Boston Island

Boston Island is a 960ha privately owned island in Boston Bay, Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It has been primarily used for grazing sheep and was also once the location of a proposed township called Kerrillyilla at the southern end of the island. In 2009, the island was rezoned to allow for future residential and tourism development. As of 2009, it is owned by the mayor of Port Lincoln, Peter Davis. Davis' development plans include up to 1,000 residential allotments, three tourism developments and an inland marina. Prior to rezoning, there had been little interest expressed in the development plan, despite the mayor's enthusiasm.Geographic features & nomenclatureThe northernmost point of the island is Maria Point, the southernmost is Point Fanny and the westernmost is Hayden Point. Point Fanny was named after Fanny Conway, a favoured guest of Lady Gawler, wife of Governor Gawler. The Governor pledged to name the point after Conway's tent collapsed while she was camped there. She was traveling with a party arranged by Governor Gawler at the time.The island's longest beaches are Squeaky Beach at the north (east of Maria Point) and Homestead Beach to the north-west. Picnic Beach on the eastern shore and Cemetery Beach on the central west coast are smaller. The bay between Point Fanny and Hayden Point is known as Rotten Bay. In 2010, attempts to formally rename Rotten Bay to either Bluefin Bay or Fishdance Bay were unsuccessful due to public opposition to the idea. It is believed that the origin of the name is a reflection of the quality of its anchorage.WildlifeFauna species of conservation concern recorded on Boston Island or in adjacent waters include: bush stone-curlew, pied oystercatcher, sooty oystercatcher, fairy tern, eastern osprey, white-bellied sea eagle, Australian sea lion, New Zealand fur seal and southern right whale.