Boundary Islet – that very small Australian border

Friday, 8 August 2025

▲ Twin Islands, Hogan Group in Bass Strait

Back in 2019 I visited Erith Island in Bass Strait, the often stormy waters that separates the Australian state of Victoria from the island state of Tasmania. I was working on my National Library of Australia book Tony Wheeler’s Islands of Australia, now sadly out of print. Travelling back to the mainland by helicopter we diverted to have a look at the islands of the Hogan Group and in particular Boundary Islet, the site of Australia’s shortest border. A Victorian era charting error put the border between Tasmania and Victoria, intended to be in open ocean, smack across the middle of the tiny island.

◄ Boundary Islet map

▲ ABC Radio Tasmania have just posted the story of How Boundary Islet became Australia’s shortest ‘land border’ and came to me for photographs, i don’t think many of us have been lucky enough to see this curious island.