Wilsons Promontory

Tidal River as viewed from the summit of Mount Oberon. The settlement of Tidal River is visible in the bottom-right corner.
Looking south from Mount Oberon on Wilsons Promontory towards the southern tip of the Australian mainland.

Wilsons Promontory[1] is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at 39°02′S 146°23′E / 39.033°S 146.383°E / -39.033; 146.383 in the state of Victoria. It is known to the indigenous Gunai/Kurnai and the Boonerwrung Clans as Yiruk and Wammum respectively.[2]

South Point at 39°08′06″S 146°22′32″E / 39.13500°S 146.37556°E / -39.13500; 146.37556 is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearby South East Point, (39°07′S 146°25′E / 39.117°S 146.417°E / -39.117; 146.417) is the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse. Most of the peninsula is protected by the Wilsons Promontory National Park and the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park.

Human history

Evidence of Aboriginal occupation at Wilsons Promontory dates back at least 6,500 years and the park is highly significant to the Gunai/Kurnai and the Boonerwrung Clans.

The first European to see the promontory was George Bass in January 1798.[3] He initially referred to it as "Furneaux's Land" in his diary, believing it to be what Captain Furneaux had previously seen. But on returning to Port Jackson and consulting Matthew Flinders he was convinced that the location was so different it could not be that land. Bass and Flinders recommended the name Wilsons Promontory to Governor Hunter, honouring Flinders's friend from London Thomas Wilson. Little is known of Wilson except that he was a merchant engaged in trade with Australia.[4]

The promontory has been a National Park, to one degree or another, since 1898. Wilsons Promontory National Park, also known locally as "the Prom", contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria. The site was closed to the public during World War II, as it was used as a commando training ground. The only settlement within Wilsons Promontory is Tidal River which lies 30 km south of the park boundary and is the focus for tourism and recreation. This park is managed by Parks Victoria.[5] In 2005 a burn started by staff got out of control and burnt 13% of the park, causing the evacuation of campers.[6] In 2009, a lightning strike near Sealer's Cove started a fire that burned over 25,000 hectares. Much of the area had not been burned since 1951.[7] The fire began on February 8, the day after "Black Saturday", where an intense heat wave, combined with arson, faulty electrical infrastructure and natural causes, led to hundreds of bushfires burning throughout the state of Victoria. Although the fire burned to within one kilometer, the Tidal River camping area and park headquarters were unaffected. The park reopened to the public one month after the incident and the burned areas have quickly regrown.[8] Despite the damage, the natural beauty of the area remains largely intact.[9]

In March 2011 a significant rainfall event led to major flooding of the Tidal River camping area. The bridge over Darby River was cut, leaving no vehicle access to Tidal River, leading to the evacuation of all visitors by helicopter over the following days, and the closure of the southern section of the park. In September 2011 public access to Tidal River was reopened following repair of the main access road, and the bridge at Darby River. All sections of the park south of Tidal River were closed while further repairs of tracks and footpaths were undertaken. The park was fully re-opened by Easter of 2012.

Erosion damage caused by the March 2011 floods, as viewed southwards towards Lilly Pilly Gully in March 2012.

Tourists may choose basic or glam, cabins or camping (powered/unpowered) if they wish to stay inside Wilsons Promontory National Park. Many however choose to stay in accommodation just outside the Park in Yanakie, where they can still view the Wisons Promontory mountains and scenery and be only minutes from the Park's free entrance.

Hiking

There are overnight hiking tracks[10] with two key circuits, one in the north and one in the south. The southern circuit is more popular with overnight hikers with several camping areas suited to wild camping. Camping is only allowed in the designated areas to reduce damage to the bush.

Geography

Coastal features include expansive intertidal mudflats, sandy beaches and sheltered coves interrupted by prominent headlands and plunging granite cliffs in the south, backed by coastal dunes and swamps. The promontory is surrounded by a scatter of small granite islands which, collectively, form the Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for breeding seabirds.[11]

Rivers

Tidal River is the main river in Wilsons Promontory. It runs into Norman Bay and swells with the tide (hence the name). The river is a very interesting colour, a purple-yellow. This is due to the large number of tea trees in the area, which stain the water with tannin, giving it a tealike appearance. Darby River is the second major river, with extensive alluvial flats and meanders. It was the site of the original park entrance and accommodation area from 1909 to the Second World War.[12]

Wildlife

Swamp wallaby at Wilsons Promontory

Wilsons Promontory is home to many marsupials, native birds and other creatures. One of the most common marsupials found on the promontory is the common wombat, which can be found in much of the park (especially around campsites where it has been known to invade tents searching for food). The peninsula is also home to kangaroos, snakes, wallabies, koalas, long-nosed potoroos, white-footed dunnarts, broad-toothed rats, feather-tailed gliders and emus. Some of the most common birds found on the promontory include crimson rosellas, yellow-tailed black cockatoos and superb fairywrens. There are also many pests hog deer, foxes, feral cats, rabbits, common starlings, and common blackbirds.

As the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park and Corner Inlet Marine National Park have been established, the area holds variety of marine life and coral reefs. In recent years, after long disappearance due to illegal hunts by Soviet Union with helps by Japan, Southern right whales finally started coming back to the area to rest and calve in the sheltered bays along with Humpback whales. Killer whales are also known to pass the area, and dolphins, seals, sea lions, and penguins still occur today.

Climate

Climate data for Wilsons Promontory
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 41.4
(106.5)		 42.0
(107.6)		 36.9
(98.4)		 32.2
(90)		 25.7
(78.3)		 22.2
(72)		 22.0
(71.6)		 24.4
(75.9)		 30.0
(86)		 32.8
(91)		 36.7
(98.1)		 37.1
(98.8)		 42.0
(107.6)
Average high °C (°F) 20.3
(68.5)		 20.5
(68.9)		 19.4
(66.9)		 17.3
(63.1)		 14.9
(58.8)		 13.0
(55.4)		 12.2
(54)		 12.8
(55)		 14.2
(57.6)		 15.8
(60.4)		 17.2
(63)		 18.8
(65.8)		 16.4
(61.5)
Average low °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2)		 14.8
(58.6)		 14.1
(57.4)		 12.7
(54.9)		 11.1
(52)		 9.3
(48.7)		 8.3
(46.9)		 8.3
(46.9)		 9.0
(48.2)		 10.0
(50)		 11.2
(52.2)		 12.6
(54.7)		 11.3
(52.3)
Record low °C (°F) 5.6
(42.1)		 7.2
(45)		 5.4
(41.7)		 3.3
(37.9)		 3.3
(37.9)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 0.0
(32)		 0.6
(33.1)		 0.6
(33.1)		 2.3
(36.1)		 1.7
(35.1)		 2.8
(37)		 −0.6
(30.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.7
(1.996)		 46.4
(1.827)		 69.6
(2.74)		 85.2
(3.354)		 112.6
(4.433)		 119.5
(4.705)		 122.1
(4.807)		 120.9
(4.76)		 98.5
(3.878)		 92.2
(3.63)		 71.6
(2.819)		 63.7
(2.508)		 1,052.6
(41.441)
Average precipitation days 9.8 8.9 11.8 14.8 17.7 18.8 19.3 19.4 17.6 16.0 13.3 11.8 179.2
Source: The Bureau of Meteorology[13]

See Also

Gallery

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilsons Promontory National Park.
  1. ↑ "Wilsons Promontory". Gazetteer of Australia. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  2. ↑ Clark, Ian D.; Hercus, Luise; Laura, Kostanski (2014). Indigenous and Minority Placenames: Australian and International Perspectives. ANU E Press. p. 244. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  3. ↑ [
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Ham, Larissa (February 27, 2009). "Firefighters continue to battle Wilsons Prom blaze". The Age (Melbourne).
  8. ↑ "Wilsons Promontory to reopen this weekend". The Age (Melbourne). March 18, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Wilsons Promontory after the bushfires". Wilsons Promontory reopens after bushfires:, The Sydney Morning Herald.</ref<rf>A map of the burned area is available online at Prom Map, Parks Victoria
  10. ↑ "Parks Victoria - Southern Prom overnight hikes". parkweb.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  11. ↑ "IBA: Wilsons Promontory Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  12. ↑ Garnet, J. Roslyn, (with additional chapters by Terry Synan and Daniel Catrice) A History of Wilsons Promontory, Published by the Victorian National Parks Association
  13. ↑ "Climate Statistics for Wilsons Promontory, VIC". Retrieved February 11, 2012.
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