King Leopold Ranges
Encyclopedia
The King Leopold Ranges are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia
. Crossed by the Gibb River Road
about 134 kilometres (83 mi) east of Derby
, part of the ranges are covered by the 3921 square kilometres (1,514 sq mi) King Leopold Ranges Conservation National Park, managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The ranges separate the main Kimberley plateau from the southern Fitzroy
plains and consist of quartz
sandstone
intruded by dolerite.
The ranges are shaped like a crescent with a length of 567 kilometres (352 mi) running from the northern end of the Durack Range in the East to east of Secure Bay in the West Kimberley. The range is estimated to cover a total area of 30794 square kilometres (11,890 sq mi).
The ranges, which have an average height 600 metres (1,969 ft), were named by Alexander Forrest
in 1879 after King Leopold II of Belgium
. The highest point of the range is found at Mount Wells which is 983 metres (3,225 ft) above mean sea level.
The next two highest peaks are Mount Ord at 936 metres (3,071 ft) and Mount Broome at 927 metres (3,041 ft).
Nearby features include Mount Hart, Bell Gorge, Silent Grove and Lennard Gorge
as well as the Napier Range and Queen Victoria's Head granite
outcrop. Fitzroy Bluff is formed where the Fitzroy River
carves through the range. Camping is permitted at Mount Hart, Bell Creek or at Silent Grove.
The traditional owners of the area are the Ngarinjin and Bunaba peoples.
division.
The King Leopold Range is made up of many smaller ranges including; Lady Forrest Range, Isdell Range, Narrie Range, Sir John Range, Precipice Range and Durack Range.
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
. Crossed by the Gibb River Road
Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road is a former cattle route that stretches almost through The Kimberley between the Western Australian town of Derby and the Kununurra and Wyndham junction of the Great Northern Highway. Like its namesake, which does not actually cross the road but runs nearby at , it is named...
about 134 kilometres (83 mi) east of Derby
Derby, Western Australia
Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Derby had a population of 3,093. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000...
, part of the ranges are covered by the 3921 square kilometres (1,514 sq mi) King Leopold Ranges Conservation National Park, managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The ranges separate the main Kimberley plateau from the southern Fitzroy
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
plains and consist of quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
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,...
intruded by dolerite.
The ranges are shaped like a crescent with a length of 567 kilometres (352 mi) running from the northern end of the Durack Range in the East to east of Secure Bay in the West Kimberley. The range is estimated to cover a total area of 30794 square kilometres (11,890 sq mi).
The ranges, which have an average height 600 metres (1,969 ft), were named by Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest CMG, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, as well as a politician.-Early life:Forrest was born at Picton, near Bunbury in Western Australia, the son of William and Margaret Forrest...
in 1879 after King Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
. The highest point of the range is found at Mount Wells which is 983 metres (3,225 ft) above mean sea level.
The next two highest peaks are Mount Ord at 936 metres (3,071 ft) and Mount Broome at 927 metres (3,041 ft).
Nearby features include Mount Hart, Bell Gorge, Silent Grove and Lennard Gorge
Lennard River
Lennard River is a river in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.The river rises below the King Leopold Ranges and flows in a westerly direction through the Lennard River Gorge and the Windjana Gorge before merging with the Meda River....
as well as the Napier Range and Queen Victoria's Head granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
outcrop. Fitzroy Bluff is formed where the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
carves through the range. Camping is permitted at Mount Hart, Bell Creek or at Silent Grove.
The traditional owners of the area are the Ngarinjin and Bunaba peoples.
Physiography
The ranges are a distinct physiographic section of the larger Kimberly Block province, which in turn is part of the larger West Australian ShieldAustralian Shield
The Australian Shield, also called the Western Australian Shield or Western Plateau, occupies more than half of the continent of Australia. It occupies the portion of Australia west of a line running north-south roughly from the eastern shore of Arnhem Land on the Bay or Gulf of Carpentaria to the...
division.
The King Leopold Range is made up of many smaller ranges including; Lady Forrest Range, Isdell Range, Narrie Range, Sir John Range, Precipice Range and Durack Range.