| Greater Beedelup National Park Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Beedelup Falls | |
  Greater Beedelup National Park | |
 | |
| Nearest town or city | Pemberton |
| Coordinates | 34°25′06″S 115°52′40″E / 34.41833°S 115.87778°E |
| Established | 1915 |
| Area | 17.83 km2 (6.9 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Department of Parks and Wildlife |
| Website | Greater Beedelup National Park |
| See also | List of protected areas of Western Australia |
Greater Beedelup National Park is a national park in Western Australia, 277 km south of Perth. It is situated on the Vasse Highway 10 km west of Pemberton. The park is especially lush and damp due to an abundance of water.[1]
Gazetted in 1910, the park was declared an A Class Reserve in 1915. The Pemberton National Parks Board has been responsible for management of the park since 1957. Controlled burns occur within the park and some clear felling operations have been conducted in selected areas that used to be State Forests but have also been regenerated since.
The park is mostly karri forest, with mixed areas of jarrah and marri. The loamy soil supports large colonies of moss and plants such as the swamp peppermint, hibbertia, karri hazel, waterbush, myrtle wattle and lemon-scented darwinia, all of which thrive in the damp conditions. Some of the forest is an excellent example of uncut old-growth forest. Some of the upland areas are sandy and support communities of heath vegetation. Other plants of interest in the area include Crowea dentata, Crowea augustifolia and Choretrum lateriflorum.[2]
Some rare fauna are thought to inhabit the area, including the woylie, numbat and the tammar.[2]
Its major attraction is the Beedelup Falls, which are in full flow during winter and spring.[3] A suspension bridge, built in 1995, offers passage across Beedelup Brook and good views of the falls.[4]
Another feature of the park is the "walk through karri tree", a 400-year-old tree with a large man-made hole cut through at the base large enough for a person to stand in.[5]
The park is named after Beedelup Brook, named in 1875. It is thought the name Beedelup is derived from the Noongar word Beejalup meaning place of rest or place of sleep.
- ^ "Beedelup National Park". Australia's South West. Archived from the original on 29 December 2006. Retrieved 19 December 2006.
- ^ a b "Beedelup National Park (Place ID 9561)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
- ^ "ParkFinder". NatureBase. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2006.
- ^ "Beedelup National Park". totaltravel.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2005. Retrieved 19 December 2006.
- ^ "About Australia - Beedelup National Park". totaltravel.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2006.