical location of Harvey Island. A detailed map was then generated by remote sensing recorders at Kingsford-Smith Airport and sent back to Cairns for further action research in the Geographic Entry Unit (GUE).
Tourism
There is currently no tourism potential associated with Harvey Island. The island is important for research rather than recreation. The landing area provides a photographic opportunity, especially in the middle of the night; Lighthouses were once use to guide ships through similar areas while they still existed and hence they are common sightings around the country today.
Transport
The island is not accessible by land, nor is it a popular destination for recreational boat trips. If someone was to jump off it, the water would be chest deep. The runway is also not accessible by vehicle, only foot travel can access this area for a closer view. There are two lighthouses – ‘Vincent Lighthouse’ and the slightly larger ‘Edwin Spencer-Owen”. The sole cause of their existence is that they were used as weather station radar apparatus, maintained to operate during WWII. Today both structures serve no real function at all; however it would be interesting for tourists if someone could find a way to get inside them and restore their purpose.
Cuisine
Harvey Island is not known for its cuisine, however some residents do grow their own vegetables and fruits. The island’s main exports are kerosene, coal, limestone and other minerals. These are solely used by the single community that resides on Harvey Island.
Medical Services and Emergency Plan
There is no medical services based off-island, nor do they need it. They are able to call a doctor at Kingsford Smith Airport in Cairns if needed though due to this lack of unnecessary travel they rarely use this option.
Wildlife
Due to the lack of wildlife on Harvey Island, visitors should not expect to see any. The only sightings are during hunting seasons when seals and dolphins can be seen close by in shallow water. Bird Watching
Harvey Island is the only place in Australia where bird watching could be a hobby. There are several species of birds that make this area their home, including: seabirds such as cormorants, gulls and terns; fruit doves;
pelicans (sea and estuarine); corncrakes – not found anywhere else on earth or even recorded to exist elsewhere in the world though some have been observed in other tropical regions of Australia; ducks, the island is home to nearly a million waterbirds – most species not found anywhere else in the world though some are abundant and common
local varieties include pelicans, terns, cormorants (both black-headed and white), penguins – very few of these have ever been observed elsewhere. There were many new species recorded by ornithologists on this remote island primarily from bird watching expeditions that have occurred as it is the only place in Australia where bird watching could be a hobby.
Conclusion
Harvey Island is an elongated and narrow island measuring around 4.3 km from north to south and 2.5 km from east to west. The island is located in the middle of Wellington Harbour and forms part of the central business district of Wellington, New Zealand.
The area around Harvey Island was once a swampy morass, but was transformed into an urban area during the 1860s when it was developed as the site for a number of wharfside businesses, including a flour mill, a brewery, and a limekiln.
FAQ
1.What Is The Population Of Harvey Island?
Ans: There are no living inhabitants on Harvey Island.
2.Who Owns And Controls Harvey Island?
Ans: The island has been uninhabited since 1954, when it was used for military exercises by the Sri Lankan military.
3.When Did The Island First Come Into Use As A Military Base?
Ans: The island first came into use as a military base in 1883, but traces of this early occupation can be found by studying the remnants of sand paintings and other forms of painting on some boulders.
4.How Is Access To Harvey Island?
Ans: Key features like wharf, lighthouse and tents were built in 1876 during the military occupation when troops used it as an observation outpost for Queenston Point Lighthouse with cannon emplacements, which they occupied until 1941 because there was no warship nearby save a few Tanganyika vessels forced into local service during the war.
5.What Can I See And Do On Harvey Island?
Ans: Swimming beaches, a small car park with toilets are all that remains of what was once an active industrial area full of wharfside businesses generating rich employment opportunities before.
World War II when it started being used as a naval base – some remnants such as these usually attract graffiti while others like more elegant wooden structures have tended to remain in good condition including revetted gun em placements like those erected to safeguard the midpoint at Queenston Point Lighthouse from which the island gets its name and wharfside structures such as a few tents installed by Sri Lankan troops on deployment in 1905.
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