Kennedy Range National Park
Encyclopedia
Kennedy Range National Park is a national park in Gascoyne region of Western Australia
(Australia
), approximately 830 kilometres (515.7 mi) north of Perth
and about 150 km (93.2 mi) east of Carnarvon
.
Kennedy Range is found on the edge of the Gascoyne River catchment area and is a weathered plateau that extends for a distance of 150 km (93.2 mi) essentially forming a huge mesa
. Spectacular sandstone
cliffs can be found on the southern and eastern sides of the range which are dissected by steep canyons which have an elevation of up to 100 metres (328.1 ft).
The Range formed a natural border for two aboriginal peoples, the Maia and the Malgaru. Natural springs located on the edge of the ranges would have provided game to hunt and outcrops of chert
would have provided stone for tools. Over 100 sites provide evidence that the traditional owners inhabited the area for over 20,000 years prior to European settlement.
The first European to explore the area was Francis Thomas Gregory
whose expedition reached the range in 1858. Gregory named the range after the Governor of Western Australia
at the time, Arthur Edward Kennedy
.
He also named the nearby Lyons River
in the same expedition before continuing to Mount Augustus
. Pastoralists arrived in the area shortly afterward with Charles Brockman setting up Boolatha Station in 1877 and the region experienced success in wool production until the 1930s when the overgrazing
, drought
and the great depression
caused most businesses to fail.
The valleys and plains of the range had been severely degraded
but the range top was only slightly damaged as a result of pastoral activity. The area has been explored for mineral
s but has not been mined.
The park was officially gazetted in 1993 and contains some facilities for visitors. A bush toilet
and camp-sites are located at Temple Gorge, but it is planned to re-locate this camp ground. There are a number of walk trails within the park but no water
is available. Entry to the park is free but camp-site fees apply.
A popular time to visit the park is following heavy rains when wildflowers emerge. Over 80 species of wildflower are known to inhabit the park including Mulla Mulla, Hakea
s, Eremophila
s, Calytrix
, Verticordia
and various everlasting daisies
.
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...
(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...
), approximately 830 kilometres (515.7 mi) north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and about 150 km (93.2 mi) east of Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
.
Kennedy Range is found on the edge of the Gascoyne River catchment area and is a weathered plateau that extends for a distance of 150 km (93.2 mi) essentially forming a huge mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
. Spectacular sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
cliffs can be found on the southern and eastern sides of the range which are dissected by steep canyons which have an elevation of up to 100 metres (328.1 ft).
The Range formed a natural border for two aboriginal peoples, the Maia and the Malgaru. Natural springs located on the edge of the ranges would have provided game to hunt and outcrops of chert
Chert
Chert is a fine-grained silica-rich microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline or microfibrous sedimentary rock that may contain small fossils. It varies greatly in color , but most often manifests as gray, brown, grayish brown and light green to rusty red; its color is an expression of trace elements...
would have provided stone for tools. Over 100 sites provide evidence that the traditional owners inhabited the area for over 20,000 years prior to European settlement.
The first European to explore the area was Francis Thomas Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory was an English-born Australian explorer and politician.-Biography:Gregory was born at Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, England, and was the younger brother of the explorer Augustus Gregory...
whose expedition reached the range in 1858. Gregory named the range after the Governor of Western Australia
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
at the time, Arthur Edward Kennedy
Arthur Edward Kennedy
Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland....
.
He also named the nearby Lyons River
Lyons River
The Lyons River is a river in the Gascoyne of Western Australia.The headwaters of the Lyons rise just west of the Teano Range and flows South West until it merges with the Gascoyne River of which it is a tributary...
in the same expedition before continuing to Mount Augustus
Mount Augustus National Park
Mount Augustus National Park is located 852 km north of Perth, 490 km by road east of Carnarvon and 390 km northwest of Meekatharra, in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia...
. Pastoralists arrived in the area shortly afterward with Charles Brockman setting up Boolatha Station in 1877 and the region experienced success in wool production until the 1930s when the overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
, drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
and the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
caused most businesses to fail.
The valleys and plains of the range had been severely degraded
Land degradation
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land....
but the range top was only slightly damaged as a result of pastoral activity. The area has been explored for mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s but has not been mined.
The park was officially gazetted in 1993 and contains some facilities for visitors. A bush toilet
Pit toilet
A pit toilet is a dry toilet system which collects human excrement in a large container and range from a simple slit trench to more elaborate systems with ventilation. They are more often used in rural and wilderness areas as well as in much of the developing world...
and camp-sites are located at Temple Gorge, but it is planned to re-locate this camp ground. There are a number of walk trails within the park but no water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
is available. Entry to the park is free but camp-site fees apply.
A popular time to visit the park is following heavy rains when wildflowers emerge. Over 80 species of wildflower are known to inhabit the park including Mulla Mulla, 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....
s, Eremophila
Eremophila (plant)
Eremophila is a genus of plants of the family Scrophulariaceae, with species known by the common names of Emu Bush, Poverty Bush or Fuchsia Bush. Currently, there are 215 recognised species, all of which are endemic to Australia...
s, Calytrix
Calytrix
Calytrix is a genus of shrubs in the family Myrtaceae. They are commonly known as Starflowers.Calytrix are endemic to Australia, occurring in all of its states.Species include:...
, Verticordia
Verticordia
Verticordia, a genus of the Myrtaceae family, are woody shrubs with small and exquisite flowers. They are mostly found in Southwest Australia, with several outlier species in northern regions. A revision of the genus in 1991 produced a classification within Verticordia of 3 subgenera, 24 sections,...
and various everlasting daisies
Rhodanthe
Rhodanthe is a genus of flowering plants within the daisy family Asteraceae, endemic to Australia.The name Rhodanthe is derived from Greek rhodon, rose and anthos, flower....
.