Editing Porongurup National Park

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Porongurup National Park
| state                  = wa
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Granite Skywalk Castle Rock Porongurup NP III-2013.jpeg
| caption                = The Castle Rock skywalk
| image_alt              = 
| local_map              = yes
| zoom                   = 11
| coordinates            = {{coord|34|40|46|S|117|52|23|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_label_position = top
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Mount Barker, Western Australia|Mount Barker]], [[Western Australia]]
| area                   = 26.21
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="ParkAreas">{{cite journal| year=2010| title=Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report| journal=Annual Report| page=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-all}}</ref>
| established            = 1971
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = [[Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)|Department of Parks and Wildlife]]
| url                    = naturebase.net/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,99
}}
{{Infobox designation list
|embed = no
|designation1 = Australian Register of the National Estate
|designation1_offname = Porongurup National Park
|designation1_type = Natural
|designation1_criteria =
|designation1_date = 21 March 1978
|delisted1_date = 
|designation1_partof =
|designation1_number = {{RNE|9385}}
|designation1_free2name = Place File Number
|designation1_free2value = 5/01/081/0003

|designation2 = Australian National Heritage List
|designation2_offname = Porongurup National Park
|designation2_type = Natural
|designation2_criteria = 
|designation2_date = 4 August 2009
|delisted2_date = 
|designation2_partof =
|designation2_number = {{ANHL|105982}}
|designation2_free2name = Place File Number
|designation2_free2value = 5/01/081/0035
}}

'''Porongurup National Park''' is a national park in the [[Great Southern (Western Australia)|Great Southern region]] of [[Western Australia]].<ref name="hegi99" /> It covers {{convert|26.21|km2}}, and is {{convert|360|km}} southeast of [[Perth]] and {{convert|40|km}} north of [[Albany, Western Australia|Albany]].

The park contains the '''Porongurup Range''', which is the relic core of an ancient mountain range formed in the [[Precambrian]] over 1200 million years ago.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Lane |first=Peter |title=Geology of Western Australia's National Parks |publisher=Peter Lane |year=2017 |isbn=9780646439952 |edition=4th |location=Margaret River, WA |page=53}}</ref> The Porongurup Range forms part of the Southwest Biodiversity Hotspot,<ref>{{cite web|last=Hales |first=Lydia |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/02/western-australia-biodiversity-hotspot/ |title=Biodiversity hotspot in WA explained |publisher=Australian Geographic |date=2014-02-19 |accessdate=2022-08-01}}</ref> which is one of 34 regions in the world noted for a rich diversity of flora and fauna species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hopper |first1=Stephen D |last2=Gioia |first2=Paul |date=2004 |title=The Southwest Australian Floristic Region: Evolution and Conservation of a Global Hot Spot of Biodiversity |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30034129 |journal=Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics |volume=35|pages=623–650 |doi=10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.35.112202.130201 |jstor=30034129 }}</ref> The range contains many peaks and hiking trails, with the highest point being Devils Slide at {{convert|670|m}},<ref name="pws18" /><ref name="hegi99" />{{rp|1}}followed by Nancy's Peak at 644 metres. [[Castle Rock, Western Australia|Castle Rock]] (558 metres) is capped with The Granite Skywalk,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/granite-skywalk |title=Granite Skywalk |publisher=Exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2022-08-01}}</ref> a steel viewing platform which provides panoramic views of the surrounding karri forest.

==History==
The Porongurup Range is culturally significant to the [[Mineng]] and [[Koreng]]/Goreng sub-groups of the [[Noongar]] people. Minang man Larry Blight states:<blockquote>This is our most sacred site...Porongurup or "Borrongup" means totem in Noongar — a totem could be an animal or a plant that we inherit from our mother’s and father’s side when we are born.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zadvirna |first=Daryna |date=23 January 2020 |title=Calls for sacred Porongurups to be removed from plans for mountain bike trails |work=Albany Advertiser |url=https://www.albanyadvertiser.com.au/news/albany-advertiser/standing-on-sacred-ground-ng-b881440088z.amp |access-date=25 July 2022}}</ref></blockquote>The Porongurup Range was first sighted by Europeans passing near [[Albany, Western Australia|Albany]] in 1802 but [[agriculture|farming]] in the surrounding districts did not start until around 1859 when vegetables were first grown on the southern slopes of the range. The giant [[karri]] and [[jarrah]] trees of the range were first harvested for [[timber]] in the 1880s and timber leases did not begin to be withdrawn until 1925. The National Park was not gazetted officially until 1971, with an area of {{convert|1,157|ha}}. This has now been increased to {{convert|2,511|ha}}.

== Geomorphology ==
The Porongurup Range is {{convert|15|km}} from east to west and consists of porphyritic [[granite]]<ref name=":0" /> peaks levelled into domes. The range is the remnant of a sizeable reservoir of molten granite that bubbled up when the Antarctic continent struck Australia in the [[Stenian]] Period of the [[Mesoproterozoic Era]], around 1200 million (1.2 billion) years ago.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Morrison |first1=Reg |title=Australia: The Four Billion Year Journey of a Continent |last2=Morrison |first2=Maggie |publisher=Weldon Publishing |year=1988 |isbn=9780816024094 |location=Sydney, Australia |page=187 |language=en}}</ref>

The sea levels of the late Cretaceous were around 100 metres higher than today<ref>{{cite web |last=Koch |first=Carl Fred |date=1 April 2020 |title=Cretaceous Period |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/Cretaceous-Period |access-date=25 July 2022 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> and during this time the Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea.<ref name=":0" />

== Ecology ==

=== Flora ===
The Porongurup National Park contains over 700 native plant species and at least 300 macrofungi species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Herford |first1=Ian |last2=Allan |first2=Jude |date=1999 |title=MANAGEMENT PLAN: Stirling Range National Park and Porongurup National Park 1999-2009 |url=https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/parks/management-plans/decarchive/stirling-porongorup_nps.pdf |journal=National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority |publisher=Department of Conservation and Land Management |volume=Management Plan No 42 |page=19}}</ref> At least nine flora species are unique and found only in the park. Examples of plant groups present include: heaths ([[Ericaceae|Epacridaceae]]), especially beard-heaths ([[Leucopogon]]); peas ([[Fabaceae]]), notably flame-peas ([[Chorizema]]), bitter-peas ([[Daviesia]] and [[Bossiaea]]) and poison-peas ([[Gastrolobium]]); native myrtles ([[Myrtaceae]]); pimeleas ([[Thymelaeaceae]]), notably rice flowers ([[Pimelea]]); sundews and pitcher plants ([[Nepenthales]]); bloodroots, conostyles, [[kangaroo paw]]s and their allies (Haemodorales); and banksias and grevilleas ([[Proteales]]). It is also important for richness in lilies, orchids and allies ([[Liliales]]), notably native lilies (Anthericaceae), irises and allies ([[Iridaceae]]), and orchids ([[Orchidaceae]]).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Australian Government |date=2008 |title=Porongurup National Park - National assessment |url=https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/porongurup.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814095006/https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/porongurup.pdf |archive-date=2022-08-14 |url-status=live |journal=Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |via=Australian Government}}</ref>

High granite peaks create their own micro-climates due to their altitude and their capacity to attract topographic rainfall. This maintains cooler and moister climate conditions than the surrounding low-lying plains.<ref name=":0" /> A remnant island of karri forest prevails here, hundreds of kilometres east of the cool southwest cape where they are more commonly found. They thrive in the granitic soils (known as "karri loam") and cool, moist air.<ref name=":1" />

On [[laterite|lateritic soils]] downslope, the predominant type of vegetation is a mixed forest of [[Eucalyptus marginata|jarrah]] and [[Corymbia calophylla|marri]], whilst on the highly exposed and frequently waterlogged summits, an open [[moss]]y herbland prevails.

=== Fauna ===
The mammal species in the National Park include the [[western grey kangaroo]] (Macropus fuliginosus), [[brushtail possum]] (Trichosurus vulpecular), [[pygmy possum]] (Cercartetus concinnus), [[Yellow-footed antechinus|mardo]] (or yellow-footed antechinus – Antechinus flavipes leucogaster), mooti (or bush rat – [[Bush rat|Rattus fuscipes fuscipes]]), [[Southern brown bandicoot|quenda]] (or southern brown bandicoot – Isoodon obesulus fusciventer) and [[honey possum]] (Tarsipes rostratus).<ref name=":1" />

Seventy-one bird species including the [[red-eared firetail]] (Emblema oculata) and [[Baudin's black cockatoo]] (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) are also found in the park.<ref name=":1" />

At least 17 reptile species are known to inhabit the park including [[King's skink]] (Egernia kingii), the southern heath monitor ([[Rosenberg's monitor|Varanus rosenbergi]]) and the marbled gecko ([[Christinus marmoratus|Phyllodactylus marmoratus]]).<ref name=":1" /> Several tree frog and southern frog species are also evident.

Invertebrates present in the National Park include [[Gondwana]]n relictual species such as the Porongurup Trapdoor Spider ([[Cataxia bolganupensis]]) and the [[Proshermacha]] trapdoor spider, land snails ([[Bothriembryon]] spp.) and giant earthworms (Megacolex sp.). Other invertebrates include [[Maratus|peacock spiders]] (Maratus sp), velvet worms ([[Onychophora]]) and the social crab spider (Diaea socialis).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Laurie |first=Victoria |title=The Southwest: Australia's Biodiversity Hotspot |publisher=UWA Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=9781742585000 |location=Crawley, WA}}</ref> [[File:Porongurup-karri.jpg|thumb|upright|Karri in the Porongurups]]

==Climate==
The plains surrounding the Porongurup Range have an annual rainfall of around {{convert|800|mm}} to the south and around {{convert|600|mm}} on the northern side. Most of this rain falls between April and October: although light showers are common in the summer months, the average rainfall between November and March totals only around {{convert|110|mm}} in the southern plains and less than {{convert|75|mm}} to the north. Summer temperatures on the plains average a very warm {{convert|26|°C}} in the daytime and decline to around {{convert|18|°C}} at night. In winter, although it can be rainy, temperatures average a very pleasant {{convert|16|°C}} during the day and a cool {{convert|8|°C}} in the morning.
[[File:Devils-slide-frombatespk.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Gibraltar Rock, Porongurups]]]]
Temperatures on the peaks are around 3&nbsp;°C (5.4&nbsp;°F) lower than on the plains, and [[snow in Australia|snow]] has occasionally fallen on the ranges (heavily in October 1992 and June 1956).

=== Fire and cyclones ===
In 1978, [[Cyclone Alby]] felled many trees within the National Park (it was an unusual depression that produced very little rainfall after moving south of the [[Tropic of Capricorn]]).

On 11 February 2007, a fire began on private property near the north-west corner of the park. It quickly spread into the native vegetation and raced up the steep slopes within hours. Volunteer fire crews and [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department]]'s firefighters battled the fast-moving blaze and managed to contain it overnight after it had burnt around 50% of the park. The fire broke containment lines on Monday afternoon (12 February) and spread further through the park and into private property to the north-east. Fire crews, including aerial support from six [[Aerial firefighting|water bomber planes]], continued the battle to contain the blaze and by Tuesday morning it was again under control though still burning freely within the containment zone. Water bombers paid special attention to tourist facilities and special habitats, including an area where endangered [[Scrub-bird|noisy scrub birds]] had been released. By Wednesday morning (14 February) the fire had burnt through around 95% of the national park.<ref>Albany & Great Southern Weekender, 15 February 2007</ref>

As many of the trees and vegetation are native to the region, it is expected that the park will, to a large extent, recover in the months after the fire. By early April, Kingia australis plants were re-shooting and flowering abundantly in heavily burnt areas but the legacy of the fire will be felt for some time to come. Local populations of kangaroos and other wildlife were injured and local residents assisted in their care and recovery where possible. There has not been such a devastating fire in the region since the 1960s.
[[File:Porongurup fire 2007.jpg|thumb|right|View of fire from Mount Barker - after approximately three hours burning]]

==Features==
The park includes a number of significant tourist features and walk trails.<ref name="pws18" />
* Tree in the rock
* [[Castle Rock, Western Australia|Castle Rock]]
* Balancing Rock
* [[Gibraltar Rock (Western Australia)|Gibraltar Rock]]
* Devils Slide
* Wansborough Pass
* Millinup Pass
[[File:Porongurup NP eve.jpg|left|thumb|Porongurup Range, Western Australia]]

== See also ==
* [[List of protected areas of Western Australia]] 
* [[Porongurup, Western Australia]]

== References ==
{{reflist |refs=

<ref name="hegi99">{{cite report |title=Stirling Range and Porongurup National Parks Management Plan (1999–2009) |url=https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/parks/management-plans/decarchive/stirling-porongorup_nps.pdf |first1=Ian |last1=Herford |first2=Kelly |last2=Gillen |first3=Martin |last3=Lloyd |first4=Corinn |last4=Hine |first5=Lachlan |last5=McCaw |first6=Greg |last6=Keighery |first7=Jude |last7=Allan |first8=Des |last8=Gaze |first9=Geoff |last9=Clark |first10=Jack |last10=Adams |first11=Oscar |last11=Colbung |first12=Helen |last12=Cooke |first13=Keith |last13=Davis |first14=Ken |last14=Dean |first15=Jeff |last15=Ellett |first16=Chris |last16=Enright |first17=Terry |last17=Enright |first18=Allan |last18=Hunt |first19=Don |last19=McFarlane |first20=Sonia |last20=Lemann |first21=Mark |last21=Saxon |first22=Garry |last22=Sounness |first23=Ric |last23=Walne |first24=John |last24=Watson |first25=Jackie |last25=Watt |display-authors=6 |publisher=Department of Conservation and Land Management for the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority Perth |location=Western Australia |year=1999 |access-date=2021-04-14 }}</ref>

<ref name="pws18">{{cite web |title=Porongurup National Park: Visitor Guide |date=January 2018 |publisher= Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Government of Western Australia |url=https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/downloads/parks/20170431%20Porongurup%20NP%20bro_web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409084209/https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/downloads/parks/20170431%20Porongurup%20NP%20bro_web.pdf |archive-date=2018-04-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2021-04-12 }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Porongurup National Park}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170918193229/http://porongurup.info/ Porongurup.info]

{{National Parks of Western Australia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Porongurup Range]]
[[Category:Shire of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1971]]
[[Category:Australian National Heritage List]]
[[Category:Western Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate]]
[[Category:Jarrah Forest]]