Keiran Wardle stands on the southernmost tip of Dirk Hartog Island

Dirk Hartog Island
Historic island famed as the first place Europeans landed on Australia.
Dirk Hartog Island is 80 km long, 14 km wide at the widest point, and covers an area of 62 000 hectares, Dirk Hartog Island really offers the visitor only one option. Catch a boat or plane across to Dirk Hartog Homestead where they offer simple accommodation (the lights go off when the generator goes off) and plenty of tours around the island. If money is no object they will ship your 4WD across for $500 return.

The island is run by Kieran Wardle, his partner Tory, their young son William Thomas and their dog Jed. Apart from offering trips to Cape Inscription where Dirk Hartog first stepped onto Australian soil (it is a day trip over narrow sandy tracks) they will feed you sensational fresh fish, and take you on both nature and fishing tours.

It was the Dutch sailor Henderik Brouwer who, in 1610, discovered that the best route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia was via the Roaring Forties. The idea was head east for a few thousand kilometres then turn left. Brouwer achieved the crossing of the Indian Ocean and turned left before reaching Western Australia. Six years later Dirk Hartog sailed too far and landed at Cape Inscription on what is now known as Dirk Hartog Island on 26 October 1616. It was here that Hartog left his famous pewter plate inscribed (in Dutch, this is obviously a translation): '1616. On 25th October there arrived here the ship Eendraght of Amsterdam. Supercargo Gilles Miebais of Liege; skipper Dirck Hatichs of Amsterdam. On 27th do. she set sail again for Bantam. Subcargo Jan Stins; upper steersman Pieter Doores of Bil. In the year 1616.' It hardly makes gripping reading but it is firm evidence of the first Europeans landing on mainland Australia.

Every visitor falls hopelessly in love with Jed, the island dog

In 1697 the Dutch sailor Willem de Vlamingh reached the island and, finding Hartog's pewter plate still in its original position (although somewhat the worse for weathering) he removed it and replaced it with another plate. The original was returned to Holland where it still is kept in the Rijksmuseum.

De Vlamingh's replacement plate had an even less interesting inscription on it. After getting the date wrong he listed all the important sailors on the voyage and concluded with 'Our fleet set sail from here to continue exploring the Southern Land, on the way to Batavia.'

In 1818 the French explorer Louis de Freycinet, while exploring the coast, came across de Vlamingh's plate and removed it to France. The plate was eventually returned to Australia in 1947 and is currently housed in the Maritime Museum in Fremantle.

Around this time Phillip Parker King circumnavigated the island on his historic survey of the Australian coastline. Both King and John Septimus Roe left their marks on the island. King spelt out his name in nails on a post and Roe carved his name in the timber.

In 1879 the Western Australian government granted a pastoral lease on the island and since then at least part of the island has been inhabited by sheep which, to a greater or lesser extent, have managed to survive depending on the unreliable rainfall. At various times the island was capable of sustaining herds of up to 25,000 sheep.

In 1969 the island was purchased by Sir Thomas Wardle, an ex-Lord Mayor and one-time grocery millionaire from Perth, but in 1989 the West Australian government decided to make all of the island (except for 97 hectares) part of the hugely expanded Shark Bay National Park which includes all the important sites in Shark Bay.

It is widely recognised that the island, apart from its obvious historical importance, is important environmentally. It boasts 250 species of plant life and is home to the rare black and white wren.

It was to this island at the age of six that young Kieran Wardle, Sir Thomas's grandson, came for his school holidays. He fell in love with its wild beauty and decided to convert the old man's station into a rustic resort.

By any measure the island is a magical place. It is barren, isolated, pummelled by the huge and unpredictable waves of the Indian Ocean and, in spite of the feral animal population (mostly goats) it is awash with interesting native animals and unusual geological formations ranging from 15 metre high sand dunes to rocky cliffs and fossilised remnants of ancient coral reefs. The island is home to a number of endangered species including the rare black and white wren; each summer loggerhead turtles nest on the north end of the island; and it is home to the sandhill frog which is only found in Shark Bay.

Just near the Wardle homestead there is an island bird sanctuary inhabited by terns, cormorants, osprey and seagulls where you can watch as huge white breasted sea eagles go about their dangerously predatory business of stealing chicks.

The WA National Parks will eventually reclaim the island. At the moment the Wardles own 97 hectares freehold and have a lease which runs out in 2015. Until then only eight vehicles are allowed on the island at any one time. The maximum number of visitors is 30-35 and it is closed between November and 1 March because an unremitting southerly blows non-stop through the summer months.

Things to see:  

The island's rugged west coast

Attractions on the Island
At Cape Inscription there is an old post where the original plate was placed as well as a lighthouse and a lighthouse keeper's cottage. The western coastline of the island is dramatic and dangerous in stormy weather but during mild conditions it is famous for its game fishing with marlin, samson fish and sailfish being caught.

There is no regular access to the island at the moment. The problem is that the journey from Denham to Turtle Bay requires a large boat while access to the shore requires a small boat and, even then, there is a 3 km walk from Turtle Bay to the Dirk Hartog site. It is possible to charter a boat or to fly over the area.

Since writing that last piece of information we have received an email from the Wardle family on the island. It reads:

Hi! My name is Kieran Wardle. I am Sir Thomas Wardle's grandson. Just a short note to inform you what is happening on Dirk Hartog Island. Dirk Hartog Island Station is now open to tourists. We offer two types of accommodation - 8 Homestead Rooms and Camping facilities. You can also bring your own 4WD to Dirk Hartog Island. The Island Homestead has two Toyota 4WD's for Historic Tours to Cape Inscription & Turtle Bay also stopping off for land based fishing on the way home. (Catch dinner). The Island Homestead also has a 26ft Shark Cat for game fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling & transfers from Denham to the Island.

Rex Hunt has filmed four 15 min TV shows & a one 1hour special on Dirk Hartog Island. He has rated it in his top ten fishing holidays.

Dirk Hartog Island Station is still run as a sheep station, running 6000 sheep. However our family have been dealing with the government for 9 years to try and come to an agreement on what should happen to Dirk Hartog Island. We have offered to run the island as a private national park.

If you would like more info, please contact me on Dirk Hartog Island. (08) 9948 1211 or email: info@dirkhartogisland.com

Regards,

Kieran Wardle.

A Further Note.
On 15 January 2001 the Western Australian government announced "The State Government has reached agreement for Dirk Hartog Island in the World Heritage Listed Shark Bay region to become a national park. In a joint announcement, Planning Minister Graham Kierath and Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the long-term owners of the island had agreed to its transfer to the Conservation Commission.

The Wardle family has held a pastoral lease over the island for more than 25 years and also holds freehold title over about 100ha of the island.

Now an agreement has been reached, a management plan for the future conservation of the island is being drawn up in consultation with the Wardle family.

This will involve removing livestock, future tourism leases and island management and involve consultation with the region's Aboriginal people in line with the Native Title Act.

Mr Kierath said negotiations had involved buying out the lease and reducing the family's overall freehold ownership through a process of consolidating areas by offering other land parcels in exchange.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for the State to secure an important historical and environmental area and ensure its protection for future generations," he said.

Mrs Edwardes said making the island a national park would help preserve an important part of the State's natural assets.

"The island has major conservation values, especially as a nesting ground for marine turtles," she said. "It provides an outstanding opportunity to re-establish the original native fauna following de-stock and the removal of feral goats and subject to the successful eradication of feral cats.

"This will add to the success of the Department of Conservation and Land Management's Project Eden wildlife recovery initiative that already has restored several species of native animals into the Shark Bay area."

Mr Kierath said the inclusion of the 61,500ha island in the formal conservation reserve system would also help recognise the important historical aspects of the island.

"Dirk Hartog Island is the first known point of contact Europeans had with Australia which gives it national cultural and heritage value," he said. "Awarding the island the protection of a national park will only help reaffirm the importance of the area to Western Australians in particular."

The island is named after the Dutch explorer who recorded his landing on the island on October 25, 1616. In 1697, Willem de Vlamingh landed on the island and discovered the pewter plate Hartog had nailed to a post. Around 100 years later several French explorers visited the island. Evidence of French exploration was uncovered recently when an archaeological expedition found two 18th century French coins.

	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Dirk Hartog Island Station Dirk Hartog Island WA 6537 Telephone: (08) 9948 1211 Facsimile: (08) 9316 2959 Rating: **
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	Dirk Hartog Island Station Dirk Hartog Island WA 6537 Telephone: (08) 9948 1211 Facsimile: (08) 9316 2959 Email: hartog@space.net.au