The Pages

This article is about the island in South Australia. For the conservation park, see The Pages Conservation Park. For other uses, see page (disambiguation).

The Pages

Geography
Location	Backstairs Passage
Country
Australia

Australian sea lion

The Pages is a group consisting of two small islands and a reef lying in Backstairs Passage, a strait separating Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia. The group is protected by designation as The Pages Conservation Park.

Etymology

The islands were known to the indigenous Kaurna people as Metalong. They were named “The Pages” by Matthew Flinders on 7 April 1802 from their fancied resemblance to pages guarding their strategic position at the eastern entrance to the strait.

Description

Geologically, The Pages are constituted of phyllites of the Brukunga Formation, formed from metamorphosed Cambrian sedimentary rocks. The two main islands, lying about apart, are similar in size; North Page is long, wide and high, and South Page long, wide and high. The reef, south-west of South Page, comprises two adjacent wave-washed islets, rising or so above sea level, with a combined length of . The islands are rugged; they contain no beaches and access by sea is difficult. There is a navigational aid on the top of South Page Island.

Flora and fauna

Small pockets of soil on the tops of the islands support patches of vegetation. Recorded plants include variable groundsel, bulbine lily, round-leaved pigface, ruby saltbush and an Atriplex saltbush. Silver gulls breed on the islands, which also support a breeding colony of Australian sea lions. A little penguin colony existed on the South Page island, with an estimated population of 200-400 birds in 1992. In 2009, the population had declined to "few". An account of the island's fauna from 1884 described little penguins as being "very plentiful" on the South Page island, and mentioned the nesting site of a large eagle which was discovered at an "almost inaccessible" location.

Protected area status

The Pages has enjoyed protected area status since 29 April 1909 starting with declaration as part of a Bird Protection District under the Birds Protection Act 1900 followed by declaration as a closed area under the Animals and Birds Protection Act 1919-1938 in 1955, proclamation as a Fauna Reserve under the Fauna Conservation Act 1964-1965 in 1966, proclamation as a Fauna Conservation Reserve under the Crown Lands Act 1929-1967 in 1967, and concluding with proclamation as The Pages Conservation Park following the enactment of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 1972.