Editing Baw Baw National Park

{{for-multi|the landform|Mount Baw Baw|other uses|Baw Baw (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Baw Baw National Park
| state                  = vic
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Baw-baw-view-gippsland.jpg
| caption                = The view from [[Mount Baw Baw]] looking east across the [[Gippsland]], in [[autumn]] 2006.
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|37|45|50|S|146|13|23|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_map_caption    = Location of the Baw Baw National Park in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]]
| map_alt                = 
|local_map=yes|zoom=9| nearest_town_or_city   = {{VICcity|Rawson}}
| area                   = 135.3<!-- If the area is greater than 100ha (1km2) a conversion template is not required. -->
| area_footnotes         = <ref name=ahb/>
| established            = {{start date|1979|04||df=y}}
| established_footnotes  = <ref name=ahb/>
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = [[Parks Victoria]]
| url                    = https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/baw-baw-national-park
}}
The '''Baw Baw National Park''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɔː|_|ˈ|b|ɔː}}) is a [[national park]] located on the boundary between the [[Victorian Alps]] and [[Gippsland]] regions of Victoria, Australia. The {{convert|13530|ha|acre|adj=on}} national park is situated approximately {{convert|120|km}} east of Melbourne and {{convert|50|km}} north of the [[Latrobe Valley]]. The park contains the forest covered '''Baw-Baw Plateau''' and surrounds the [[Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort]].

The Baw-Baw [[Plateau]] has a number of peaks, that includes [[Mount Baw Baw]], [[Mount St Gwinear]], Mount St Phillack, Mount Erica and Mount Whitelaw; all largely [[subalpine]] terrane outcrops of weathered [[granite]] boulders rising from the plateau, which is covered by a forest of [[Eucalyptus pauciflora|snow-gum]]s, punctuated by [[alpine meadow|meadows]]. Mount St Phillack, a granite hill on the Baw-Baw plateau standing at {{convert|1566|m}} above sea level is the park's highest peak as the slightly higher Mt Baw Baw peak is part of the [[Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort|ski resort area]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Victoria/Mount-Baw-Baw/2005/02/17/1108500207010.html|title=Travel: Mount Baw Baw|work=The Age|date=9 October 2008|access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> The slopes of the plateau within the national park form the [[drainage basin|catchment area]]s for the [[Thomson River (Victoria)|Thomson River]] and the [[Thomson Dam|Thomson Reservoir]], and the [[Tanjil River|Tanjil]] and [[Tyers River|Tyers]] rivers.

==History==
The traditional custodians of the land surrounding Baw Baw National Park are the [[Wurundjeri]] people of the [[Kulin nation]]. Through their cultural traditions, the [[Gunai people|Gunai]]kurnai people identify the Baw Baw National Park as their traditional country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/baw-baw-national-park|title=Baw Baw National Park|department=[[Parks Victoria]]|publisher=Government of Victoria|access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>

The area was first explored by Europeans in 1860 by botanist [[Ferdinand von Mueller]],<ref name="ahb" /> and he named the peaks Mount Mueller and Mount Erica after himself. Mueller also used this trip as a way to clarify his theories about the similarities and differences in vegetation in Tasmania and Victoria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Australian Alps National Park |url=https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/#}}</ref> The area was settled in the 1880s and 1890s, after the discovery of gold in the area. Baw Baw National Park was declared in April 1979. On 7 November 2008 the park was added to the [[Australian National Heritage List]] as one of eleven areas constituting the [[Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/australian-alps/index.html |title=Australian Alps National Parks information |access-date=10 June 2010 |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts }}</ref> The Baw Baw National Park represents the southerly extent of the sub-alpine environment on mainland Australia.<ref name="ahb">{{cite web |date=7 November 2008 |title=Baw Baw National Park |url=https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/baw-baw-national-park |access-date=9 August 2014 |work=Australian Heritage Database |publisher=[[Department of the Environment (Australia)|Department of the Environment]], Australian Government}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Baw Baw typically consists of regions with low lying grasses, snow gums, and heathlands.<ref name=":0" /> The Australian Alps also have a magnitude of mushroom rock, as well as giant granite towering over the forest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baw Baw National Park |url=https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/baw-baw-national-park# |publisher=Parks Victoria}}</ref>[[File:Aberfeldy River, Baw Baw National Park.jpg|thumb|Aberfeldy River, Baw Baw National Park]]

==Flora and fauna==

The typical vegetation in the park is low-lying [[grass]]es, [[Heath (habitat)|heath]]lands and snow gums, this is typically described as [[sub-alpine]]. Fauna abounds on the foothills to Baw Baw Plateau, including [[Leadbeater's possum]], which is now critically endangered as of 2015, due to the "Saturday Bushfires" impact on their population and habitat. The Leadbeater's possum is also Victoria's state fauna emblem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harley |first=Dan |date=7 June 2022 |title=Seven urgent actions to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum |url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/PC22021# |website=Pacific Conservation Biology}}</ref> The [[critically endangered species|critically endangered]] [[Baw Baw frog]] (''Philoria frosti''), listed on the [[IUCN Red List]],<ref name=ahb/> population has started to disappear from its earlier range, and is now limited to a small range on the Mount Baw Baw Plateau.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=Deon |date=3 October 2024 |title=Hormone therapy improves conservation breeding outcomes in the critically endangered Baw Baw frog, Philoria frosti |url=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1464730/full |journal=Frontiers}}</ref>

The deciduous Baw Baw berry (''[[Wittsteinia vacciniacea]]'') may be found on the plateau.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria |first1=Vic Flora |title=Flora of Victoria:  ''Wittsteinia vacciniacea'' (F.Muell.) 'Baw-Baw Berry' |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/e06f882b-6f5a-4c7b-8815-c1861a88c29b |website=vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au}}</ref> It is a red and yellow flower species, and is the only species of Wittsteinia in Australia. It is also one of four genera in the Alseuosmiaceae family. The berry is scattered throughout the mountainous region of Victoria, and its population within these regions vary.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Williamson |first=Virginia |date=2024 |title=Bringing Australia’s vulnerable Wittsteinia vacciniacea F.Muell. (Baw-Baw berry) into cultivation |url=https://journals.rbge.org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/2036 |journal=The International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture |volume=23}}</ref>

The Epracis breviflora, or drumstick heaths flowering time is from November to January. This flower is native to the Baw Baw Plateau, and also occasionally found in moist crevices in rocks on the mountain as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Epacris breviflora |url=https://biosciences.unimelb.edu.au/research/grimwade-plant-collection/epacris-breviflora# |publisher=The University of Melbourne}}</ref>
[[File:Epacris breviflora Baw Baw NP.jpg|thumb|The native flower, Epacris breviflora]]

== Climate ==
The overnight temperature minimums fall between 6 and 13 degrees Celsius on average.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Informit, Victoria |date=16 December 2023 |title=Weather Report: Overnight minimums range between 6 and 13 degrees, the lowest of three was felt at Mount William and Mount Baw Baw |url=https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/TVNEWS.TSM202312160055}}</ref> The mean annual rainfall in this region is 606–2344&nbsp;mm, with a monthly average minimum of 44–126&nbsp;mm, and a monthly average maximum of 63–295&nbsp;mm<ref>{{Cite web |title=Climate and Weather of the Australian Alps |url=https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/climate.pdf |website=Australian Alps National Park}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The national park draws its name from Mount Baw Baw. In the [[Australian Aboriginal languages|Australian Aboriginal]] [[Woiwurrung language]] the name for the mountain was thought to be variously ''bo-ye'', meaning "ghost"; or ''bo-bo'', meaning [[bandicoot]]. In the [[Bunurong language]], the mountain was thought to be named ''Bore Bore'' and in the [[Gunai language]], ''Bo Bo'', both meaning "echo".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://services.land.vic.gov.au/vicnames/historicalInformation.html?method=edit&id=2218 |title=Mount Baw Baw: Historical information: 2218 |work=Vicnames |date=12 August 2011 |access-date=9 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809161909/http://services.land.vic.gov.au/vicnames/historicalInformation.html?method=edit&id=2218 |archive-date=9 August 2014 }}</ref>

==Activities==
The major uses of the park are skiing in winter and bushwalking in summer. It is popular for cross country skiing, downhill skiing, summer bushwalking, rafting and canoeing, fishing, scenic drives and picnics. The [[Australian Alps Walking Track]] traverses its entire length, starting at [[Walhalla, Victoria|Walhalla]] and continuing north towards the [[Alpine National Park]]. The Baw Baw section takes a bit less than three days to walk with plenty to see for those interested in botany or geology.

There is popular ski touring along the Baw Baw Plateau between Mount Baw Baw, past Mount St Phillack to Mount St Gwinear. There is a volunteer ski patrol group who run on weekends and patrol around the St Gwinear portion of the national park. They access the park from the opposite side of the plateau to the ski resort at Mount Baw Baw.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stgwinearsp.org/index.html |title=Home page |publisher=St Gwinear Ski Patrol Inc |access-date=6 February 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220164552/http://www.stgwinearsp.org/index.html |archive-date=20 February 2006 }}</ref> Other popular skiing is [[Nordic skiing]] at Mount Baw Baw, introduced in 1972 including championship races and a ski school.<ref>[http://www.mountbawbaw.com.au/pdf/history.pdf History of the Mount Baw Baw region] June 2002 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212045408/http://www.mountbawbaw.com.au/pdf/history.pdf |date=12 December 2006 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|environment}}}}
* [[Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves]]
* [[List of reduplicated Australian place names]]
* [[Protected areas of Victoria]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Baw Baw National Park}}
*{{cite web|url=https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/baw-baw-national-park|department=[[Parks Victoria]]|title=Baw Baw National Park|publisher=Government of Victoria}}
*{{cite web|url=http://maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=58034&cmd=sp|title=Map of Baw Baw National Park, VIC|work=Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia}}

{{Protected areas of Victoria|NP}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Parks of Gippsland (region)]]
[[Category:National parks of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1979]]
[[Category:Australian National Heritage List]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Plateaus of Australia]]
[[Category:Environment of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves]]
[[Category:Central Highlands (Victoria)]]