Bishop and Clerk Islets

Bishop and Clerk Islets
Bishop and Clerk Islets
Location in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean
Geography
LocationSouthwestern Pacific Ocean
Coordinates55°07′S 158°41′E / 55.117°S 158.683°E / -55.117; 158.683
Area60 ha (150 acres)
Highest elevation45 m (148 ft)
Administration
StateTasmania
LGAHuon Valley Council
Demographics
Populationuninhabited
Additional information
Time zone
  Summer (DST)
TypeNatural
Criteriavii, viii
Designated1997 (21st session)
Reference no.629
RegionAsia-Pacific

The Bishop and Clerk Islets are a 60-hectare (150-acre) group of islets, lying 33 kilometres (21 mi) south of Macquarie Island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. They are, with Macquarie Island, part of the Australian state of Tasmania. The group consists of Bishop Islet, 24 smaller islets, and various rocks and reefs. Bishop Islet has an area of 3 hectares (7.4 acres) and is mostly rock with some shallow patches of soil. Its highest elevation is 45 metres (148 ft).

The Bishop and Clerk Islets are part of the Australian state of Tasmania. They are the southernmost terrestrial point of both Australia (excluding the Australian Antarctic Territory) and Tasmania. The islets are within the Macquarie Island Nature Reserve, managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service and along with Macquarie Island and the Judge and Clerk Islets, were inscribed in 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage Area, and form a Special Management Area within the nature reserve. They are very infrequently visited and are free of introduced animals and plants.