Editing Francois Peron National Park

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Francois Peron National Park
| state                  = wa
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Francois Peron National Park 2.jpg
| caption                = 
| image_alt              = 
| local_map              = yes
| zoom                   = 9
| coordinates            = {{coord|25|41|58|S|113|33|07|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Geraldton|Geraldton, Western Australia]]
| area                   = 525.87
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="ParkAreas">{{cite journal|year=2010 |title=Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report |journal=Annual Report |pages=48 |publisher=Department of Environment and Conservation |issn=1835-114X |url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111124319/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |archive-date=11 January 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>
| established            = 1993
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
| url                    = https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/francois-peron-national-park
}}
'''Francois Peron National Park''' is a national park on the [[Peron Peninsula]] in [[Western Australia]], {{convert|726|km}} north of [[Perth]], and located within the boundary of the [[Shark Bay, Western Australia|Shark Bay World Heritage area]]. The nearest towns to the park are [[Denham, Western Australia|Denham]], which is found on the southern edge of the park and [[Carnarvon, Western Australia|Carnarvon]] which is found about {{convert|80|km}} to the north.
[[File:Salt Covered "Birrida" Francois Peron NP.jpg|thumb|A salt encrusted branch on a super saline "birrida" in Francois Peron National Park]]

There is also an eponymous [[Suburbs and localities (Australia)|locality]] of the [[Shire of Shark Bay]], but the boundaries of the national park and the locality are not identical.<ref name=Slipmap >{{cite web |url=https://maps.slip.wa.gov.au/landgate/locate/ |title=SLIP Map |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=maps.slip.wa.gov.au |publisher=[[Landgate]] |access-date=25 September 2024 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/capad2022-terrestrial-wa.xlsx |title=Terrestrial CAPAD 2022 WA summary |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=[[Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water]] |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/dashboard |title=Australian Protected Areas Dashboard |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=[[Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water]] |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>

==Names and earlier uses==
[[Aboriginal Australians]] are the initial inhabitants of the area and have been living in it for over 26,000 years. The local peoples, who speak the [[Malgana language]], call the area {{lang|vml|Wulyibidi}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4228&Itemid=|title=Francois Peron National Park Brochure|year=2007|access-date=29 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128022705/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4228&Itemid=|archive-date=28 January 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

It is named after the French naturalist and explorer [[François Péron]] who was the zoologist aboard [[Nicolas Baudin]]'s 1801 and 1803 scientific expeditions to Western Australia, and is situated within the bounds of the earlier [[pastoral lease]] of the Peron Station.

Locations from the French exploration era include:
* Guichenault (east coast of the Peron Peninsula)
* Cape Lesueur (west coast of the Peron Peninsula)
* Lake Montbazin

A [[Pearl hunting|pearling]] camp was established on the peninsula at Herald Bight in the 1880s and the remains of shells can still be found along the beach.

Used as a [[sheep station]] from the early 1900s onwards the station was sold to the [[Government of Western Australia|state government]] in 1990.

It was gazetted on 8 January 1993 as a National Park{{snd}}through the purchase of Peron Station (Pastoral Lease 3114/761) in 1990.<ref>Map 4, and page 7 of Hancock, Sue, Brown, Paul and Stephens, Burke (2000) ''Shark Bay Terrestrial Reserves Management Plan 2000- 2009'' Perth, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management for the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority {{ISBN|0-7307-5510-X}}</ref>

==Location==
It is adjacent to and surrounded by the [[Shark Bay Marine Park]] to the west, north and east, and by the [[Denham, Western Australia|Denham]] to [[Monkey Mia]] road to the south.

==Facilities==
Picnic, boat launching and camping areas along the west coast of the Peninsula include:
* Big Lagoon
* Cape Lesueur
* Cattle Well
* South Gregories
* Gregories
* Bottle Bay
[[File:Red cliffs at Bottle Bay.jpg|thumb|Red cliffs at Bottle Bay]]

==See also==
* [[List of protected areas of Western Australia]]
* [[Denham, Western Australia]]
* [[Monkey Mia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Edward Duyker]] ''François Péron: An Impetuous Life: Naturalist and Voyager'', Miegunyah/MUP, Melb., 2006, pp.&nbsp;349, {{ISBN|978-0-522-85260-8}} [winner Frank Broeze Maritime History Prize, 2007].

==External links==
{{Commons category|Francois Peron National Park}}
* [http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/francois-peron Francois Peron National Park page] at the Department of Parks and Wildlife website
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141105114553/http://www.sharkbay.org/francois_peron_np.aspx Francois Peron National Park page] at SharkBay.org
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150227103956/http://sharkbay.wa.gov.au/visitors/places-to-go/francois-peron-national-park.html Francois Peron National Park page] at the Shire of Shark Bay website

{{National Parks of Western Australia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Shark Bay]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1993]]