kids encyclopedia robot

List of national parks of Western Australia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Western Australia is a huge state in Australia, and it's home to many amazing national parks! These special places are protected areas where nature, plants, and animals can thrive. They are also great spots for people to visit and explore.

As of 2023, Western Australia has 112 national parks. Almost all of them have names, but four are still unnamed. The very first national park in WA was John Forrest National Park, created way back in 1900. The newest parks, Pimbee and Bunuba, were made official in 2023. A lot of new parks were created in 2004, with 28 new parks added that year.

National parks cover about 2.6% of Western Australia's land. That might not sound like a lot, but it's a huge area! In 2022, these parks covered over 6.5 million hectares (that's about 16 million acres) of land. This makes up about 8.55% of all the protected areas in the state. Overall, more than 30% of Western Australia is covered by some kind of protected area, which is fantastic for nature!

There are also plans to create new national parks, like the proposed Helena and Aurora Ranges National Park and Edel Land National Park. The Edel Land park would even include Steep Point, which is the most westerly part of mainland Australia.

Exploring Western Australia's National Parks

Western Australia's national parks protect many different landscapes, from stunning coastlines to ancient forests and vast deserts. Each park is unique and offers a chance to see incredible wildlife and plants.

For example, Karlamilyi National Park is the largest national park in Western Australia, covering a massive 1.28 million hectares. It's located in the desert and is home to many unique species. On the other hand, Brockman National Park is one of the smallest, at just 51 hectares.

Some parks are famous for their beautiful scenery:

Many of these parks are also important for Indigenous Australian culture and history, protecting ancient sites and traditional lands.

A Glimpse at Some Parks

Here are a few examples of national parks in Western Australia, showing how different they are:

Name Area (hectares) Declared Main Features
John Forrest National Park 2,700 1900 Oldest park, waterfalls, walking trails.
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park 21,600 1902 Coastal cliffs, caves, forests, famous for the Cape to Cape Track.
Stirling Range National Park 113,605 1913 Mountain ranges, unique wildflowers, Bluff Knoll (highest peak in southern WA).
Karijini National Park 624,428 1969 Gorges, waterfalls, red rock landscapes.
Purnululu National Park 243,831 1987 Bungle Bungle Range (beehive domes), World Heritage site.
Bunuba National Park 220,000 2023 One of the newest parks, protecting important cultural and natural areas.

Understanding Park Classifications

National parks are often classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Most national parks in Western Australia are classified as Category II. This means they are mainly managed for protecting ecosystems and for recreation.

There are also a few parks with other classifications:

  • Niiwalarra Islands National Park is Category Ia, meaning it's a strict nature reserve, protecting wilderness areas.
  • Mount Augustus National Park and Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater National Park are Category III, which means they protect natural monuments.

Key for IBRA Regions

The table above also mentions "IBRA" regions. IBRA stands for Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia. It's a way to divide Australia into different natural regions based on their climate, landforms, and types of plants and animals. This helps scientists and park managers understand and protect the unique environments in each area.

Here are some of the IBRA regions found in Western Australia:

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of national parks of Western Australia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.