Gardens of Stone National Park

Gardens of Stone National Park New South Wales
IUCN category II (national park)
A view of the natural stone pagodas in the national park
Gardens of Stone National Park
Nearest town or city	Lithgow
Coordinates	33°9′16.6″S 150°2′27.5″E / 33.154611°S 150.040972°E / -33.154611; 150.040972Coordinates: 33°9′16.6″S 150°2′27.5″E / 33.154611°S 150.040972°E / -33.154611; 150.040972
Established	30 November 1994 (1994-11-30)^[1]
Area	150.8 km² (58.2 sq mi)^[1]
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Website	Gardens of Stone National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Gardens of Stone National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales in eastern Australia. The 15,080-hectare (37,300-acre) national park is situated 125 kilometres (78 mi) northwest of Sydney, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Lithgow. The national park draws its name from the natural stone pagodas within its boundaries.^[2]

The Gardens of Stone National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.^[3] The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range.

Features and location

The most prominent features of the park are the sandstone pagoda landscapes and cliffs and canyons.^[4] Limestone outcrops, karsts and elevated swamps are other unusual features.^[2]

The park is bounded on the west by the Castlereagh Highway; to the north by the Glen Davis Road; to the east by the Wollemi National Park; and to the south by the Newnes State Forest, the Wolgan Valley, and the Wolgan State Forest. The rural localities of Capertee, Ben Bullen, and Glen Davis are located on the edge of the national park.

History

The Newnes Plateau region was proposed for conservation in 1932 as part of a Greater Blue Mountains National Park by the National Parks and Primitive Areas Council.^[2] Lobbying for protecting the area increased after the establishment of Wollemi National Park in 1979.^[5] The National Parks Association proposed its extension westwards in 1984, which developed into a detailed proposal of an 18,030-hectare (44,600-acre) park in 1993, which was ultimately successful.^[2] The Gardens of Stone National Park was established in 1994;^[5] however, the initial park only covered 11,780 hectares (29,100 acres), omitting areas which contain coal deposits. It was later enlarged to 15,080 hectares (37,300 acres).^[6] Environmentalist groups seek to protect more of the surrounding area, which includes pagodas, canyons, heathland and elevated swamps.^[5]

Flora and fauna

A total of 423 native plant species have been recorded in the park in 30 different plant communities. Most of the park is covered in open forest or woodland dominated by eucalypts. In the west of the park, there are ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa and E. crebra) and yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) woodlands that grow on clay loam and are a habitat for the rare regent honeyeater and turquoise parrot. There is white box (Eucalyptus albens) woodland in the southwest and scribbly gum (Eucalyptus rossii and E. sparsifolia) woodland on the park's eastern borders.^[2]

The plant and animal communities of the pagoda formations are fragile and easily irreversibly damaged by human activity. Collection of bush rocks for gardens and landscaping removes habitat for reptiles.^[2]

A view of the Capertee Valley, covering parts of the Gardens of Stone National Park, seen from Pearsons Lookout. The flat-topped formation in the centre is Pantony's Crown.

References

1 2 "Gardens of Stone National Park: Park management". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gardens of Stone National Park: Plan of Management" (PDF). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. June 2009. ISBN 978-1-74232-384-8. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
↑ "Greater Blue Mountains Area". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
↑ "Gardens of Stone National Park: Plants, animals and landscape". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
1 2 3 Blue Mountains Conservation Society (2011). "Gardens of Stone National Park". Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Experience. NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
↑ Washington, Haydn G.; Wray, Robert A. L. (2011). "The Geoheritage and Geomorphology of the Sandstone Pagodas of the North-western Blue Mountains Region (NSW)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (PDF) 132: 131–43. ISSN 0370-047X.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gardens of Stone National Park.

"Gardens of Stone National Park". NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. Government of New South Wales.
"Gardens of Stone National Park: Plan of Management" (PDF). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. June 2009. ISBN 978-1-74232-384-8.
"Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area: Strategic Plan" (PDF). NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2009. ISBN 978-1-74122-960-8.
"Gardens of Stone National Park". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales.
Dingo Gap photos of GOS NP

National parks of New South Wales, Australia

Central West, North West Slopes, Riverina, and South West Slopes	Abercrombie River Belford Cataract Cocoparra Conimbla Coolah Tops Garrawilla Goobang Goonoo Goulburn River Kalyarr Mount Kaputar Murray Valley Nangar Oolambeyan Timbarra Turon Warrumbungle Weddin Mountains Yarrobil

Hunter and Mid North Coast	Bago Bluff Barakee Barrington Tops Bellinger River Ben Halls Gap Bindarri Biriwal Bulga Bongil Bongil Booti Booti Cascade Coorabakh Crowdy Bay Dooragan Dorrigo Dunggir Ghin-Doo-Ee Hat Head Junuy Juluum Kumbatine Maria Middle Brother Mount Royal Myall Lakes Nymboi-Binderay Saltwater Sea Acres Tapin Tops Tomaree Towarri Ulidarra Wallarah Wallingat Watagans Willi Willi Woko Yarriabini

New England Tablelands	Bald Rock Barool Basket Swamp Boonoo Boonoo Butterleaf Capoompeta Carrai Cathedral Rock Chaelundi Cottan-Bimbang Cunnawarra Gibraltar Range Guy Fawkes River Indwarra Kings Plains Kwiambal Mummel Gulf New England Nowendoc Nymboida Oxley Wild Rivers Single Warra Warrabah Washpool Werrikimbe

Northern Rivers	Arakwal Border Ranges Broadwater Bundjalung Bungawalbin Fortis Creek Goonengerry Koreelah Mallanganee Maryland Mebbin Mooball Mount Clunie Mount Jerusalem Mount Nothofagus Mount Pikapene Nightcap Ramornie Richmond Range Tooloom Toonumbar Wollumbin Yabbra Yuraygir

Outback NSW	Culgoa Gundabooka Kinchega Mallee Cliffs Mungo Murrumbidgee Valley Mutawintji Paroo-Darling Sturt Toorale Willandra Yanga

South Coast and Highlands	Bangadilly Ben Boyd Benambra Biamanga Bimberamala Bournda Brindabella Budawang Budderoo Bugong Clyde River Conjola Deua Eurobodalla Gourock Gulaga Jerrawangala Jervis Bay Kooraban Kosciuszko Livingstone Macquarie Pass Meroo Mimosa Rocks Minjary Monga Morton Mount Imlay Murramarang Seven Mile Beach South East Forests Tallaganda Tarlo River Wadbilliga Woomargama Yanununbeyan

Sydney and surrounds	Berowra Valley Blue Mountains Bouddi Brisbane Water Cattai Dharug Dharawal Gardens of Stone Garigal Georges River Heathcote Kamay Botany Bay Kanangra-Boyd Ku-ring-gai Chase Lane Cove Marramarra Nattai Popran Royal Scheyville Sydney Harbour Thirlmere Lakes Werakata Wollemi Wyrrabalong Yellomundee Yengo

Protected areas of New South Wales

Blue Mountains topics

Towns, suburbs and localities	Bell Berambing Bilpin Blaxland Blackheath Bullaburra Clarence Faulconbridge Glenbrook Hartley Vale Hazelbrook Katoomba Kings Tableland Lapstone Lawson Leura Linden Little Hartley Medlow Bath Megalong Mount Irvine Mount Riverview Mount Tomah Mount Victoria Mount Wilson North Katoomba Shipley Springwood Sun Valley Valley Heights Warrimoo Wentworth Falls Winmalee Woodford Yellow Rock Yosemite

Mountain peaks and ranges	Banks Bell Bindo Boyce Erskine Hay Irvine Narrow Neck Plateau Kings Tableland Piddington Solitary Trickett Wilson York Bell Explorers

Tourist attractions	Evans Lookout Hartley Jenolan Caves Katoomba Scenic World Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum Perrys Lookdown Three Sisters Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum Zig Zag Railway

Valleys	Grose Valley Jamison Valley Kedumba Valley Megalong Valley Wolgan Valley

Waterfalls	Kanangra Falls Katoomba Cascade Katoomba Falls Leura Cascades Leura Falls Linda Falls Victoria Falls Wentworth Falls

History	1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains Clarence Tunnel Glenbrook Tunnel Lapstone Zig Zag Lithgow Zig Zag

National parks	Blue Mountains Gardens of Stone Kanangra-Boyd Nattai Thirlmere Lakes Wollemi Yengo

Rivers and creeks	Bargo Bedford Capertee Colo Coxs Du Faur Erskine Grose Hollanders Jenolan Jooriland Kedumba Kowmung Little (Oberon) Little (Wollondilly) Macdonald Nattai Nepean Tonalli Wingecarribee Wolgan Wollangambe Wollondilly Blackheath Blue Gum Bowens Breakfast Bungleboori Burralow Cedar Galong Glenbrook Glen Erskine Govetts Koondah Linden Megalong Nayook Ovens Pulpit Hill Putty Queen Victoria Wentworth Werriberri Wollemi Woodford

Miscellaneous	Fantastic Aussie Tours Greater Blue Mountains Area (World Heritage Site) Hydro Majestic Hotel Cascade Dams Greaves Creek Dam Lake Medlow Dam Woodford Creek Dam

Disasters	1999 Glenbrook rail accident 2001 Black Christmas / Warragamba bushfires 2013 bushfires

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