William Bay National Park
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William Bay National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Template:Cvt southeast of Perth<ref> Marchant, N. G. (2000) Karri forest in microcosm : William Bay National Park. Landscope (Como, W.A), Spring 2000, p. 42-47</ref> and between the towns of Denmark and Walpole.<ref name=ae/>
Description
[edit]Situated approximately Template:Cvt west of Denmark, William Bay National Park covers Template:Cvt<ref name="ParkAreas"/> and includes Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks. The granite boulders create a natural reef which protects Greens Pool from the Great Southern Ocean, and a safe swimming beach for children who are under supervision. William Bay National Park is located along the south coast of Western Australia along the Rainbow Coast, and is in the Shire of Denmark. The park also contains areas of peppermint scrub, dense heathland, pockets of karri forest, Eucalyptus woodlands, Parry Inlet, lakes, tall hills with granite tors and outcrops.<ref name=watg>Template:Cite web</ref>
Coastal areas at the eastern side of the park include Greens Pool, Elephant Rocks, Madfish Bay and Madfish Island, Waterfall Beach. The wilder and less dramatic features along the coast of the western side include Parry Beach, Parry Inlet, Mazoletti Beach and Hillier Bay.<ref name=watg/>
Fishing is popular along the rocks and beaches, with many different species found, including King George whiting, herring, Australian salmon and mulloway. Bushwalking is another popular activity to enjoy the views with numerous tracks around the park.<ref name=ae>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
[edit]The traditional owners of the area are the Mineng people; Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the area for between 40,000 and 50,000 years. Artefacts including pieces of stone tools have been found in the park at Lights Beach, Lake Byleveld and Parry Inlet.<ref name=keenan>Template:Cite web</ref>
William Bay was named after the famed British Arctic explorer and navigator, Sir William Edward Parry, as were two other nearby features, Parry Inlet and Edward Point. The bay was named in the 1830s by John Septimus Roe.
The area was declared as a national park in 1971 with an area of Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A small reserve with an area of Template:Cvt located near the north east end of the park that encompasses Lake Bylveld was added to the park in the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The park is a popular tourist destination, with 137,000 visitors in 2006–2007, 208,000 in 2010-2011 and 238,000 visitors in 2014–2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fauna
[edit]Birds found within the park area and surrounds include several species of honeyeaters, white-breasted robins, red-eared fire tails, western rosella and red-capped parrot.<ref name=lir>Template:Cite web</ref> Migratory waterbirds that visit the park include the threatened species; Australasian bittern, hooded plover and little bittern.<ref name=lir/>
The rare and ancient assassin spider, currently listed as threatened, was found to inhabit the park during a survey conducted in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Further reading
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