Editing Bladensburg National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Bladensburg National Park
| state                  = qld
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Scrammy Gorge Winton.jpg
| caption                = Scrammy Gorge, 2011
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|22|30|12|S|142|59|17|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Winton, Queensland|Winton]]
| area                   = 849
| area_footnotes         = 
| established            = 1984
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
| url                    = derm.qld.gov.au/parks/bladensburg/index.html
}}
'''Bladensburg''' is a national park in [[Shire of Winton]], [[Queensland]], Australia.<ref>{{Cite QPN|39380|Bladensburg National Park|access-date=24 June 2017}}</ref> It includes an area once occupied by a [[sheep station]] called '''Bladensburg Station'''.
==History==
Bladensburg lies in the area of what was once [[Koa people|Koa]] tribal territory and, on white settlement, was taken over to run a sheep station,<ref name="herqldout"/> known as Bladensburg Station. This was the site of the alleged [[List of massacres of Indigenous Australians#1870s 2|Bladensburg massacre]], in which around 200 Aboriginal people were killed in {{circa}}1872 at Skull Hole, on the head of Mistake Creek.<ref>Lumholtz: Among Cannibals: an account of four years travels in Australia, and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland (London 1889) page 58-9: ''Queenslander'' 20 Apr 1901, page 757-758: "The Massacre of the Blacks at the Skull Hole on Mistake Creek". See also Timothy Bottoms, ''Conspiracy of Silence'', page 172-174.</ref>

The {{cvt|84,900|ha}} of national park were declared in 1984.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

== Geography ==

The park is {{cvt|1152|km}} northwest of [[Brisbane]], and just south of the town of [[Winton, Queensland|Winton]].
The park features grassland plains, river flats, sandstone ranges and flat-topped mesas.<ref name="qh">{{cite web |url=http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/things-to-see-and-do/bladensburg-national-park/index.cfm |title=Bladensburg National Park |publisher=Tourism Queensland |access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> The main watercourse in the park is the often dry Surprise Creek.<ref name="naq"/> During floods the creek becomes a [[Braided river|braided channel]].

The landscape to the south of the park has dissected tablelands with [[mesa]]s and [[butte]]s and to the far south are flat sand plains.<ref name="naq">{{cite book |title=Natural Areas of Queensland |last=Shilton |first=Peter |year=2005 |publisher=Goldpress |location=Mount Gravatt, Queensland |isbn=0-9758275-0-2 |pages=288–290}}</ref>
==Description==

The park is now a [[protected area]] containing areas of high [[biodiversity]]. It is situated predominantly in the Goneaway Tablelands subregion of the [[Channel Country]] bioregion, but also contains some of the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion.  The original Bladensburg homestead, which was probably transported to the site some time in the 1910s, houses the park's visitor information centre today.<ref name="herqldout"/> Birds common to the area include the [[painted firetail]], [[rufous-crowned emu-wren]] and [[rufous-throated honeyeater]].<ref name="naq"/>

== Attractions ==
The park contains [[dinosaur]] [[fossil]]s as well as Aboriginal story places and ceremonial grounds.<ref name="herqldout">{{Cite book |title=Heritage Trails of the Queensland Outback |last=Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) |author-link=Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) |year=2002 |publisher=State of Queensland |isbn=0-7345-1040-3 |pages=75 }}</ref>

Skull Hole, the site of the [[#History|1870s massacre of Aboriginal people]], is preserved.<ref name="herqldout"/>
==Facilities==
Access to the park is by 16&nbsp;km of road from [[Winton, Queensland|Winton]].<ref name="naq"/>  Camping is permitted beside Surprise Creek.<ref name="qh"/> No water is available.<ref name="naq"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Queensland}}
* [[Protected areas of Queensland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{National Parks of Queensland}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Queensland]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1984]]
[[Category:Central West Queensland]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Australia]]