A bird soars over the ocean and the small rocky island called Pulpit Rock
Pulpit Rock, named by the 1948 ANARE Heard Island Expedition, is a small rocky island south of Cape Gazert, on the west coast of Heard Island.

The isolation, remoteness and climate of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) has protected them to a large degree from the impacts of human activity. 

Sealing in the 1850s devastated the elephant seal population but since then, human visitation has been rare. 

As a result, the HIMI region is one of the most biologically pristine in the world. 

Some human activities continue in the region and are managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). 

Responsibility for HIMI administration and management was transferred from the United Kingdom to Australia in 1947.

Australia has since enacted legislation and implemented measures to ensure formal protection of the region's conservation values, including through: 

  • The Heard Island and McDonald Island Act 1953 and the associated Environment Protection and Management Ordinance 1987 
  • Successfully advocating for the islands and territorial sea to gain World Heritage status in 1997 
  • Proclaiming the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve in 2002, and subsequent reserve expansions in 2014 and 2025.
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