Toonumbar National Park

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Toonumbar National Park
IUCN category II (national park)

Tall sub tropical rainforest at Toonumbar National Park
Coordinates 28°29′16″S 152°43′33″E / 28.48778°S 152.72583°E / -28.48778; 152.72583Coordinates: 28°29′16″S 152°43′33″E / 28.48778°S 152.72583°E / -28.48778; 152.72583
Area 149.10 km2 (57.57 sq mi)
Established 22 December 1995
Managing authorities National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW

Toonumbar is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 617 km north of Sydney.

The Park is part of the Focal Peak Group World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.

Description

The park features subtropical rainforests protecting threatened plants and animals, such as the Sooty Owl, Red-legged Pademelon and yellow-bellied glider. The rainforests on Dome Mountain and the Murray Scrub are part of the World Heritage listed Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia. The rugged landscape of Mount Lindesay, Dome Mountain and Edinburgh Castle have provided the inspiration for many local Aboriginal legends.

The Murray Scrub and the Dome Mountain Forest contain significant areas of subtropical and temperate rainforest and are listed as part of the World Heritage Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia. There are also drier and cooler places in the park and this has resulted in incredible diversity of flora, from eucalypt woodlands and tall gum forests, to forests of bangalow palms.

Animals in the park include Marbled Frogmouth, Koala, Albert lyrebird and rainforest reptiles and frogs. The rainforest area is an important refuge for a number of fruit-eating pigeons and insectivorous bats. Pademelons also live there.

The parks contains Focal Peak Volcano, which was active 23 million years ago. The eroded volcanic remains of Mount Lindesay, Dome Mountain and Edinburgh Castle dominate the landscape today. The high rainfall combined with fertile soil have created lush rainforests.

On average, the park receives 1035.8 mm of rain each year. Its highest recorded rainfall was 449.4 mm in one day.

Native title claim

Toonumbar National Park was part of the successful Githabul Nation native title claim. The Native title claimant Trevor Close an Aboriginal lawyer fought the NSW Government fifteen years probono to win the historic Native Title claim in memory of his grandfather Rory Close and his children Nea Close, Marnie Close Sera Close, Issiah Close and Tomika Close, Yartha Close and Kory Close. Trevor Close Githabul Tribal name is Mudargun which means lawman.

Inside Toonumbar National Park there are a number of jurabihls (increase sites) which were recorded with the assistance of the late Auntie Millie Boyd in 1974 by Howard Creamer. These types of sites (involving a complex set of religious and ritualistic beliefs) are of National significance due to their rarity in Australia and the rest of the world. Dome Mountain is the Githabul sacred site for the rain ceremony. Edinburgh Castle is the Goanna site and owned by the Clara Williams descendents who reside at the Aboriginal Reservation Muli Muli, which is six miles west of the town of Woodenbong.

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External links

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