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Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 80 km north-east of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and 460 km north-north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The island is situated on the leeward (western) side of Heron Reef, a fringing platform reef of significant biodiversity, supporting around 900 of the 1,500 fish species and 72% of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef.〔University of Queensland Centre for Marine Studies: (Island Research Station ). Retrieved 2006-JUL-14.〕 The island is about long and at its widest, giving an area of approximately . The highest point, near the western tip, is ASL. A dune ridge along the southern shore rises some ASL, lower dunes on the north-eastern side are only about one metre (3 ft) above the sea. Heron Island and an extrapolated version of the research station are the scene of much of the first part of Arthur C. Clarke's ''The Deep Range''. ==History== Heron Island was discovered on 12 January 1843 by the corvette ''HMS Fly''. The ship was surveying the eastern edge of the Great Barrier Reef together with the cutter ''Bramble''. The expedition was commanded by Captain Francis Blackwood and the reason for the expedition was mainly to map out detailed plans for safe passages within the reef. The island was named by Lieutenant Charles Bampfield Yule RN of the ''Bramble''.〔() Naval Historical Society of Australia〕 The island did not become inhabited until the early 20th century when a turtle cannery was established. The aim was to profit from the seasonal influx of green turtles, but the venture soon found it difficult to keep the business afloat. Other attempts at establishing fisheries were abandoned. In 1932 Captain Christian Poulsen, engaged in bringing fishing parties to the reef, realised the potential of the island as a tourist attraction. In 1936 he bought the lease of the island for £290. On 11 September 1943, the entire island was declared a National Park. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Heron Island (Queensland)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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