As Tasmanians, we take great pride in being an island set apart from mainland Australia. Well, we’re here to shatter those illusions. We might be an island, but we’re not as far from the mainland as you think. Tasmania has a land border…with Victoria! *cue the gasps, screams, and dramatic fainting*

Yes, you read that correctly. This little- known land border is in the Bass Strait on a small group of islands known as the Hogan Group, located 40 kilometres southeast of Wilsons Promontory. That’s Victoria’s southernmost point. It becomes very important later, so remember it! These islands are sometimes visited by kayakers and boaters, although it’s fur seals, penguins, seabirds, and lizards that call the islands home.

To give you a sense of just how isolated these islands are, the largest, Hogan Island, contains only a cattle yard and an automatic light. No buildings in sight. The Tasmania-Victoria land border itself lies on one of the smallest islands in the group, Boundary Islet. At just 85 metres long it’s basically a rock rising out of the sea, but with legal implications.

The islands were named and surveyed by Captain John Black in 1801, during his voyage aboard Harbinger. Black, an English seafarer, is best known for surviving a mutiny in 1797. Following the mutiny, Black and several crew members were cast adrift in a small boat, left to find their way to the nearest land, being Brazil.

Then, after numerous adventures involving stormy seas, whaling, privateering, and falling in love with a convict, Black eventually became captain of the Harbinger in 1800 at the age of 21. He was tasked with taking a shortcut through the newly discovered Bass Strait on his way to Sydney. Along the way, he surveyed several islands. He even gave King Island its name. The Hogan Group was named after the ship’s owner, Michael Hogan, while Boundary Islet was simply called North East Islet. Its suspiciously border- like name was a title it earned later.

A major source (aka Wikipedia) says that Black’s survey was faulty, leading to the Tasmania-Victoria land border. But you can’t trust Wikipedia! The problem wasn’t Boundary Islet’s position, it was Wilsons Promontory’s (remember it?).

Back in the day, Tasmania was a part of the New South Wales colony. In 1825, it became a separate colony, and with that came borders. Those imaginary lines that separate territories, inspiring all manner of wars and conflicts, shaping the world as we know it today. In the case of Tassie, it was decided that we would claim all the islands of the Bass Strait, while New South Wales would have the southern corner of the mainland. The dividing line was drawn at latitude 39 degrees 12 minutes, based on the position of Wilsons Promontory.

Victoria didn’t become its own state until 1851, and when it did, it retained the old maritime boundary. But it was later discovered that Wilsons Promontory had been miscalculated. The agreed-upon border was actually further south than intended, slicing right through North East Islet, which was renamed Boundary Islet because of this.

A formal boundary change would require a constitutional amendment, but neither government seemed too fussed about this “border dispute.” After all, Boundary Islet is a whopping 85 metres long, making it the shortest land border between any two Australian states or territories.

But hey, next time you’re at a pub quiz, now you might score a point in the geography round. And if Tasmania ever becomes its own country in some strange, dystopian future, I say we lay claim to Boundary Islet by force.

For your enjoyment, here’s a collection of Google reviews for Boundary Islet:

Chris Louloudakis: “Absolute foodies heaven on the Tassie side. Plenty of fresh seafood to delight the senses. Everything was closed on the Victorian side. Would not visit again.”

Izaakk Li: “Penguins are border control on this island, to keep all Taswhat Manians entering into the Holy Lands of the Great State of Victoria.”

Intricate Korbz: “Solid 5/10, nice place but the birds tried to rob me, came back to the mainland on sea turtles.”

Peaceful Shadows: “Got through the border Covid checkpoint ok. Half the rock in lockdown sadly.”