New England National Park

Introduction

National park in Australia This article is about the national park in Australia. For the region of the United States of America, see New England. New England National ParkIUCN category Ib (wilderness area)Along the escarpment there are a number of lookouts providing expansive views.New England National ParkLocationNew South WalesNearest cityDorrigoCoordinates30°35′34″S 152°27′30″E / 30.59278°S 152.45833°E / -30.59278; 152.45833Area673 km2 (260 sq mi)EstablishedMay 1937 (1937-05)Governing bodyNSW National Parks & Wildlife ServiceWebsiteOfficial website The New England National Park is a protected national park located on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The 67,303-hectare (166,310-acre) park was created in May 1935 and is situated approximately 560 kilometres (350 mi) north of Sydney, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Waterfall Way, just 85 kilometres (53 mi) east of Armidale and 65 kilometres (40 mi) west of Coffs Harbour. The closest village to New England National Park is Ebor, located 20 kilometres (12 mi) away. The park is part of the New England Group World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007. More than 1,000 plant species are found within the park, attracting prolific birdlife.

History

[edit] In the 1920s Phillip Wright of Wollomombi led the push to have this area declared a National Park. Most of the area was declared a reserve in 1931 and in 1935 dedicated for public recreation. Between 1934 and 1956 mining leases for antimony were granted. The national park was officially opened by the Governor General Lord Gowrie in 1937, although the wilderness area was recognised for its beauty as early as the 1920s. New England National Park (NENP) was World Heritage listed in 1986 and forms part of the New England Group of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (previously the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia) (CERRA). In 1999 the Mount Killekrankie area, which had been subject to anti-logging blockade earlier in the decade, was added to the park. The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.

Geography