AUST RA L IA'S W O RLD HE R ITAG E P LACE S
LORD HOWE ISLAND INFORMATION SHEET
Quick Facts
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Lord Howe Island is 700 km north-east of Sydney, NSW.
Nearly seven million years ago, movement deep within the earth gave birth to a large volcano. The
sea eroded 90 per cent of the volcano, leaving behind the islands that make up the Lord Howe
Island Group.
One of the world’s rarest birds, the endangered Woodhen, can be found here
Each of Australia’s 17 World Heritage Places are also on Australia’s National Heritage List.
Why is Lord Howe Island of World Heritage value?
Lord Howe Island was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 for its natural values.
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It contains beautiful natural formations and features
Most of the island is made up of luscious rainforest and palm forest with 241 different native plant
species. Lord Howe Island also has two spectacular volcanic mountains: Mount Gower (875 metres)
and Mount Lidgbird (777 metres). The waters around the island have an interesting mix of
temperate and tropical organisms. The reef is the most southern coral reef in the world and you
can see starfish, coral, fish and sea urchins.
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It contains important habitats where endangered animals and plants live
Lord Howe Island is a major breeding area for seabirds, a number of which are rare or endangered.
They include the Woodhen, one of the world’s rarest bird species. When the HMS Supply arrived in
1788, the Woodhen had never been hunted and were very trusting of humans. Unfortunately the
Woodhen were hunted by humans for food. By the 1970s there were less than 30 Woodhens on the
island. A breeding program has now increased numbers to around 220.
Challenges and Management
Lord Howe Island and its associated islands are managed by the Lord Howe Island Board.
Challenges
Fishing
Management
Issues that need to be managed are:
- over fishing and unintentional bycatch
- pollution from boats including introduced marine pests
- anchor damage to coral, the sea floor and ship wrecks
- animals or seabirds being entangled in fishing lines or hooks
There was much concern on the impact of large-scale commercial fishing on the
local fish stocks. Trawling is not permitted within 25 nautical miles of the island.
The Island’s residents have informally agreed not to export their catches and to
supply the island’s tourist and resident population only.
Pest animals
Feral animals have caused much damage to the island. Pig and goats were
originally brought to the island for food. They then went wild, impacting on
native vegetation and animals. In 1918, rats came onto the island from a wrecked
ship, contributing to the extinction of five bird species. A successful program to
rid the island of pigs, cats and goats has been completed, and a plan to deal with
rodents, especially rats, is underway.
Threatened
species
A Lord Howe Island threatened species recovery team has been set up to help
manage threatened species on the island. In 1980, three healthy pairs of Lord
Howe Island Woodhens were brought in by helicopter. By late 1980 a number of
chicks had been hatched at the breeding facility. With the eradication of feral
pigs and cats the Woodhen is now able to breed safely in the wild on the island.
The Lord Howe Island Phasmid, once common, but now extinct on the island has
been found 20 kilometres southeast of the island on Ball’s Pyramid. A phasmid
captive breeding program has been established on Lord Howe Island. When rats
have been eradicated they will be released into the wild.
Read more
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/lord-howe/index.html