Drovers Cave National Park

Drovers Cave National Park
Western Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
Drovers Cave National Park
Nearest town or city Jurien Bay
Coordinates 30°14′04″S 115°05′16″E / 30.23444°S 115.08778°E / -30.23444; 115.08778Coordinates: 30°14′04″S 115°05′16″E / 30.23444°S 115.08778°E / -30.23444; 115.08778
Established 1972
Area 26.81 km2 (10.4 sq mi)[1]
Managing authorities Department of Environment and Conservation
Website Drovers Cave National Park
See also List of protected areas of
Western Australia

Drovers Cave National Park is a national park in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia (Australia), 201 kilometres (125 mi) northwest of Perth. The nearest town is Jurien Bay 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the west.

The area is composed of limestone and numerous caves are known to exist within the park boundaries. Many of the caves are locked with screens to keep visitors out in the interest of public safety and to prevent vandalism.[2]

Some of the other caves found within the park include Hastings, Moora, Old river and Mystery caves. Hastings cave is known to contain fossils.[3]

Drovers Cave was well known to early explorers and stockmen; the location of the site near to the Canning Stock Route meant it was often visited by drovers, hence the name. The first known visit to the cave was a drover who signed the cave wall in 1886. Many more visits occurred between 1930 and 1940. The cave was surveyed in 1973 and gazetted as part of the National Park the same year.[4]

Native flora within the park includes shrub banksia, one-sided bottlebrush and parrot bush. Fauna includes emus, honey possums, western pygmy possums, short-beaked echidnas, western grey kangaroos, Australian bustards and many reptiles.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report". Department of Environment and Conservation. 2010: 48. ISSN 1835-114X.
  2. ↑ "Total Travel - Drovers Cave National Park". 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Boorabbin National Park (entry AHD10199)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  4. ↑ "Western Australian Speleological Group Website". 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Planbooktravel - Drovers Cave National Park". 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.


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