South East Forest National Park
Encyclopedia
South East Forest is a national park in New South Wales
(Australia
), 378 km southwest of Sydney. It features high quality old growth eucalyptus
forest and remnant patches of temperate rainforest
.
It was created in 1997 by the amalgamation of Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka, Yowaka and Coolangubra National Parks, all of which had been gazetted in 1994. Genoa National Park in turn was the result of the amalgamation of Nalbaugh and Nungatta National Parks, which had been established in 1972 and 1973 respectively.
Until 1968, much of the inland southeastern corner of New South Wales was rugged forest terrain known as the Wallagaraugh Wilderness, and was vacant crown land. At the time, a scientific committee appointed by the New South Wales state government recommended the area of around 100,000 hectares be protected as a National Park, however the Japanese company Harris-Daishowa sought to log the area for woodchips, and most of the land was categorised as State Forest, with only Nalbaugh and Nungatta National Parks declared in what is now South East Forest National Park. Nearby, Mount Imlay
and Ben Boyd National Park
were gazetted. Logging began in October 1969, and continued for 25 years despite increasing opposition. The Unsworth
Labor State government had proposed an 80,000 hectare park as a reelection promise in the 1988 state election, but was not reelected. Later, under the Fahey
government, the Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka Yowaka and Coolangubra national parks came into existence in 1994.
The region is known for its variety of eucalypt
species, and wet sclerophyll
(eucalypt) forests cover 42% of the park. Temperate rainforest is found in sheltered areas, and subalpine bogs at high elevations.
A great variety of animals are found within the park boundaries, including threatened species such as the Smoky Mouse
(Pseudomys fumeus), and other species which are vulnerable in New South Wales such as the Olive Whistler
(Pachycephala olivacea).
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 378 km southwest of Sydney. It features high quality old growth eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
forest and remnant patches of temperate rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
.
It was created in 1997 by the amalgamation of Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka, Yowaka and Coolangubra National Parks, all of which had been gazetted in 1994. Genoa National Park in turn was the result of the amalgamation of Nalbaugh and Nungatta National Parks, which had been established in 1972 and 1973 respectively.
Mount Imlay National Park
Mount Imlay is a national park in New South Wales , 387 km south of Sydney, named after the Imlay brothers, who were early pioneers to the district. It is accessed from the Princes Highway, south of Eden, New South Wales....
and Ben Boyd National Park
Ben Boyd National Park
Ben Boyd National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney. It is named after the entrepreneur Ben Boyd who had a variety of interests in the far South Coast of New South Wales including whaling and farming. The park itself was established in 1971...
were gazetted. Logging began in October 1969, and continued for 25 years despite increasing opposition. The Unsworth
Barrie Unsworth
Barrie John Unsworth was an Australian politician, representing the Australian Labor Party in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. He served as the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988.-Early years:...
Labor State government had proposed an 80,000 hectare park as a reelection promise in the 1988 state election, but was not reelected. Later, under the Fahey
John Fahey (politician)
John Joseph Fahey, AC is a former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. John Fahey is currently the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1984 to 1996 and the federal House of Representatives...
government, the Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka Yowaka and Coolangubra national parks came into existence in 1994.
The region is known for its variety of eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
species, and wet sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
(eucalypt) forests cover 42% of the park. Temperate rainforest is found in sheltered areas, and subalpine bogs at high elevations.
A great variety of animals are found within the park boundaries, including threatened species such as the Smoky Mouse
Smoky Mouse
The Smoky Mouse, Fausse Souris Fuligineuse, or Raton Bastardo Fumoso is a species of rodent in the family Muridae native to southeastern Australia. It was first described in 1934 and its species name is Latin "smoky". As its name suggests, it is a grey-furred mouse, darker grey above and paler...
(Pseudomys fumeus), and other species which are vulnerable in New South Wales such as the Olive Whistler
Olive Whistler
The Olive Whistler, Pachycephala olivacea is a species of bird of the whistler family Pachycephalidae that is native to southeastern Australia. By an untrained eye, they can be mistaken for female Golden Whistlers....
(Pachycephala olivacea).
See also
- Protected areas of New South Wales (Australia)