More people have heard of Robbins Island than have seen it. Separated from Tasmania’s north-western tip by a stretch of water that can be navigated only at low tide, the island is nearly 10,000 hectares of heathland and woodlands, paddocks, unusual geology and wetlands, all ringed by pristine beaches.
The island has been owned by the Hammond family, who use it to run Wagyu cattle, since the 1960s. Further back it was home to the Pirilyunya people for tens of thousands of years.
Its future is contested. After repeated delays, it is expected to be decided by the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, this month.
