Coordinates: 33°51′46″S 151°14′28″E / 33.86278°S 151.24111°E / -33.86278; 151.24111 Clark Island is a small island in Sydney Harbour, lying on the coast of New South Wales, Australia. Forming part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, the island lies offshore of the Sydney suburb of Darling Point, in the eastern section of the harbour between the Harbour Bridge and the harbour entrance. It is 0.9 hectares in area. Although the island is uninhabited, facilities include picnic tables, toilets, and drinking water. No ferry services operate to the island.
The island derives its name from Lieutenant Ralph Clark, an officer of the First Fleet. In the early days of New South Wales, naval officers were allowed to keep their own vegetable gardens, which were tended by convicts. Clark established one such garden on the island, which was unsuccessful as any produce was soon stolen as a result of the limited rations available at the time. In February 1790, Clark noted that "some Boat had landed since I had been there last and taken away the greatest part … it is impossible for any body to attempt to raise any Garden stuff here, before it comes to perfection they will steal it.
Famous quotes containing the words clark, island and/or south:
“The measure of your quality as a public person, as a citizen, is the gap between what you do and what you say.”
—Ramsey Clark (b. 1927)
“The shifting islands! who would not be willing that his house should be undermined by such a foe! The inhabitant of an island can tell what currents formed the land which he cultivates; and his earth is still being created or destroyed. There before his door, perchance, still empties the stream which brought down the material of his farm ages before, and is still bringing it down or washing it away,—the graceful, gentle robber!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There are two places in the world where men can most effectively disappear—the city of London and the South Seas.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)