Walpole Wilderness Area
Encyclopedia
The Walpole Wilderness Area is a group of conservation reserves on the south coast of Western Australia
. The area includes vast tracts of jarrah
, tingle
and karri
forests surrounding granite
peaks, rivers, heathlands, and wetlands. Coastal features include inlets and sandy beaches, sheer cliffs and the Southern Ocean
.
The planning area, together with the Shannon
and D'Entrecasteaux
National Parks, provide a contiguous conservation reserve system stretching from near Augusta
in the west to Denmark
in the east.
The Walpole Wilderness incorporates:
The proposal extended the concept of conserving the Shannon River
Basin across the Deep River
and Frankland River
systems.
This proposal was also unique as it sought to integrate the Walpole/Nornalup townships and farming districts into the Area. It proposed the development of a unique relationship between local residents, visitors and the surrounding natural areas. It would facilitate the development of a wide range of nature-based recreational activities and maximise opportunities for associated business development. Existing recreational and tourism infrastructure would be enhanced and expanded to capitalise on the significant growth in tourism to the Walpole region, while concurrently ensuring the long term ecological and economic sustainability of the region.
The Walpole Wilderness area was adopted by the Western Australian Labor
government by Premier Geoff Gallop
on 22 April 2001.
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...
. The area includes vast tracts of jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
, tingle
Tingle
is the video game character of the eponymous Tingle series. He was originally part of the The Legend of Zelda series, first appearing in Majora's Mask, released in the year 2000. Since his first appearance, he has appeared in each installment of the series up through Spirit Tracks, except for...
and karri
Karri
Eucalyptus diversicolor, commonly known as the Karri, is a eucalypt which is native to the wetter regions of south west of Western Australia.-Description:...
forests surrounding 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...
peaks, rivers, heathlands, and wetlands. Coastal features include inlets and sandy beaches, sheer cliffs and the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
.
The planning area, together with the Shannon
Shannon National Park
Shannon National Park is a national park on the south coast of Western Australia, south of Perth and southeast of Manjimup. It was declared a national park in 1988. The park covers the entire Shannon River basin....
and D'Entrecasteaux
D'Entrecasteaux National Park
D'Entrecasteaux National Park is a national park in Western Australia , south of Perth. The park is named after the French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux who was the first European to sight the area and name Point D'Entrecasteaux in 1792....
National Parks, provide a contiguous conservation reserve system stretching from near Augusta
Augusta, Western Australia
Augusta is a town on the south-west coast of Western Australia, where the Blackwood River emerges into Flinders Bay. It is the nearest town to Cape Leeuwin, on the farthest south-west corner of the Australian continent. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1,694; by 2006 the population of...
in the west to Denmark
Denmark, Western Australia
Denmark is a town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, south-south-east of the state capital of Perth. At the 2006 census, Denmark had a population of 2,732.-History:...
in the east.
The Walpole Wilderness incorporates:
- Walpole-Nornalup National ParkWalpole-Nornalup National ParkWalpole-Nornalup National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia , 355 km south of Perth. It is famous for its towering Karri and Tingle trees. Red Tingle trees are unique to the Walpole area.-Tourism:...
- Mount Frankland National ParkMount Frankland National ParkMount Frankland National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia , 327 km south of Perth.-Geography:...
- William Bay National ParkWilliam Bay National ParkWilliam Bay National Park is a national park in Western Australia , 369 km southeast of Perth.Fifteen kilometres west of Denmark, Western Australia, William Bay National Park covers 1734 hectares and includes Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks...
- Mount Frankland North National Park
- Mount Frankland South National Park
- Mount Roe National Park
- Mount Lindesay National Park
- Quarram Nature Reserve
- Owingup Nature Reserve
- Mehniup Nature Reserve
- Mount Shadforth Nature Reserve
- Boynaminup National Park
- Kordabup Nature Reserve
History
The concept of a Walpole Wilderness Area was first developed by Donna Selby and Cath Roberts on behalf of the South Coast Environment Group Inc., in 1998. During the height of the old growth logging debate, the Walpole Wilderness proposal sought to realise the region's potential for nature conservation by proposing the creation of a Regional Wilderness Park which expanded and linked existing parks and reserves into a single integrated conservation reserve.The proposal extended the concept of conserving the Shannon River
Shannon River (Western Australia)
Shannon River is a river located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The river rises in the forests to the West of Lake Muir and flows in a southerly direction , crossing the South Western Highway just East of Shannon then continuing South through the Shannon National Park before...
Basin across the Deep River
Deep River (Western Australia)
Deep River is a river located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The river is under tidal influence for the last of its length.Although generally shallow the Deep River has depths of up to in places....
and Frankland River
Frankland River
The Frankland River is a river in the great southern region of Western Australia. The Frankland River is the largest river by volume in the region and the eighth largest in the state....
systems.
This proposal was also unique as it sought to integrate the Walpole/Nornalup townships and farming districts into the Area. It proposed the development of a unique relationship between local residents, visitors and the surrounding natural areas. It would facilitate the development of a wide range of nature-based recreational activities and maximise opportunities for associated business development. Existing recreational and tourism infrastructure would be enhanced and expanded to capitalise on the significant growth in tourism to the Walpole region, while concurrently ensuring the long term ecological and economic sustainability of the region.
The Walpole Wilderness area was adopted by the Western Australian Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government by Premier Geoff Gallop
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...
on 22 April 2001.
Area
These areas have long been recognised for their unique natural, cultural, scenic an landscape values, in particular the rich array of endemic and nationally significant flora and fauna. The planning area is important for:- wildernessWildernessWilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
qualities; - old-growth forests;
- outstanding and complex mosaic of landscapes (including heathlands, wetlands, and graniteGraniteGranite 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...
outcrops) - location within an internationally-recognised "biodiversity hotspotBiodiversity hotspotA biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
"; - many rivers that originate within and pass through the area, including the DeepDeep River (Western Australia)Deep River is a river located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The river is under tidal influence for the last of its length.Although generally shallow the Deep River has depths of up to in places....
, WeldWeld RiverWeld River is a river in the South West region of Western Australia.The river rises below Mount Burnside in the Lake Muir State forest. The river flows in a southerly direction through the Shannon National Park until it flows into the Deep River, of which it is a tributary.The water quality of the...
, WalpoleWalpole RiverThe Walpole River is a river in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The river was discovered by Captain Thomas Bannister in 1831 and named by Governor James Stirling after Captain W Walpole....
, FranklandFrankland RiverThe Frankland River is a river in the great southern region of Western Australia. The Frankland River is the largest river by volume in the region and the eighth largest in the state....
, Bow, KentKent RiverThe Kent River is a river in the Great Southern of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise near Tenterden then flows in a south westerly direction crosses the Muirs Highway east of Rocky Gully then through Mount Roe-Mount Lindesay National Park then crosses the South Coast Highway near...
, Styx, DenmarkDenmark RiverThe Denmark River is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The river rises near Pardelup and meanders in a southerly direction until it flows through Denmark into Wilson Inlet ....
, Mitchell and HayHay River (Western Australia)The Hay River is a river in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The river is part of the Denmark catchment along with the Denmark River and the Sleeman-Cuppup River...
rivers; - range of recreation and tourism opportunities from wilderness hiking through to world class facilities such as the Tree Top Walk; and
- rich indigenous and non-indigenous cultural heritage.