| Tuart Forest National Park Western Australia | |
|---|---|
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  Tuart Forest National Park | |
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| Nearest town or city | Busselton |
| Coordinates | 33°33′07″S 115°30′43″E / 33.55194°S 115.51194°E |
| Established | 1987 |
| Area | 20.49 km2 (7.9 sq mi)[1] |
| Managing authorities | Department of Parks and Wildlife |
| Website | Tuart Forest National Park |
| See also | List of protected areas of Western Australia |
Tuart Forest National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia, 183 kilometres (114 mi) south of Perth. It contains the largest remaining section of pure tuart forest in the world. Traditionally the state forest associated with this stand of trees has been known as the Ludlow State Forest, named for Frederick Ludlow.
This narrow strip of tuart trees is situated near Ludlow between Capel and Busselton. The trees, species Eucalyptus gomphocephala, only grow on the coastal limestone that underlies the area and the park is home to the tallest and largest specimens of the trees remaining on the Swan Coastal Plain. The taller specimens found in the park are over 33 m (108 ft) tall and over 10 m (33 ft) in girth.[2]
Tuart Drive, which is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) in length and was part of Bussell Highway before the opening of the Ludlow diversion in 1995, goes through the national park.[3][4]
In addition to the pure tuart forest, the park is also home to the largest remaining wild population of the Western Ringtail Possum. Both the Western Ringtail Possums and the Brushtail Possums can be found along the Possum Spotlighting Trail within the park, which is designed to be walked at night, when both types of possums (being nocturnal) are most active.[5][6] The trail is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and there are reflective markers installed along narrower parts of the trail. It is accessible via a carpark along Layman Road.[7][8]
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Australian National Parks - Tuart Forest National Park". 2010. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ^ "Official opening of $12M deviation on Bussell Highway". Government of Western Australia. 5 April 1995. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "management plan 792014: Tuart Forest National Park" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Service. August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Wildlife, Quolling Around-Australian; Bushwalking (1 July 2018). "Western Ringtail Possums of Busselton's Tuart Forest". Quolling Around. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Tuart Forest National Park". exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Possum Spotlighting Trail Guide". The Potoo. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ Wildlife, Quolling Around-Australian; Bushwalking (1 July 2018). "Western Ringtail Possums of Busselton's Tuart Forest". Quolling Around. Retrieved 30 October 2023.