Heathcote National Park

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Heathcote National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Heathcote National Park
Heathcote National Park
State	New South Wales
Nearest town or city	Sydney
Coordinates	34°07′49″S 150°58′17″E / 34.13028°S 150.97139°E / -34.13028; 150.97139Coordinates: 34°07′49″S 150°58′17″E / 34.13028°S 150.97139°E / -34.13028; 150.97139
Area	23 km² (8.9 sq mi)
Established	1 October 1967 (1967-10-01)
Managing authorities	National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)

Heathcote National Park is a national park in New South Wales (Australia), 34 km southwest of Sydney. It lies west of the South Coast Line and the suburbs of Heathcote and Waterfall.

Description

The park consists of 2250 hectares of eucalyptus forest and has no private vehicular access. Access to the park can be gained from Freeman Road Heathcote.^[1] A walking track is located at the rear of the Scout Hall in Freeman Road. Heading south along the track will take you past various watering holes and small waterfalls that can be found all the way along. Following this road all the way to end will eventually lead you to Woronora Dam. Access to the park can be found at several other points around Heathcote and Waterfall.

The main walking track is the Bullawarring Track, which provides a walk from Waterfall to Heathcote.

History

Aboriginal charcoal drawing along Myuna Creek

A small stream in the park

Before this bush area became a park of any kind, a bushwalking group had a lease on much of the land in the area. They may have been responsible for the creation of some of the early tracks and camp sites. Later, the area became a state park and, later still, a national park.

Aboriginal people are known to have lived in the area and have left their mark at a number of known sites.^[2] In addition, a number of Europeans lived in rough huts in the park during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leaving behind meager ruins at places like Myuna Creek.^[3]

Landscape

The park consists of a deeply dissected Hawkesbury sandstone plateau, part of the Woronora Plateau The creek gorges include Heathcote Creek, a tributary of the Georges River. The sandstone was formed 200 million years ago, and periods of uplift began about 94 million years ago. Each period of uplift caused stream erosion, which cut more deeply into the plateau surface. Heathcote Creek cascades down a number of rock pools and small waterfalls to the Woronora River at the northern end of the park.

Flora

Gymea lilies

The ridges and drier slopes are covered in forest dominated by angophoras and eucalypts such as bloodwood, greygum, Sydney peppermint, and scribbly gum. Grass-trees are common. Low heath growth consists of shrubs, including ti trees, banksias, hakeas, and waxflowers. Gymea lilies and forest oaks grow on the moister slopes. Blackbutts and grevilleas grow in the Heathcote Creek Valley.^[4]

Fauna

Sugar gliders, ring tail possums, and possibly eastern pygmy possums inhabit both Mirang Creek and Minda Gully. Swamp wallabies are also present. Honeyeaters are often seen, as well as Superb Lyrebirds.^[4]

References

↑ Google Maps
↑ Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, Neil Paton (Kangaroo Press) 2004, p.132
↑ Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, pp.137-139
↑ 4.0 4.1 Heathcote National Park - Natural environment

External links

List of animals recorded in the park

Media related to Heathcote National Park at Wikimedia Commons

v t e National Parks of New South Wales

Central NSW	Abercrombie River Belford Cataract Cocoparra Conimbla Coolah Tops Garrawilla Goobang Goonoo Goulburn River Kalyarr Mount Kaputar Murray Valley National Park 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 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 Mount Warning Nightcap Ramornie Richmond Range Tooloom Toonumbar Wollumbin Yabbra Yuraygir

Outback NSW	Culgoa Gundabooka Kinchega Mallee Cliffs Mungo Mutawintji Paroo-Darling Sturt 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 Forest Tallaganda Tarlo River Wadbilliga Woomargama Yanununbeyan

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

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