Whiteman Park

Whiteman Park
Whiteman park swans
Whiteman Park is located in Perth
Whiteman Park
Location in Perth
LocationWestern Australia
Nearest cityPerth
Coordinates31°50′02″S 115°57′54″E / 31.834°S 115.965°E / -31.834; 115.965
Area4,000-hectare (9,900-acre; 15 sq mi)
Open8:30am–6pm
Websitewww.whitemanpark.com.au

Whiteman Park is a 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre; 15 sq mi) bushland area located 22 km (14 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia. The park is in the suburb of Whiteman, in the Swan Valley in the upper reaches of the Swan River.[1]

It encompasses the source of Bennett Brook - an important place of the Nyoongar people, and a source of mythology of the Wagyl and stories about Aboriginal occupancy of the area.[2]

Whiteman Park is known for its biodiversity, including more than 450 endemic plants and more than 120 vertebrate animals, some of which are rare and endangered. More than 17% of Western Australian bird species occur in Whiteman Park, including migratory birds attracted to the habitat provided by Bennett Brook and associated wetlands, including Grogan's Swamp, a Conservation Category Wetland.

The state government purchased the land from a number of private owners in 1978 to protect the underlying aquifer as a drinking water source for Perth. The major owner was Lew Whiteman (1903–1994), after whom the park is named.[3]

  1. ^ www.dpi.wa.gov.au Archived 18 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine Parks and Properties. Accessed 21 March 2006
  2. ^ Davis, Jack; Nutter, Lynda; Leach, Richard; Pell, Kelton (1998), River dreaming, [s.n], archived from the original on 29 September 2022, retrieved 4 August 2016
  3. ^ www.whitemanpark.com.au Archived 28 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine Park Information. Accessed 17 May 2009