Purnululu National Park

Purnululu National Park
Western Australia
Echidna Chasm
Purnululu National Park is located in Western Australia
Purnululu National Park
Purnululu National Park
Map
Nearest town or cityHalls Creek
Coordinates17°27′47″S 128°33′51″E / 17.46306°S 128.56417°E / -17.46306; 128.56417
Population13 (SAL 2021)[1]
Established1987
Area2,397.23 km2 (925.6 sq mi)[2]
RegionAU-WA
Managing authoritiesWA Department of Parks and Wildlife
WebsitePurnululu National Park
Footnotes
CriteriaNatural: vii, viii
Reference1094
Inscription2003 (27th Session)
See alsoList of protected areas of
Western Australia

The Purnululu National Park is a World Heritage Site in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. The 239,723-hectare (592,370-acre) national park is located approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of Kununurra, with Halls Creek located to the south. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2003, the park was inscribed as follows:[3]

...[is a] remote area managed as wilderness. It includes the Bungle Bungle Range, a spectacularly incised landscape of sculptured rocks which contains superlative examples of beehive-shaped karst sandstone rising 250 metres above the surrounding semi-arid savannah grasslands. Unique depositional processes and weathering have given these towers their spectacular black and orange banded appearance, formed by biological processes of cyanobacteria (single cell photosynthetic organisms) which serve to stabilise and protect the ancient sandstone formations. These outstanding examples of cone karst that have eroded over a period of 20 million years are of great beauty and exceptional geological interest.

— Brief synthesis of Purnululu National Park as inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Aerial view of the Bungle Bungle range, May 2016
  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Purnululu (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report". WA Department of Environment and Conservation. Government of Western Australia: 48. 2010. ISSN 1835-114X. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Purnululu National Park". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.