Willandra Lakes Region Australia

Willandra Lakes Region Australia

Short Report

The fossil remains of a number of lakes and sand formations from the pleistocene era forms part you will find in this area, together with archaeological evidence of human occupation dating from 45-60.000 years ago. It is a unique monument in the study of human evolution on the Australian continent. A few well-preserved fossils of giant marsupials is also to be found here.

Wide Report

The Willandra Lakes Region is mostly a geological site, with fauna and flora of significant interest in an archaeological meaning: the Willandra Lakes can be the best place for a link between the extinction of the giant marsupial fauna and predation by people. The Australian geological environment, with its low topographic relief and the low energy systems, is unique in the durability of the landscape. The site includes the entire lake and river system More Mulurulu, the last to hold water, the Prungle Lakes, dry for more than 15,000 years, and the region is unique in the world. The Willandra Lakes offer excellent conditions for the registration of events forms part of the pleistocene era epoch (when the man has developed to its current form), show how non-glaciated areas responded to the large climatic fluctuations between glacial periods. At Billabong Willandra Creek no longer to flow and thus to replenish the lakes, which dried in series from the Prungle lakes in the south to More Mulurulu in the north more than thousands of years; as each more evaporates, It was an independent system is undergoing a fundamental transformation of fresh water to salt water to dry lake bed.

As long as water remained in a more, dunes were built along the eastern edge. This system of transverse crescent dunes, called 'manoeuvring hooks or lunettes', in which evidence of past hydrological and geochemical environments. The freshwater lakes concentrated clean quartz sand on eastern beaches, but the lakes was more salty as they dried out, and clay pellets were broken off of the exposed more floor at high wind speeds to striking clay manoeuvring hooks or lunettes. This clay dunes are rare in the world, and the well-preserved fossil examples in the Willandra Lakes region an important geological resource; the 30 m high More Chibnalwood clay its lunette is one of the largest ski resorts in the world.

The Willandra Lakes Region is a remarkable example of a site where the economic life of Homo sapiens can be reconstructed, where a remarkable adaptation to local resources and a fascinating interaction between human culture and the changing natural environment. The fossil landscape is largely unchanged since the end of the last ice age pleistocene era forms part. Archaeological discoveries made here, are of excellent quality. They feature a 26,000-year-old cremation on the spot (the oldest known in the world), a 30,000 year-old ochre burial, the remains of a huge marsupials in a perfect state of conservation, And grinding wheels from 18,000 years ago used to crush wild grass for flour whose age is similar to that in the earliest seed-grind economies. The area also contains the remains of repatriation, some dating back to 30,000 years ago.

The region also offers proof of the furthermost point of dissemination reached during the last ice age by Homo sapiens and the earliest economic data in the world for human dependence of freshwater resources, in a pattern associated with Aboriginal People as recently as 100 years ago on the Darling River.

Source:whc/unesco

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Australia

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Australia

Short Report

This park, formerly called Uluru (Ayers Rock - Mount Olga) National Park, features spectacular geological formations which dominate the huge red sand plain of central Australia. Uluru, a giant monolith and Kata Tjuta, the rock domes located to the west of Uluru, are part of the traditional feel of one of the oldest human societies in the world. The traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta are the Anangu aboriginal people.

Wide Report

Located on the southern edge of the large Amadeus sedimentary basin, the park consists of extensive sand plains and dunes and alluvial desert, punctuated by the monolith Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Uluru consists of hard sandstone that is exposed as a result of folding, nothing wrong and the erosion of the surrounding rocks. The monolith is a base circumference of 9.4 km, smooth sloping sides of up to 80° slope and a relatively flat top. Large surface area of the sheet rock erosion with layers 1 t/m 3 m thick, parallel to the existing surface break; deep parallel cracks that extend from the top and sides of the monolith; and a number of caves, coves and insert at the base formed by chemical degradation and sand erosion.

Kata Tjuta comprises 36 steep-sided rock domes of soft bracket Mount Currie conglomerate consisting of phenocrysts of fine-grained acid and alkaline rocks, granite and gneiss in a epidote-rich matrix. Kata Tjuta has often hemispherical peaks, almost vertical sides, steep-sided intermediate valleys and is exposed by the same process as Uluru.The vegetation, amended by substrate stability, climate and fire, can be divided into five main categories arranged concentrically around the monolith formations. First, Uluru supports hardy eternal grass in the ground and sedge on very shallow soil; secondly the Kata Tjuta foothills support annual grasses; thirdly, the fans and outwash alluviums around the monolith a complex of open grassland, low trees and shrubs. During rainy periods this vegetation can lush. Fourthly, the plains area supports dense bunches of mulga, acacia and native fuchsia pink. Fifth, the sand dunes, rises and plains are dominated by spinifex grass. There are 22 indigenous mammals in the park, including dingo, red kangaroo, a marsupial mole, hopping from mouse multiple bat species including false Australian vampire, bilgy, occasional short-nosed the echidna, and various small marsupials and native rodents. The red fox, cat, mouse and rabbit, next to wild dogs and camels, compete with native species. More than 150 bird species that are included in the park, and all five Australian families reptiles are represented.

The park, and in particular the monolith Uluru, is one of the many important and interconnected centers of local and religious significance which are distributed in the vast field of western central Australia inhabited by aboriginal people. Cave Paintings of Uluru, some of which are considered old, indicate the length of time Aboriginal People are present in the area. Traditional religious philosophy, Tjukurpa, offers an interpretation of the current landscape, flora, fauna and natural phenomena in terms of the trips and the activities of ancestral creatures and therefore binds the people social, mental and historically on the ground. The site is an excellent example of a traditional human settlement representative of Aboriginal culture, directly connected with the religious and cultural traditions.

Historical Data

Archaeological research shows that parts of central Australia are inhabited for at least 30,000 years (although probably only on a temporary basis in the most arid phases). A period of 'intensification' and social and cultural adaptive evolution by Anangu began about 5000 years ago, in which the new programs were introduced, new forms of rock art, and new camping patterns. A broader diet was established, including the operation of the seeds of different types of grass as additional sources of food. More complex patterns of social organization reflected in this period with the appearance of a larger base camps and the emergence of contemporary forms of rock art.

The evolution of the Anangu hunting and gathering culture took place in parallel with the development of agriculture, but also in a contrasting ecosystem: both are human cultural reactions to the changing post-glacial climate. An important function of the Anangu adaptation was the mapping of social groups on the landscape in such a way that each local group held pre-eminent rights over a certain base camp next to a semi-permanent water supply. The group is responsible for the management of food in the country (ngura ) around the camp, but not claim exclusive rights to these sources: mutual rights were allowed to neighboring groups. Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are traditional base camps of this type; 20% of Anangu living today on the rime in the Mutitjulu community are visitors from other municipalities in the region. The efficiency of this system is demonstrated by the archaeological evidence of a substantial increase in the population density in the region over the last 5000 years.

The first European see Uluru was the explorer Gosse, name Ayers Rock after the then secretary of New South Wales. The year for Ernest Giles bad name Kata Tjuta Queen Olga of Wurtemberg. A short period of the competing exploration started to investigate the possibilities of the area for pastoral extension once the overland telegraph, Built in the 1870s, bath made it more accessible for colonization, but in less than twenty years the sponsors of these explorations have withdrawn, conclude that this country is to arid for occupation.

In the first decades of the 20th century the British Commonwealth, South Australia, and the Western Australian Governments declared substantial reserves in central Australia as a sanctuary for the Anangu speakers of different related dialects, Designed to protect against adverse contact with white Australians while they were re-trained in European culture. Anangu oppose assimilation, often abandoned missions and government settlements to return to a traditional way of life and for the transfer of the tjukurpa of their children. A din-road was printed in 1940 and so Anangu were unable to take advantage as a source of independence from government distributes.

The Uluru-Kata -Tjuta area was she made from the South-west Reserve in 1958 and reserved as Ayers Rock-Mount Olga National Park, under the care, control and management of the then Northem Territory Management reserves. A number of tourists motels were built in the vicinity of Uluru early in the existence of the Park. Although the Reserves Board was strongly opposed to any encouragement of the Anangu presence in Uluru, the welfare Branch confirmed a lease within the Park which the Ininti store was built as a Anangu state company.

In 1973 a parliamentary inquiry was in relation to the management of the Park and recommended that tourist accommodation should be moved outside of the Park boundaries for environmental reasons. He also recommends protection of Anangu holy places on Uluru and the training of Anangu rangers. The Uluru (Ayers Rock-Mount Olga) National Park, about 1325 km2, was on May 24, 1977 in the National Parks and Nature Conservation Act 1975).  Daily line was carried out by the conservation of the Northern Terri Gaughan tory That Has Increased customer retention, with financial and general political direction of the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Some Anangu were employed as rangers but no place in the formal management of the Park.

In November 1983, the Minister announced that the intention of the Commonwealth Government to grant title of Uluru National Park to the Aboriginal traditional owners with a lease-back of the area to the Director of the National Parks and Wildlife, in accordance with the wishes of the traditional owners. Freehold title was transferred to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Aboriginal Land Trust on October 26, 1985, and in April1986 a Board was set up, the Park in cooperation with the Director of National Parks and Wildlife. It was of Anangu request that the official name was changed in 1993 to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, in order to take account of the Aboriginality of the Park and of the cultural landscape.

Source:whc/unesco

Tasmanian Wilderness Australia

Tasmanian Wilderness

Short Report

In a region which is exposed to heavy ice age, these parks and reserves, with their steep gorges, covers an area of more than 1 million hectares, are one of the last extensive temperate rainforest in the world. Still found in limestone caves witnesses of human occupation of the area for more than 20,000 years.

Wide Report

It covers an area of more than 1 million hectares, the Tasmanian Wilderness is one of the last extensive temperate rainforest in the world. It consists of an interconnected network of reserved lands that extends over large parts of southwest Tasmania includes several islands. In contrast to the mainland and the island of Tasmania is a rugged region with fold structures in the western half and fault structures in the east, both of which are represented in the property. Expand the structure province in the south-west is a very robust and densely wooded area overgrown with north-south oriented mountain ranges and valley systems. Changing climatic conditions have also affected landscape development stresses, most recently by late Cainozoic and forms part pleistocene era glacial and periglacial events. Glacial erosion has contributed to spectacular landform features such as horns, arêtes, cirques, U-shaped valleys and rock basins (tarns). The coastline is subject to a number of sea changes during the glaciations has created and now offers a classic example of a drowned landscape, as demonstrated by the diverse coastline in the south. Special landforms associated with the development of karst have formed by the solution of ammonium carbonate rocks such as (Precambrian) dolomite and (Ordovician) limestone. Features include cave systems, natural arches, clints and grikes, 'dolines' confiscated, carts, pinnacles and blind valleys.

The vegetation has much in common with cool, temperate regions of South America and New Zealand and the rest of Australia. Next to climatic and edaphic factors, the vegetation has developed in response to fire. Aboriginal occupation in the last 30,000 years has constituted an important source of fire; more recently many fires can be attributed to the interests of the fishermen, logging, and prospectors. The fauna is a worldwide interest, in that it has an exceptionally high percentage endemic species and groups estuary of ancient lineage. In view of the varied topography, geology, soil and vegetation in association with aggressive and variable weather conditions to make a combination of a wide range of animal habitats, fauna correspondingly diverse.

The insular nature of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Wilderness in particular, has contributed to the uniqueness and has contributed to the protection against the effects of exotic species which greatly affect the continental fauna. Tasmania Australia was cut off from the mainland by the flood of Bass Strait at least 8000 years ago, allowing the isolation of the indigenous inhabitants. The Tasmanian aboriginal people were until the arrival of the European explorer Abel Tasman, the longest isolated human group in world history, surviving 500 generations without external influences. Investigations and excavations of domestic river valleys have 37 cave sites, all considered to be occupied between 30,000 and 11,500 years ago on the basis of the findings. Recent discoveries of rock art on three cave sites have shown that this painting had a ceremonial interpretation; hand stencils predominated. Stone artifact scatters and quarries and rock shelters in the Tasmanian highlands indicate a striking adaptation to this subalpine environment in the later Holocene. The south coast consists of a range of shell centers; proof until now available for changing patterns of shellfish exploitation for thousands of years until the arrival of the Europeans in the beginning of the 19th century.

Historical Data

Cradle Mountain-Lake st Clair was again declared a national park (124,848ha) at July 18, 1971 in the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970, after which several extensions and limits adjustments have been made. Cradle Mountain was originally established as a scenic reserve (63,943ha) at may 16, 1922 under the Landscape Conservation Act 1915 and extended by 60,705ha with More st Clair and Oakleigh Creek Protected Area December 1, 1936. These areas are also received at different times sanctuary state (May 31, 1927 in the case of Cradle Mountain) under the animals and birds Protection Act 1919. (Oakleigh Creek conservation Area is not upgraded to national park status together with the rest of the scenic reserve in 1971).

Franklin-Lower Gordon wild Rivers was a national park on May 13, 1981. Of its 195,200ha expanse, 14,125ha were repealed on september 2, 1982 and based on the Hydro-Electric Commission. This country is leased to the Department of Lands, Parks and Nature of 1 December 1986 for 25 years; for the purposes of the National Parks and wildlife Act it is considered as a reserve. Three protected areas with a total area of 23,135ha ceased to exist on the inclusion in the national park at the time of the adoption, Namely Gordon River state Reserve (created on May 3, 1939 and also on 19 June), Frenchmans Cap National Park (created on June 14, 1941, extended on 29 August 1951) and Lyell Highway State Reserve (established on 3 May 1939).  Southwest National Park was created on October 16, 1969 after enlargement and renaming of More Pedder National Park.

The latter was established on March 23, 1955, some of which was originally part of Port Davey state Reserve set at October 24, 1951. Southwest National Park was again declared under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 and extended to 372,300ha in November 3, 1976, Since when additional extensions have taken place on 17 November and December 1, 1976, and may 13, 1981.

Validity of establishment of other protected areas are as follows: 

The walls of Jerusalem National Park June 17, 1981

Exit Cave state Reserve April 4, 1979 

Central Plateau Conservation Area February 10, 1982 

Southwest Conservation Area July 9, 1980

Southwest National Park has been declared a biosphere reserve in october 1977. A conglomerate of national parks, consisting of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair, Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers and Southwest, was registered on the World Heritage List in 1982 and named Western Tasmanian Wilderness National Parks. It was renamed Tasmanian Wilderness in 1989. All the details of the progress of the reservation required, except in the case of woods and Sarah Island Historic Reserve are included in the World Heritage nomination (Government of Australia, 1988).

Source:whc/unesco

Kakadu National Park Australia

Kakadu National Park

Short Report

This unique archaeological and ethnological reserve, located in the Northern Territory, is occupied for more than 40,000 years. The cave paintings, rock carvings and archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of the inhabitants of the region, of the hunter-gatherers of prehistory to the aboriginal people still live. It is a unique example of a complex of ecosystems, including tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands and plateaus, and a habitat for a wide range of rare or endemic species of plants and animals.

Wide Report

The park consists of four large landforms: Arnhem land plateau and Llangattock escarpment complex; southern hills and basins; Koolpinyah surface; coastal plains and inland waterway transport. The western edge of the Arnhem land plateau consists of rocks, ranging in height from approximately 30-330 m over a distance of 500 km. In addition to the four large landforms, nearly 500 km2 of coastal and estuarine areas and two islands in the park. The tropical monsoonal climate, with its wet and dry seasons, is the main factor of the surface water hydrology, vegetation and, in the long term, the landforms of the park. The vegetation can be classified in 13 categories, seven of which are governed by a different kinds of Eucalyptus. Other categories consists of mangrove; samphire; lowland rainforest; paper bark swamp; seasonal floodplain and sandstone rainforest. Floristically this is the most varied and most natural surroundings of northern Australia with 46 species as rare or threatened, and nine limited to the park.

Because of the diversity of spatial systems of marine and coastal habitats (which large turtle and dugong populations) to the arid sandstone llangattock escarpment, Kakadu is one of the world's richest wildlife parks. A third of the Australian bird species and a quarter of the bathing waters and estuarine fish species are found in Kakadu. Large concentrations of waterfowl (EUR 2.5 million) seasonal use of the floodplains of the park and there is a diversity of aquatic animals, including 55 species of live and 200 species of ant (10% of the world total number) as well as a wide variety of small mammals. In addition, it contains the main breeding habitat in the world for the saltwater crocodile and the pig-nosed turtle - both endangered reptiles.

All major landforms are included in the park, that therefore provides an excellent example of both old and recent geological changes on the European mainland. The park also contains many examples of species and species that are representative of the different periods of the biological evolution of the Australian fauna. The coastal rivers and flood plains illustrate the ecological effects of sea-level change in this part of Australia, as such; the park offers a special opportunity to research to large-scale evolutionary processes in an intact landscape. The region is little affected by European settlement in comparison with the rest of the continent, hence the natural vegetation remains rich and relatively unchanged, and its faunal composition is largely intact. 300 Indigenous people living in the park, including traditional owners and aboriginal people with recognized social and traditional attachments to the area. The park contains many Aboriginal archaeological, holy and art sites.

Historical Data

The Kakadu National Park is of the highest importance, such as an extensive archaeological and ethnological reserve. The first remains of human occupation in Australia, dating from approximately 40.000 years ago, have been identified. In various locations, excavations have brought to light groups of stone tools, which, because they include the axles of polished stone, be included in the oldest in the world; further, in combination with the sites of rock carvings, workshops to prepare pigments are studied which date back at least 18,000 years.It is, of course, the aboriginal rock carvings of Kakadu which constituted the decisive argument for the title of this cultural property on the World Heritage List in 1981. on the basis of cultural Criteria I, iii and iv. These paintings, carried out in the open air, on rock walls, a long chronological span, since the oldest dating back almost 20,000 years and the latest in modern times.

For the historian, they constitute a fund of evidence of paramount importance and a source which is unique. They serve as a source of information on the primary sources, the hunting and fishing, the social structure and the ritual ceremonies of the indigenous population who succeeded on the site of Kakadu. They witnesses of missing species. As Tasmanian devils wolf and follow, in the details of the equipment and costume, the changes that have been on traditional life by the contacts that were implemented with Macao fishermen from the 16th century, and then with Europeans. For the art historian, the ensemble of paintings and icons of Kakadu is unique in so far as it combines multiple figurative and nonfigurative styles, which vary in their apparent chronology with the ensemble, recently inventoried, in southern Africa and the Sahara. The aesthetic characteristics of protest of human and animal in Arnhem Land, may also have had a negative impact on the graphic forms that appeared after 1930.

For the ethnologist, Kakadu offers a privileged research and observation, the Aboriginal People who inhabit this site contribute to continue the preservation of the balance of the ecosystem and. By traditional techniques, ensure the necessary protection for the most recent rock carvings. The social - if not the ritual - function of these preserved to some extent.

Source:whc/unesco