Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Group of islands forming an Australian external territory in the South Indian Ocean, about 4,000 km/2,500 mi southwest of Fremantle; area 410 sq km/158 sq mi. They were discovered in 1833, annexed by Britain in 1910, and transferred to Australia 1947. They are unpopulated. Heard Island, 42 km/26 mi by 19 km/12 mi, is glacier-covered, although the volcanic mountain Big Ben (2,742 m/9,000 ft) is still active. A weather station was built in 1947.

Shag Island is 8 km/5 mi to the north and the craggy McDonalds are 42 km/26 mi to the west.