Mistaken Island
{{Short description|Island in Western Australia}}
{{See also|Mistaken Island (Pilbara)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Mistaken Island
| image_name = Mistaken Island King George Sound.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Mistaken Island from near Goode Beach
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|text=Mistaken Island
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|stroke-width=3
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| location =
| coordinates = {{coord|35|3|45|S|117|56|37|E|display=inline, title|region:AU-WA_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki}}
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| country = {{flag|Australia}}
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Mistaken Island is an island located approximately {{convert|5|km|mi|0}} south-east of Albany, Western Australia.
Located in King George Sound{{cite web|url=http://www.rivercare.southcoastwa.org.au/resources/awrb/c3.5.html|title=Albany Waterways Resource Book|year=2002|accessdate=2010-01-12}} the island is located approximately {{convert|120|m|ft|0}} from Vancouver peninsula.
There is evidence that shore-based bay whaling activities were conducted on the island in the 19th century.Martin Gibbs, The Shore Whalers of Western Australia: Historical Archaeology of a Maritime Frontier, Sydney University Press, 2010, p.144.
In 1971, the island was declared as a class 1A Nature Reserve with a total area of {{convert|12|ha|acre|0}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/2002/index.html|title=Terrestrial Protected Areas of WA|year=2002|accessdate=2008-04-20}}
The area adjacent to the island is used to cultivate mussels on long lines on licenses issued by the Department of fisheries and leases issued by the Albany Port Authority.{{cite web|url=http://www.grangeresources.com.au/images/grange-116--lizee.pdf|title=Albany Port Expansion Proposal - Social and cultural Environment|year=2002|accessdate=2008-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720022700/http://www.grangeresources.com.au/images/grange-116--lizee.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2008|url-status=dead}}
Little penguin colony
The island received its name for the little penguin (Eudyptula minor) burrows which were mistaken for rabbit holes{{Cite news|title = There's Drama ' Tragedy In Place Names|url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18040492|newspaper = The Sydney Morning Herald|date = 1947-08-02|access-date = 2015-11-07|pages = 8}}{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bgNVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=25MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5417%2C493034 | title=There's drama & tragedy in place names | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=Aug 2, 1947 | accessdate=18 October 2015 | author=Beatty, Bill | pages=8}} and the island has also been historically referred to as Rabbit Island. In 1936 and 1938, the penguins of Mistaken Island became victims of deliberately lit fires. Following the latter event, some were discovered with their feet "burned off".{{Cite news|title = Albany Suspects Incendiarism ALBANY, Saturday.|url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83419440|newspaper = The Daily News|date = 1938-01-01|access-date = 2015-11-07|pages = 7}}{{Cite news|title = HATS OFF! TO PRINCESS ROYAL SAILING CLUB.|url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70259241|newspaper = Albany Advertiser|date = 1936-12-24|access-date = 2015-11-07|pages = 3}} As of 2011, the penguin colony on Mistaken Island is the subject of scientific study.{{Cite web|title = Penguins to help monitor health of King George Sound|url = http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/10/18/3342435.htm|website = www.abc.net.au|accessdate = 2015-11-07|language = en-AU}}