Bruny Island National Park

In the South of the island is one of Tasmania's newest national Parks. It takes in some spectacular and varied coastal scenery. From the rigged cliffs of Fluted Cape and Tasman Head to the heath covered Labillardiere Peninsula, and the wild headland of Cloudy Bay the area has many moods.

An abundance of sea birds and marine mammals can be seen around this coast including penguins, mutton birds, albatrosses, gannets, fur seals, whales and dolphins. The rest of the island is also scenic and interesting.

Bruny Island features prominently in Australia's early history. Named Lunawannaalonna by Tasmanian Aborigines the first European to see the island was Abel Tasman in 1642. However he did not land and in 1773 Captain Furneaux anchored in Adventure Bay.

Captain James Cook first visited the island in 1777, landing at Adventure Bay. In 1788 Captain Bligh planted Australia's first fruit trees near here before sailing for Tahiti and inevitably into history with the famous Mutiny on the Bounty.

Matthew Flinders first set foot on Australian soil here and French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux, after whom the island is named, surveyed the channel between it and the Tasmanian mainland in 1792. Whalers and sealers made Bruny their base and convicts quarried sandstone and coal.

A vehicular ferry was introduced in 1954 and the island is now primarily agricultural, fish-farming and visitor oriented.