Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands

The Ashmore and Cartier Islands lie on the outer edge of the Australian continental shelf in the Indian Ocean, midway between north-western Australia and Timor and some 850km to 790km west of Darwin. The Ashmores consist of three islands: Middle, East and West Islands.

Geography

Area: Ashmore Islands: 93 hectares (0.93 sq km); Cartier Islands: 0.4 hectares (0.004 sq km).

Topography: The islands are small and low-lying, rising to a maximum of 2.5m above sea level. They are formed of coral and sand, and are surrounded by shoals and reefs.

Vegetation: Grass and scrub.

Wildlife: The Ashmore Reef islands abound in birdlife. Béche-de-mer (sea cucumber) is abundant; so are turtles at certain times of the year.

Society

Population: There are no permanent residents.

Economy

Overview: Indonesian fishermen are permitted to fish in some of the territory’s waters. During the fishing season (March–November) Australian observers, stationed on a vessel at Ashmore Reef, monitor activities. The Jabiru and Challis oilfields lie within the adjacent area of the territory. In 1983 Ashmore Reef was made a national nature reserve. It is visited regularly by officers of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

History

The Ashmores became a British possession in 1878; Cartier Island in 1909. The islands were put under Australian authority in July 1931, by an imperial order in council, and accepted by Australia in 1933 under the Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Act, which was amended in 1938 to make them part of the Northern Territory. In July 1978, when the Northern Territory was given self-government, the Ashmores and Cartier came under the administration of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Administration

Administration is the responsibility of the Department of Transport and Regional Services, at Canberra.