Edmund Kennedy National Park

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Edmund Kennedy National Park
Queensland
IUCN category II (national park)
Edmund-kennedy-national-park.JPG
Edmund Kennedy National Park is located in Queensland
Edmund Kennedy National Park
Edmund Kennedy National Park
Nearest town or cityTully
Coordinates18°02′41″S 146°01′41″E / 18.04472°S 146.02806°E / -18.04472; 146.02806Coordinates: 18°02′41″S 146°01′41″E / 18.04472°S 146.02806°E / -18.04472; 146.02806
Established1977
Area9,000 km2 (3,474.9 sq mi)
Managing authoritiesQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteEdmund Kennedy National Park
See alsoProtected areas of Queensland

Edmund Kennedy is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1269 km northwest of Brisbane. The national park is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It was named after Edmund Kennedy, a mid-nineteenth century explorer.

The park protects part of the coastline between the mouths of the Tully River and Meunga Creek at Rockingham Bay.[1] Waters adjacent to the park belong to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Flora[edit]

The coastal plain contains mangrove and freshwater swamps associated with the waterways of Murray River, Dallachy Creek and Wreck Creek.[1] Other vegetation types include low coastal rainforest, eucalyptus forest, melaleuca woodland and sedge swamp.[2] The Arenga palm grows here, one of only a few Australian mainland locations where this occurs.[1] The Red Beech, pandanus and melaleucas are typically found in the park.[3]

Fauna[edit]

The endangered southern cassowary and mahogany glider are found in the park.[2] Saltwater crocodiles are found in the creeks.[1] The park is part of the Coastal Wet Tropics Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of lowland tropical rainforest birds.[4] Common birds include the black butcherbird and various honeyeaters. The orange-footed scrubfowl nests in the park. Their mounds, which can be up to three m high, are the largest of all mound-building birds in Australia.[1] Lace monitor lizards can also be seen in Edmund Kennedy National Park.[2]

Feral pigs and cattle have to be culled from the area.

History[edit]

The land was once home to the Girramay people.[3] In 1848, explorer Edmund Kennedy and his party landed 35 km north of the park. He travelled south through the area now known as Edmund Kennedy National Park in a failed attempt to find passage over the ranges behind the coast.[3]

It was expanded in 1980 by land donated by conservation activists Margaret and Arthur Thorsborne. In 2011, Cyclone Yasi caused significant damage to the area.

Facilities[edit]

Camping is not permitted in the park.[1] Picnic facilities including tables and toilets are available. A boardwalk through mangroves and another along Wreck Creek are graded as easy.[5]

Access[edit]

The park can be reached by an entrance road four km north of Cardwell on the Bruce Highway.[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Shilton, Peter (2005). Natural Areas of Queensland. Mount Gravatt, Queensland: Goldpress. pp. 60–63. ISBN 0-9758275-0-2.
  2. ^ a b c "Edmund Kennedy National Park". Queensland Holidays. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Edmund Kennedy, Girramay National Park: Nature, culture and history". Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  4. ^ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Coastal Wet Tropics. Downloaded from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 2012-12-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) on 2011-12-16.
  5. ^ "About Edmund Kennedy". Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2014.

External links[edit]

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