Wongan Hills facts for kids
Wongan Hills is a group of low, flat-topped hills in Western Australia. It's part of a special natural area called the Avon Wheatbelt. You can find it in the Shire of Wongan–Ballidu, located at 30°48′S 116°37′E / 30.800°S 116.617°E.
History of Wongan Hills
The Wongan Hills were first written about in 1836. This was done by John Septimus Roe, who was a very important surveyor in Western Australia. People started living in this area around the early 1900s. In 1911, the town of Wongan Hills was created. It was named after these very hills.
What's in a Name?
The name "Wongan" comes from words used by Indigenous Australians. These words include "wangan-katta," "wankan," and "woongan." We know that "katta" means "hill." But the meaning of "wongan" is not fully clear. It might be linked to "kwongan," which is an Indigenous word for a sandy plain. Or, it could mean "whispering." If so, "wongan katta" would mean "whispering hills."
Plants and Animals
The Wongan Hills are very important for nature. They have the biggest area of natural plants left in the northern part of the Wheatbelt region.
These hills are home to special woodlands. You can find trees like salmon gum, York gum, gimlet (Eucalyptus salubris), and silver mallet (Eucalyptus falcata). There are also low forests of jam trees (Acacia acuminata). These types of plant groups used to be common but are now rare in the Wheatbelt.
Some plants only grow in the Wongan Hills. These include Acacia botrydion, Acacia pharangites, Acacia pygmaea, Banksia bella, Eremophila ternifolia, Philotheca wonganensis, and Chenopodium aciculare.
A type of dryandra plant, called Dryandra wonganensis, is also found only here. Alex George, a famous plant expert, described it. He also found a new, possibly rare, hakea plant here, called Hakea chromatropa. Its home is only in this area and nearby places. George was surprised because the area was settled long ago, but new plants were still being found. He also described a rare flower, the Wongan Featherflower (Verticordia staminosa subsp. staminosa). This flower was found by Harry Butler on a granite rock.
In 1982, a study of the area was done. It found eight new types of plants that no one knew about before. The results were published in a journal called Nuytsia.
The hills are also a home for many birds. About 90 different kinds of birds live here.
Protected Natural Areas
Several special areas in the Wongan Hills are protected. This helps to keep the plants and animals safe. Here are some of them:
- Wongan Hills Nature Reserve: This area is 4.17 square kilometers. It was protected in 1975.
- Elphin Nature Reserve: This area is 1.98 square kilometers. It was protected in 1977.
- Rogers Nature Reserve: This area is 3.41 square kilometers. It was protected in 1985.
- Fowler Gully Nature Reserve: This area is 2.3 square kilometers. It was protected in 1993.
- Unnamed WA51093 Nature Reserve: This area is 5.58 square kilometers. It was protected in 2011.
- Unnamed WA52103 Conservation Park: This area is 6.95 square kilometers. It was protected in 2016.
The Elphin Nature Reserve and the two unnamed protected areas are connected to each other. The other protected areas are separated by land that is not protected.
