Lawrence Rocks

For the American chemist, see Lawrence Rocks (chemist).

Lawrence Rocks
Geography
The Lawrence Rocks are an important breeding site for Australasian gannets
Lawrence Rocks
Location	Bass Strait
Coordinates	38°24′30″S 141°40′10″E / 38.40833°S 141.66944°E / -38.40833; 141.66944Coordinates: 38°24′30″S 141°40′10″E / 38.40833°S 141.66944°E / -38.40833; 141.66944
Administration
Australia
State	Victoria

The Lawrence Rocks are a group of two rocky islets, 6.8 ha and 1.5 ha in area, with an associated reef, 2.4 km south-east of Point Danger in western Victoria, Australia, and about 6 km south-east of the city of Portland. Geologically, the group is formed from the remnants of an extinct volcano, with the islets composed of basalt and tuff.^[1]

The islets were sighted by Lieutenant James Grant on 5 December 1800 from the survey brig HMS Lady Nelson and named^[2] for Captain Effingham Lawrence,^[3] one of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House.

Image taken aboard Southern Coast Charters of Lawrence Rocks rocky islets in Western Victoria.

Fauna

The rocks are protected as a nature reserve and are the site of a breeding colony of Australasian gannets, the overspill from which led to the establishment of a sister colony at Point Danger.^[4] The group has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA), because it supports over 10% of the world population of Australasian gannets, being used by over 6000 birds.^[5] Other birds recorded on the rocks, and likely to breed there, include little penguins, black-faced cormorants, crested terns, silver gulls, sooty oystercatchers and small numbers of Cape gannets. The rocks are also used as a haul-out site by Australian fur seals.^[1]

Image taken aboard Southern Explorer of Lawrence Rocks rocky islets in Western Victoria.

References

1 2 BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lawrence Rocks. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 04/08/2011.
↑ Grant, James (1803). The narrative of a voyage of discovery, performed in His Majesty's vessel the Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen: with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales. Printed by C. Roworth for T. Egerton. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-0-7243-0036-5. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
↑ Wall, Bruce (1967). "Lawrence, William Effingham (1781–1841)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
↑ "Point Danger Australasian Gannet Breeding Colony". Portland Holidays. Archived from the original on 2006-08-19. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
↑ "IBA: Lawrence Rocks". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-08-04.

Islands of Victoria, Australia

Islands off Gippsland and the Wilsons Promontory	Anser Boundary Citadel Cleft Cliffy Dannevig Gabo Great Glennie Kanowna McHugh Norman Notch Rabbit Rabbit Rock Rag Seal Shellback Tullaberga Wattle Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park

Islands within Corner Inlet	Bennison Bullock Calf Clonmel Corner Cyril Dog Doughboy Drum East Scrubby Granite Horn Hunter Little Dog Little Snake Long One Tree Pelican Rescue Roberts Saint Margaret Scrubby Shag Sheep Snake Spec Sunday Corner Inlet Marine National Park

Islands within Western Port	Barrallier Chinaman Churchill Elizabeth French Joe Long Middle Spit Pelican Phillip Quail Ram Reef Seal Rocks Sandstone Schnapper Rock Tortoise Head Bank Churchill Island Marine National Park French Island Marine National Park Phillip Island Important Bird Area Phillip Island Nature Park

Islands within Port Phillip	Duck Mud Pope's Eye South Channel Fort Swan Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park

Islands within Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight	Griffiths Lady Julia Percy Lawrence Rocks Middle

River islands	Beveridge Coode Gateway Herring Pental Raymond Rotamah The Island Ulupna

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