The Toonumbar National Park is a

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

national park located in the

Northern Rivers Northern Rivers is the most north-easterly region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located between north of the state capital, Sydney, and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed rivers. ...

region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The park is situated approximately north of Sydney, near the town of . The park is part of the Focal Peak Group

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Gondwana Rainforests of Australia The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world. Collectively, the rainforests are a World Heritage Site with fifty separate res ...

inscribed in 1986 and added to the

Australian National Heritage List The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The list includes natural and ...

in 2007.

Description

The park features subtropical rainforests protecting threatened plants and animals, such as the

sooty owl The greater sooty owl (''Tyto tenebricosa'') is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. The lesser sooty owl (''T. multipunctata'') ...

red-legged pademelon The red-legged pademelon (''Thylogale stigmatica'') is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to ...

and

yellow-bellied glider The yellow-bellied glider (''Petaurus australis''), also known as the fluffy glider, is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in native eucalypt forests in eastern Australia, from northern Queensland south to Victoria. Habitat ...

. The rainforests on Dome Mountain and the Murray Scrub are part of the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests 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 Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. There are also drier and cooler places in the park and this has resulted in incredible diversity of flora, from

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

woodlands and tall gum forests, to forests of

bangalow palm ''Archontophoenix cunninghamiana'' (Bangalow palm, king palm, Illawara palm, ''piccabben'', ''piccabeen'') is an Australian palm. It can grow over 20 m tall. Its flower colour is violet and the red fruits are attractive to birds. It flowers i ...

s. Animals in the park include

marbled frogmouth The marbled frogmouth (''Podargus ocellatus'') is a bird in the family Podargidae. The species was first described by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830. It is found in the Aru Islands, New Guinea and Queensland. Its nat ...

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...

, 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. Focal Peak Volcano situated in Mt Barney National Park was active 23 million years ago and was responsible for the eroded volcanic remains of Mount Lindesay, Dome Mountain and Edinburgh Castle that dominate the landscape today. The high rainfall combined with fertile soil have created lush rainforests. On average, the park receives of rain each year. Its highest recorded rainfall was 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 descendants who reside at the Aboriginal Reservation Muli Muli, which is 10 km (6 mi) west of the town of

Woodenbong Woodenbong is a rural village in the Kyogle Shire of northern New South Wales. It is situated 10 km south of the Queensland border and five kilometres south of the junction of the Summerland Way and the Mount Lindesay Road, which leads to ...

Gallery

Image:Argyrodendron actinophyllum and Argyrodendron trifoliolatum - Toonumbar National Park.jpg, Black & white booyong -

Argyrodendron actinophyllum ''Argyrodendron actinophyllum'' is a large rainforest tree, native to eastern Australia. Common names include black booyong, blackjack, blush tulip oak, crowsfoot elm and Mackay tulip oak. The heartwood is coloured pink-brown. One of the most ...

and Argyrodendron trifoliolatum - Toonumbar National Park Image:Toonumbar National Park - Syzygium francisii & Argyrodendron trifoliolatum.jpg,

Syzygium francisii ''Syzygium francisii'' is a native Australian tree, common on the eastern sea board, between Morisset, New South Wales (33° S) and Gladstone, Queensland (23° S). Common names include giant water gum, rose satinash, and Francis water gum. The ha ...

(left) and Argyrodendron trifoliolatum (right), 40 metres tall - Toonumbar National Park Image:CarpetPython-MurrayScrub-meal.jpg, Carpet python ( Morelia spilota mcdowelli) digesting a meal at Toonumbar National Park

References

External links

* {{authority control National parks of New South Wales Protected areas established in 1995 Gondwana Rainforests of Australia 1995 establishments in Australia Northern Rivers Kyogle Council

Description

Native title claim

Gallery

See also

References

External links