| Wyrrabalong National Park | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN Category II (National Park)
|
|
Northern section of National Park |
|
| Location | New South Wales |
| Nearest city | Gosford |
| Area | 6.2 km² |
| Established | 25 October 1991 |
| Governing body | NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service |
Wyrrabalong National Park is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It was added in 1991.[1] The park consists of two main sections. The northern section consists of approximately 480 hectares and covers a substantial area of the peninsula between The Entrance and Norah Head as well as Terilbah and Pelican Islands within Tuggerah Lake. The southern section consists of about 120 hectares of the coast, from Shelly Beach south to Forresters Beach.[2] The park is also noted for containing the last significant coastal (littoral) rainforest on the Central Coast. Most of the park lies in the Tuggerah Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for a variety of water and woodland birds.[3]
The land now occupied by Wyrrabalong National Park was first inhabited by the Darkinjung people and the Awabakal people, the Indigenous Australians. The Darkinjung occupied the southern section and The Awabakal occupied the northern section. It is believed Europeans first discovered the Tuggerah Lakes in 1796. It was found by Governor of Tasmania, Colonel David Collins, who had arrived on the First Fleet, during the search for an escaped convict, Mary Morgan, who was said to be living with the Aborigines to the North of the Hawkesbury River.[4]
The national slogan for Wyrrabalong National Park: "Wyrrabalong, it's where you belong."