Boorabbin National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boorabbin National Park Western Australia
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Boorabbin National Park Location in Western Australia
Nearest town or city	Coolgardie
Established	1977
Area	281.53 km2 (108.7 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Department of Environment and Conservation
See also	List of protected areas of Western Australia

Boorabbin National Park is a special nature area in Western Australia. It's located between the towns of Coolgardie and Southern Cross. The park stretches for about 25 kilometers along the Great Eastern Highway, with 5 kilometers on each side. Its name comes from an Aboriginal rock and a settlement established in 1898. This park is a great place to learn about unique plants and animals.

Exploring Boorabbin National Park

This park sits on a high, flat area called a plateau. The land is mostly sandy, and the plants here are very unique. They grow in deep sands that were formed over 50 million years ago. Today, the land is not eroding as much, but in the past, a lot of sand was washed away. This left the sand very worn out and low in nutrients.

Unique Plants of Boorabbin

Even with the challenging sandy soil, many different kinds of plants grow here. The park has rich kwongan heaths, which are areas with low, tough shrubs. You can also find woodlands and mallee shrublands. Mallee is a type of eucalyptus tree that grows many stems from the ground. This area is known for its special plant life, which has its own unique plateau vegetation system. The park is also famous for its beautiful wildflowers, samphire plants, and salt lakes.

Other plants you might see include different types of banksia, acacia, hakea, sandalwood, melaleuca, and grasstree. Two rare plant species found in the heathland are Philotheca pachyphylla and Philotheca coccinea.

Animals Living in the Park

Surveys in Boorabbin National Park show that many native animals live here. There are 17 different kinds of mammals, including the wongai ningaui, dunnarts, and bush rats. The park is also home to 4 types of frogs, 52 kinds of reptiles, and 51 bird species. You can also find many different types of dragon lizards in the park.

Bushfire Event and Memorial

In December 2007, a large bushfire happened in the park. The fire burned for two weeks before firefighters put it out. It covered an area of more than 7,500 hectares (about 18,500 acres) of the National Park and nearby land.

A memorial garden and shelter were opened in 2010. This special place is near the old town site and remembers those who were affected by the 2007 bushfire.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Boorabbin para niños