Boorabbin National Park
Encyclopedia
Boorabbin National Park is a national park in Western Australia, between Coolgardie and Southern Cross. It is located along the Great Eastern Highway
for a distance of approximately 25 km with a width of 5 km on each side in Western Australia
's eastern goldfields. The park gets its name from the Aboriginal named rock on the edge of the park and also the Boorabbin settlement, established in 1898.
The Boorabin National Park is situated on top of a plateau
. The landscape is primarily sand and the vegetation there is quite distinctive growing is deep sands deposited over 50 million years ago. Today this erosion of this significant landscape is lessening. But as a result of past degradation, the sands are left very weathered, leached and lacking in nutrients.
Despite this, the vegetation is diverse with countless species thriving in this environment. Vegetation ranges from the rich kwongan heaths, woodlands and mallee shrublands. The area is recognised for its unique variety of vegetation. With its own designated plateau vegetation system. Other attributes that the park is known for and the wildflowers, Samphire
and Salt Lakes.
Other vegetation that can be found include species of banksia
, acacia
, hakea
, sandalwood
, melaleuca
ad grasstree. Two restricted species found in the heathland include Eriostemon pachyphyllus
and Eriostemon coccineus
.
Fauna surveys in the park indicate that 17 native mammal species including the wongai ningui, dunnart
s and bush rat
s are found within the park boundaries. Other animals including 4 frog species, 52 species of reptile and 51 bird species are also resident in the park. The park is also home to a rich array of dragon lizards
A bushfire in the park killed 3 men after a roadblock was lifted on Great Eastern Highway
in Coolgardie
on 30 December 2007 after a long queue of vehicles were waiting for the highway to open after being closed for most of the day. The 3 truckies tried to turn around and flee the fire but they didn't make it and died from smoke burns. The bushfire continued to burn for 2 weeks before being extingused by fire fighters which then the highway reopened. A inquiry into fire is underway.
The fire burnt out an area of more than 7500ha of the National Park and unallocated crown land
. The fire jumped containment lines onto the southern side of Great Eastern Highway.
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
for a distance of approximately 25 km with a width of 5 km on each side in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
's eastern goldfields. The park gets its name from the Aboriginal named rock on the edge of the park and also the Boorabbin settlement, established in 1898.
The Boorabin National Park is situated on top of a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
. The landscape is primarily sand and the vegetation there is quite distinctive growing is deep sands deposited over 50 million years ago. Today this erosion of this significant landscape is lessening. But as a result of past degradation, the sands are left very weathered, leached and lacking in nutrients.
Despite this, the vegetation is diverse with countless species thriving in this environment. Vegetation ranges from the rich kwongan heaths, woodlands and mallee shrublands. The area is recognised for its unique variety of vegetation. With its own designated plateau vegetation system. Other attributes that the park is known for and the wildflowers, Samphire
Samphire
Samphire is a name given to a number of very different edible plants that happen to grow in coastal areas.*Rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in the United Kingdom...
and Salt Lakes.
Other vegetation that can be found include species of banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
, acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, hakea
Hakea
Hakea is a genus of 149 species of shrubs and small trees in the Proteaceae, native to Australia. They are found throughout the country, with the highest species diversity being found in the south west of Western Australia....
, sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
, melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
ad grasstree. Two restricted species found in the heathland include Eriostemon pachyphyllus
Eriostemon
Eriostemon is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Rutaceae. It is native to eastern Australia and includes just two species. Eriostemon australasius occurs between Fraser Island and Nowra, and is a shrub of heathlands and low open woodlands. It is also frequently cultivated in...
and Eriostemon coccineus
Eriostemon
Eriostemon is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Rutaceae. It is native to eastern Australia and includes just two species. Eriostemon australasius occurs between Fraser Island and Nowra, and is a shrub of heathlands and low open woodlands. It is also frequently cultivated in...
.
Fauna surveys in the park indicate that 17 native mammal species including the wongai ningui, dunnart
Dunnart
Dunnarts are furry narrow-footed marsupials the size of a mouse, members of the genus Sminthopsis. They are mainly insectivorous. A male dunnart's Y chromosome has only 4 genes, making it the smallest known mammalian Y chromosome....
s and bush rat
Bush Rat
The bush rat is a small Australian nocturnal animal. It is an omnivore. It is one of the most common species of rats and is found in many heathland areas of Victoria and NSW...
s are found within the park boundaries. Other animals including 4 frog species, 52 species of reptile and 51 bird species are also resident in the park. The park is also home to a rich array of dragon lizards
A bushfire in the park killed 3 men after a roadblock was lifted on Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
in Coolgardie
Coolgardie, Western Australia
Coolgardie is a small town in the Australian state of Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 800 people....
on 30 December 2007 after a long queue of vehicles were waiting for the highway to open after being closed for most of the day. The 3 truckies tried to turn around and flee the fire but they didn't make it and died from smoke burns. The bushfire continued to burn for 2 weeks before being extingused by fire fighters which then the highway reopened. A inquiry into fire is underway.
The fire burnt out an area of more than 7500ha of the National Park and unallocated crown land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
. The fire jumped containment lines onto the southern side of Great Eastern Highway.