Boundary Islet, historically known as North East Islet, is a

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

in the Hogan Island Group of

Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island states and territories of Australia, state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Bo ...

, at a latitude of 39°12′ S, about east of the southernmost point of mainland

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. The islet straddles the

maritime border A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of the Earth's water surface areas using physiographic or geopolitical criteria. As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources,VLIZ Maritime Bo ...

of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n states of Victoria and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, hence the name.

Tasmania–Victoria land border

Boundary Islet is divided in the east–west direction at the latitude 39°12′ S, with the northern portion belonging to Victoria and the southern portion belonging to Tasmania. This is Tasmania's only land border, and at long, it is the shortest land border between any two Australian states or territories. This situation is accidental, and arose as a result of an error made by Captain John Black, who surveyed the position of the islet in 1801 and determined its latitude to be slightly further north than it truly is. The boundary between Victoria and Tasmania was later set along the latitude of 39°12′ S, which was then thought to be completely south of Boundary Islet and not to traverse any land in Bass Strait. This would have made the islet completely within the jurisdiction of Victoria. However, when Boundary Islet's correct latitude was later determined it was found to straddle the border. It is for this reason that what was once known as North East Islet (being situated in the north-east of the Hogan Group) came to be known as Boundary Islet.

References

{{Islands of Tasmania Islands of Victoria (Australia) Islands of Northern Tasmania Islands of Bass Strait Borders of Tasmania Borders of Victoria (Australia) Hogan Group Divided regions

Tasmania–Victoria land border

See also

References