A wholly safe spot for gannets

THE beautiful Australasian gannets that are often seen off the coast from Queenscliff or Torquay, or in Corio Bay itself, have a safe haven on the manmade bay structure called Popes Eye.

It is midway between Queenscliff and Sorrento, and was built as part of the military defence of Melbourne a long, long time ago.

It was not always home to the gannets, indeed until the mid-1960s they were no more than casual visitors to the bay.

Then, late in 1966, Ports and Harbours employee Ned Stonehouse made a surprising discovery — there were several gannet nests on Wedge Light platform well inside Port Phillip Heads.

He passed the information to the late Jack Wheeler, at the time president of the Geelong Field Naturalists Club, who confirmed the sighting.

Over the next few years, more pairs joined in and the tiny gannetry was flourishing.

Then in March 1972, five of the adult gannets were shot.

A check on the birds’ bodies produced a surprise. They had been banded some years earlier on Lawrence Rocks in Portland harbour.

The slaughter of the gannets did not deter the remaining birds — quite the contrary.

Some moved on to the much more substantial Popes Eye, successfully establishing a nesting colony there. Another colony has recently become established off Point Wilson.

The gannets are now one of the most popular features of Port Phillip, and along with the seals on the Chinaman’s Hat and the Burranan dolphins, feature in all local tourism publicity. Australasian gannets are one of the success stories at least in Victorian waters.

The Lawrence Rocks colony spilt over to the adjacent mainland where the gannetry is now under the watchful eyes of Maremma dogs. The Popes Eye gannet story is just one of many in my new book Birds and Botanists. Order it from the address below for $35 posted. Wildlife questions can be sent to ppescott@optusnet.com.au