Kennedy Range National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kennedy Range National Park Western Australia
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Kennedy Range National Park Location in Western Australia
Nearest town or city	Carnarvon
Established	1993
Area	1,416.6 km2 (547.0 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Department of Environment and Conservation
Website	Kennedy Range National Park
See also	List of protected areas of Western Australia

Kennedy Range National Park is a special nature park in Western Australia. It's about 830 kilometers north of Perth. That's a long drive! It's also about 150 kilometers east of Carnarvon, a coastal town. This park is known for its amazing cliffs and canyons.

Exploring the Kennedy Range

The Kennedy Range is like a giant, flat-topped mountain, called a mesa. It stretches for about 150 kilometers! This huge landform sits near the Gascoyne River. You'll see amazing sandstone cliffs on its southern and eastern sides. These cliffs are cut by deep, narrow canyons, some as tall as 100 meters!

A Look at History

First Peoples of the Range

For thousands of years, the Kennedy Range was home to Indigenous Australians. It was a natural border between two groups: the Maia and the Malgaru peoples. Natural springs around the range provided water and attracted animals for hunting. They also found special rocks called chert to make tools. Over 100 sites in the park show that people lived here for more than 20,000 years!

European Explorers and Settlers

The first European to visit this area was Francis Thomas Gregory in 1858. He named the range after the Governor of Western Australia at the time, Arthur Edward Kennedy. Gregory also named the nearby Lyons River before moving on to Mount Augustus.

Later, people started farming in the area. Charles Samuel Brockman set up Boolathana Station in 1877. For a while, the region was successful at producing wool. But by the 1930s, too much grazing by animals, dry weather, and the Great Depression caused many farms to struggle.

The Park Today

The Kennedy Range National Park was officially created in 1993. It's a great place to visit and explore nature.

What to Do and See

The park has some facilities for visitors. You can find a basic toilet and campsites at Temple Gorge. There are also several walking trails where you can hike and see the beautiful scenery. Remember to bring your own water, as none is available in the park. Entry to the park is free, but you do need to pay a fee if you want to camp.

Amazing Wildflowers

One of the best times to visit the park is after heavy rains. This is when the desert comes alive with colorful wildflowers! More than 80 different kinds of wildflowers grow here. You might see mulla mulla, hakeas, Eremophilas, Calytrix, Verticordia, and various everlasting daisies.

Unique Wildlife

The Kennedy Range is also home to a special lizard. It's called the "Kennedy Range broad-blazed slider" (Lerista kennedyensis). This lizard is named after the range itself!

Images for kids

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  A view of the amazing cliffs in Kennedy Range National Park.