Karlamilyi National Park

Karlamilyi National Park
Western Australia
Karlamilyi National Park
Karlamilyi National Park is located in Western Australia
Karlamilyi National Park
Karlamilyi National Park
Map
Coordinates22°20′00″S 122°29′00″E / 22.33333°S 122.48333°E / -22.33333; 122.48333
Established1977
Area12,837.06 km2 (4,956.4 sq mi)[1]
Managing authoritiesWestern Australian Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteKarlamilyi National Park
See alsoList of protected areas of
Western Australia

Karlamilyi National Park lies in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Newman and 1,250 kilometres (780 mi) north-northeast of Perth. Proclaimed an A Class Reserve on 13 April 1977, it is the largest national park in Western Australia.[2]

The park was initially listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1978 as Rudall River National Park, and was noted as "significant for maintaining ongoing geomorphic and ecological processes within a tropical desert environment. It contains an entire landscape sequence which includes extensive dune fields, table lands, an entire river/creek system, alluvial formations, saline lakes and palaeodrainage lines".[3][4] The name of the park was changed in 2008 to Karlamilyi National Park to acknowledge the traditional owners of the area. The park's original name was derived from the Rudall River, named by Frank Hann who was one of the first Europeans to explore the area. He named the river after another explorer and surveyor, William Frederick Rudall.[5]

The area is traditionally Martu country, called Karlamilyi.[6] There are two Aboriginal communities within the park: Parnngurr (Cotton Creek) and Punmu (Lake Dora). The park is situated across the boundary between the Little Sandy Desert and the Great Sandy Desert[7] and includes the catchment area of the Rudall River. It is best accessed from the Rudall River Road, which connects the Talawana Track in the south, and the Telfer Mine Road in the north. There are no ranger facilities within the park. Fuel, groceries, emergency medical facilities, camping gear, caravan parking and laundry are available at Parnngurr.[8]

  1. ^ "Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report". Annual Report. Department of Environment and Conservation: 48. 2010. ISSN 1835-114X. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Karlamilyi National Park". Explore Parks WA. Government of Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  3. ^ Newman, Peter (1993). Social impact study of Western Desert Rudall River region. Institute for Science & Technology Policy, Institute of Environmental Science. p. 15. ISBN 9780869050002.
  4. ^ "Regional Overview". Kintyre Uranium Project Environmental Review and Management Programme (PDF). Osborne Park, WA: Cameco Australia. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  5. ^ Rudall, W. F. (William Frederick) (1982), Account of expedition in search of missing members of Calvert Expedition exploring party, retrieved 1 November 2012
  6. ^ Western Desert Working Group; Western Australia. Dept of Conservation and Land Management (1989), The significance of the Karlamilyi Region to the Martujarra people of the Western Desert, Dept. of Conservation and Land Management, retrieved 1 November 2012
  7. ^ "Department of the Environment WA - Refugia for Biodiversity". 2009. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  8. ^ "Our Store". Parnngurr Aboriginal Community. Parnngurr Aboriginal Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2020.