Editing Port Campbell National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Port Campbell National Park
| state                  = vic
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = A192, Port Campbell National Park, Australia, Twelve Apostles sea stacks from helicopter, 2007.JPG
| caption                = Port Campbell National Park coastline
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|38|39|02|S|143|03|46|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| force_national_map     = 
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_map_caption    = 
| pushpin_label_position = top
| map_alt                = 
|local_map=yes|zoom=9| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Port Campbell]]
| area                   = 17.5<!-- If the area is greater than 100ha (1km2) a conversion template is not required. -->
| area_footnotes         = <ref name=mgmtplan>{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313373/Port-Campbell-National-Park-and-Bay-of-Islands-Coastal-Park-Plan.pdf|title=Port Campbell National Park and Bay of Islands Coastal Park management plan|department=[[Parks Victoria]]|publisher=Government of Victoria|date=September 1998|isbn=0-7311-3133-9|access-date=25 August 2014|pages=3–5, 26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041914/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313373/Port-Campbell-National-Park-and-Bay-of-Islands-Coastal-Park-Plan.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| established            = {{start date|1964|05|05|df=y}}
| established_footnotes  = <ref name=mgmtplan/>
| visitation_num         = ''circa'' {{formatnum:2000000}}
| visitation_year        = 1998
| visitation_footnotes   = <ref name=mgmtplan/>
| managing_authorities   = Parks Victoria
| url                    = https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/port-campbell-national-park
<!-- Deprecated parameters -->
<!-- The following parameters have been deprecated since 27 December 2013. This infobox should be modified so that these parameters are no longer needed. -->
}}

[[File:Aerial views of Port Campbell National Park and Twelve Apostles Marine National Park, Victoria, Australia.webm|thumb|Aerial views of Port Campbell National Park and Twelve Apostles Marine National Park.]]

The '''Port Campbell National Park''' is a [[national park]] in the [[Western District (Victoria)|south-western district]] of Victoria, Australia. The {{convert|1750|ha|acre|adj=on}} national park is situated approximately {{convert|190|km}} south-west of Melbourne and approximately {{convert|10|km}} east of [[Warrnambool]]. The park is located adjacent to the [[Great Otway National Park]] and the [[Bay of Islands Coastal Park]].

==History==
The Port Campbell National Park was dedicated on {{start date|1964|05|05|df=y}},<ref name=mgmtplan/> initially with {{convert|700|ha|acre}}, in order to protect the limestone formations on and near the coastline adjacent to the [[Great Ocean Road]]. By 1981 the park had grown to {{convert|1750|ha|acre}}; extending from the eastern side of Curdies Inlet at [[Peterborough, Victoria|Peterborough]] to Point Ronald at [[Princetown, Victoria|Princetown]].<ref name="port">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/victoria/port-campbell/2005/02/17/1108500207192.html|title=Port Campbell|date=8 February 2004|access-date=27 May 2010|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> In 2002, the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association unsuccessfully attempted to block the creation of a proposed marine national park at the Twelve Apostles location,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200204/s531471.htm|title=Port Campbell bid to block marine national park|access-date=17 June 2010|date=15 April 2002|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> but were satisfied with the later Victorian Government decision not to allow [[seismic exploration]] at the same site by Benaris Energy;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200310/s969092.htm|title=Fishermen welcome decision against national park seismic exploration|access-date=17 June 2010|date=17 October 2003|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref> believing it would harm marine life.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200310/s971651.htm|title=Otway Basin seismic survey work set to start|access-date=17 June 2010|date=21 October 2003|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref>

==Features==
The Port Campbell National Park features an array of sheer cliffs overlooking offshore islets, rock stacks, gorges, arches, and blow-holes.<ref name="port" /> As part of the ''Shipwreck Coast'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/22/1037697863828.html|title=A vision splendid|date=23 November 2002|access-date=17 June 2010|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> it hosts several tourist attractions; including [[The Twelve Apostles, Victoria|The Twelve Apostles]], the [[London Bridge (Victoria)|London Bridge]], [[Loch Ard Gorge]], the [[Gibson Steps]], and [[the Grotto, Victoria|The Grotto]].

The park is subject to salt-laden breezes, and the cliff-tops are particularly exposed to the harsh weather conditions from the [[Southern Ocean]]. However, fragile grasslands and heaths are still able to develop, supporting plant species such as [[sun orchid]] and [[Caladenia|spider orchid]]. In protected areas, plant life includes [[beard-heath]], [[Tetragonia implexicoma|bower spinach]], [[coast daisy bush]], daisies and cushion bush. The wilder terrain hosts an assortment of she-oaks, [[dogwoods]], correa, [[messmate]], trailing guinea-flower, woolly tea-tree and scented [[paperbark]].<ref name="port" />

The fauna in the park is largely [[ornithological]]; and includes [[honeyeaters]], southern emu and fairy [[wrens]], swamp harriers, rufous bristlebird, [[peregrine falcons]], [[pelicans]], ducks, black swans and egrets. [[Penguins]], terns and dotterels are located along the shoreline, with hooded plovers nesting in exposed locations. Australasian gannets, wandering albatrosses and short-tailed [[shearwaters]] live out at sea. Land animals in the park include southern brown bandicoot, swamp antechinuse and echidna.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/port-campbell--places-to-see-20081120-6c0u.html|title=Port Campbell – Places to See|access-date=17 June 2010|work=The Age}}</ref>
[[File:Loch Ard Gorge Panorama July 2005.jpg|thumb|center|upright=2.5|[[Loch Ard Gorge]]]]

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|environment}}}}
* [[Protected areas of Victoria]]
* [[List of national parks of Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Port Campbell National Park}}
*{{cite map|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/543210/Map-Port-Campbell-NP.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825100612/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/543210/Map-Port-Campbell-NP.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-08-25|title=Port Campbell National Park|publisher=[[Parks Victoria]], Government of Victoria|date=August 2012}}
*{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/315537/Heritage-story-Port-Campbell-National-Park.pdf|title=Victoria's Heritage: Port Campbell National Park|department=[[Parks Victoria]]|publisher=Government of Victoria|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825101355/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/315537/Heritage-story-Port-Campbell-National-Park.pdf|archive-date=25 August 2014}}
*{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313184/05_0416.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326081321/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313184/05_0416.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-03-26|title=Port Campbell National Park & Bay of Islands Coastal Park: Visitor Guide|department=[[Parks Victoria]]|publisher=Government of Victoria|date=June 2014}}

{{Protected areas of Victoria|NP}}
{{Great Ocean Road}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Parks of Barwon South West (region)]]
[[Category:National parks of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1964]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Australia]]