australia's world heritage
TRANSCRIPT
Australia’s places of outstanding universal value
Au
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Australia’s World HeritageAustralia’s World HeritageAustralia’s places of outstanding universal value
AUSTRALIA'S WORLD HERITAGE
ISBN 0 642 21431 x
Published by the Australian Government Department
of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Information presented in this document may be
copied for personal use or published for educational
purposes, provided that any extracts are fully
acknowledged.
Heritage Division
Australian Government Department of the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1800 803 772
Cover image: Sydney Opera House
Printed on Monza Gloss recycled paper. Monza Gloss is a FSC certified mixed
source paper with IS0 14011 environmental accreditation.
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ContentsWorld Heritage‑What Does it Mean? Page 6
Australia's World Heritage Properties Page 7
Inscription Timeline Page 8
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte) Page 9
Fraser Island Page 13
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia Page 17
Great Barrier Reef Page 21
Greater Blue Mountains Page 25
Heard and McDonald Islands Page 29
Kakadu National Park Page 33
Lord Howe Island Group Page 37
Macquarie Island Page 41
Purnululu National Park Page 45
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens Page 49
Shark Bay, Western Australia Page 53
Sydney Opera House Page 57
Tasmanian Wilderness Page 61
Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park Page 65
Wet Tropics of Queensland Page 69
Willandra Lakes Region Page 73
Glossary Page 79
Australia’s Geological Timeline Page 81
The World Heritage Convention Page 82
World Heritage Listing Process Page 84
World Heritage Criteria Page 85
Australian World Heritage Legislation Page 87
Implications of World Heritage Listing Page 89
Further Information Page 95
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Foreword
Across the length and breadth of our vast continent and
offshore, the splendour of Australia’s World Heritage
places enriches our lives and illustrates the diversity
of our country and its inhabitants.
On behalf of the global community, Australia cares
for 17 such places and is committed to ensuring their
safekeeping for future generations.
These special places include the mosaic ecosystems
of the Kakadu landscape; the steep volcanic mountains
that tower above the world’s southern‑most coral reefs
at Lord Howe Island; the stark beauty of the Willandra
Lakes which unveil the mystery of Australia’s human
settlement; and the echoes of the last ice age in the
landscape of the Tasmanian Wilderness.
The richness of our World Heritage is not limited to
our natural and Indigenous cultural icons, but also
extends to one of the great enduring monuments of
the International Exhibition movement in the Royal
Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and to the
graceful urban sculpture that is our Sydney Opera
House.
To Australians each of these properties is a source of
national pride and inspiration and collectively they
represent some of the most iconic elements of our
historic, natural and Indigenous environments, the
essence of our national identity.
But they are so unique and exceptional that they
transcend our national boundaries and are considered
by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to be of
outstanding universal value.
They are ours to respect and to cherish. And their
disappearance would be an irreparable loss to humanity.
Our World Heritage is the shared heritage of humankind.
Australia’s sites join over 800 places from throughout the world that are
recognised by the World Heritage Convention as reflecting the wealth
and diversity of the earth’s outstanding cultural and natural heritage.
The Convention is an important global agreement to which Australia
was one of the first signatories in 1974.
Australia takes its World Heritage responsibilities seriously and has
long been recognised internationally for taking a leading role in
promoting the World Heritage Convention. We have been awarded
UNESCO’s Picasso Gold Medal for World Heritage for management of
the Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park and the equally prestigious Einstein
Medal and Man and the Biosphere Programme/UNESCO Environmental
Prize for management of the Great Barrier Reef.
Last year our positive role was rewarded by UNESCO with the offer of a
place as the 21st member of the World Heritage Committee. During its
four year term on the Committee (2007‑2011), Australia will be working
hard to protect and enhance the significant investment the global
community makes to World Heritage, to enhance the integrity and
effectiveness of the Convention and to improve, through partnerships
with other nations, the under‑representation of Pacific sites on the
World Heritage List.
I am proud to present this publication to all Australians on behalf of the
Australian Government. This publication is a glimpse into some of the
most outstanding places on earth and an opportunity to understand
and experience Australia’s diverse heritage.
THE HON. PETER GARRETT AM MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
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Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the country in which they are located.
These qualities are expressed in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Australia is a signatory to the Convention. Without the support of this treaty, some properties with recognised cultural or natural value would deteriorate or even disappear, often through lack of funding to preserve them.
Member countries, or “State Parties to the Convention” contribute the necessary financial and intellectual resources to protect World Heritage sites. By November 2007, 185 countries had signed the Convention and 851 properties had been included on the World Heritage List. Seventeen of these are in Australia.
How does a World Heritage property differ from a national heritage site? The key lies in the words 'outstanding universal value'. World Heritage properties transcend national identities.
Properties selected for World Heritage listing are inscribed after careful assessment as to whether they represent the best example of cultural and/or natural heritage.
The World Heritage List includes places many would recognise instantly, as well as less well known places that some may be surprised to find on the list. It includes the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras; Old Town of Ghadamès, Libyan Arab Jamahirya; Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland; Yosemite National Park, United States; the Taj Mahal, India; Kluane National Park, Canada; and Banks of the Seine, Paris, France.
Detailed information about the World Heritage Convention and all the World Heritage properties can be obtained from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) web site at whc.unesco.org
World Heritage – What Does it Mean?
Lake Mungo Lunette, Willandra Lakes Region Mark Mohell & DEWHA
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ULURU - KATA TJUTANATIONAL PARK
LORD HOWEISLAND GROUPWILLANDRA
LAKES REGION
FRASER ISLAND
THE GREATER BLUEMOUNTAINS AREA
PURNULULUNATIONAL PARK
SHARK BAY
TASMANIANWILDERNESS
KAKADUNATIONALPARK
GREATBARRIER REEF
ALICE SPRINGS
MELBOURNE
BRISBANE
CANBERRAADELAIDE
DARWIN
HOBART
CAIRNS
SYDNEY
PERTH
TO HEARD ANDMCDONALD ISLANDS
TO MACQUARIE ISLAND
WET TROPICSOF QUEENSLAND
AUSTRALIAN FOSSIL MAMMALSITES (RIVERSLEIGH)
GONDWANA RAINFORESTSOF AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN FOSSIL MAMMALSITES (NARACOORTE)
ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDINGAND CARLTON GARDENS
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
There are currently (July 2008) 17 Australian properties
on the World Heritage List, in order of listing: Great
Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, Willandra Lakes
Region, Lord Howe Island Group, Tasmanian Wilderness,
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Uluru‑Kata Tjuta
National Park, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Shark Bay,
Fraser Island, Australian Fossil Mammal Sites
(Riversleigh and Naracoorte), Macquarie Island,
Heard and McDonald Islands, Greater Blue Mountains,
Purnululu National Park, the Royal Exhibition Building
and Carlton Gardens, and the Sydney Opera House.
More detailed information on Australia’s World Heritage
properties can be obtained from www.environment.gov.
au/heritage/about/world/index or by contacting each of
the World Heritage properties.
Contact
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Heritage Division
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Web: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/about/world/index
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1800 803 772
Australia’s World Heritage Properties
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Further informationDepartment of the Environment and Heritage
www.deh.gov.au/heritage/worldheritage/sites/fossil
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698
ContactsAustralian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh)
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency Savanna District Office
PO BOX 5597
Townsville Mail Centre QLD 4810
www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/world_heritage_areas/riversleigh
www.mountisa.qld.gov.au/tourism/attractions/lawnhill.html
Email: [email protected] Tel: 07 4796 7777
Outback at Isa
Riversleigh Fossils Interpretive Centre 19 Marian Street
Mount Isa QLD 4825
Web: www.outbackatisa.com.au Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1300 659 660
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte)
SA Department of Environment and Heritage Naracoorte Caves National Park PO Box 134 Naracoorte SA 5271
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/naracoorte
Email: [email protected] Tel: 08 8762 2340
1981 Great Barrier Reef
Kakadu National Park (Stage 2, 1987; Stage 3, 1992)
Willandra Lakes Region
198� Tasmanian Wilderness (Extended in 1989)
Lord Howe Island Group
198� Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (extended in 1994)
198� Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park (extended in 1994)
1988 Wet Tropics of Queensland
1991 Shark Bay, Western Australia
199� Fraser Island
199� Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)
199� Heard and McDonald Islands
Macquarie Island
�000 Greater Blue Mountains
�00� Purnululu National Park
�00� Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
�00� Sydney Opera House
Inscription Timeline
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites
8
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)Australian Fossil
Mammal Sites Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994
9
Lord Howe Island Group
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites The Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte) were inscribed on the World Heritage List for their outstanding natural universal values:
• as outstanding examples representing major stages of the earth's evolutionary history
• as outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological evolution.
Over 2,000 kilometres separate the two sites that form this World Heritage area. Riversleigh (100 km2), located in north western Queensland, is confined to the watershed of the Gregory River. The site at Naracoorte, South Australia, covers 3 km2 and comprises limestone caves. It is located in flat country, punctuated by a series of stranded coastal dune ridges that run parallel to the present coastline.
Riversleigh is one of the world's richest Oligo‑Miocene mammal records, linking that period (15‑25 million years ago) to the predominantly modern assemblages of the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. The site provides exceptional examples of middle to late Tertiary mammal groups, in a continent whose mammalian evolutionary history has been the most isolated and most distinctive in the world.
The extensive fossil deposits at Riversleigh are encased in hard, rough limestone, which was formed in lime‑rich freshwater pools. They record at least 20 million years of mammal evolution, providing the first records of many distinctive groups of living mammals including marsupial moles and feather‑tailed possums, as well as other unique and now extinct Australian mammals such as marsupial lions.
The variety of deposits at Riversleigh has led to an understanding of how the environment has changed over time from a rich rainforest community to semi‑arid grassland, and how the animals that lived there have changed too.
The discovery of the fossils at Riversleigh has profoundly altered the understanding of Australia's mid‑Cainozoic vertebrate diversity. The remains of a 15 million‑year‑old monotreme has provided new information about this highly distinctive group of mammals, and several Tertiary thylacines have been identified. Placental mammals are represented by more than 35 bat species and the Riversleigh fossil bat record is the richest in the world.
In stark contrast to the semi‑arid conditions at Riversleigh stand the cool caves at Naracoorte. Here are fossils that document a distinctive group of animals, with the ancestors of modern species alongside the doomed giants of a world that was about to be devastated by climatic changes. These doomed giants were the megafauna – very large animals that once lived in Australia. Lost giants include a marsupial lion (Thylacaleo) and the rhino‑sized, wombat‑like Diprotodon.
The fossils in the Naracoorte Caves illustrate faunal change spanning several ice ages, highlighting the impacts of both climatic change and humankind on Australia's mammals from at least 500,000 years ago.
Further research at the Naracoorte Caves sites is expected to document a series of snapshots of Pleistocene life in south east Australia, including details of climate and vegetation associated with the fauna.
Riversleigh and
Naracoorte are among
the world's greatest fossil
sites. They are a superb
illustration of the key
stages of the evolution
of the unique wildlife of
Australia, a continent
where the evolution
of mammals has been
the most isolated and
distinctive in the world.
Riversleigh shows
Australia’s mammals
evolving during the
period of Earth’s greatest
diversity of plants and
animals.
Naracoorte’s mammal
fossils show Australia’s
extinct giant mammals
shrinking and
disappearing during later
climatic changes and
around the appearance of
humans in Australia over
50,000 years ago.
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)
10
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites Specimens representing 118 vertebrate species have been discovered, ranging in size from very small frogs to rhino‑sized marsupials. These include exceptionally preserved examples of the Australian Ice Age megafauna, and a host of modern species such as the Tasmanian devil, thylacine and others. The Naracoorte fossils span the probable time of the arrival of humans in Australia, and this is valuable in analysing the complex relationships between humans and their environment. Records of past climates are being elucidated from speleothems and the impacts of climate on faunal change are being revealed.
Both sites provide evidence of key stages in the evolution of the animals of the world's most isolated continent. The history of mammal lineages in modern Australia can be traced through these fossil deposits and, as a consequence, there is a better understanding of the conservation status of living mammals and their communities.
The sites, each highly significant in its own right, are presented as a serial World Heritage listing. While there are other important Australian fossil mammal sites, Riversleigh and Naracoorte are outstanding for the extreme diversity and the quality of their fossils. They also provide links through time that unify the biota of the past with those of today in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and Kakadu National Park World Heritage properties.
Day‑to‑day management of Riversleigh is the responsibility of the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency; while Naracoorte is the responsibility of the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage.
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)Australian Fossil M
amm
al Sites
top strip and title page: Rock outcrops typical of the Riversleigh area Colin Totterdell
top: Thylacoleo carnifex skeleton on display in Victoria Fossil Cave Steven Bourne
above centre: Ossuaries Chamber in Victoria Fossil cave Steven Bourne
above: Near pristine skull of Simosthenurus gilli, the smallest of the short faced
leaf eating kangaroos. Steven Bourne
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Further informationDepartment of the Environment and Heritage
www.deh.gov.au/heritage/worldheritage/sites/fossil
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698
ContactsAustralian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh)
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency Savanna District Office
PO BOX 5597
Townsville Mail Centre QLD 4810
www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/world_heritage_areas/riversleigh
www.mountisa.qld.gov.au/tourism/attractions/lawnhill.html
Email: [email protected] Tel: 07 4796 7777
Outback at Isa
Riversleigh Fossils Interpretive Centre 19 Marian Street
Mount Isa QLD 4825
Web: www.outbackatisa.com.au Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1300 659 660
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte)
SA Department of Environment and Heritage Naracoorte Caves National Park PO Box 134 Naracoorte SA 5271
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/naracoorte
Email: [email protected] Tel: 08 8762 2340
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/fossil
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698
Contacts
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh)
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
Reef and National Parks Information Centre PO BOX 5391 Townsville QLD 4810
www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/world_heritage_areas/riversleigh
Email: [email protected] Tel: 07 4722 5224
Outback at Isa
Riversleigh Fossils Interpretive Centre 19 Marian Street Mount Isa QLD 4825
Web: www.outbackatisa.com.au
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1300 659 660
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte)
SA Department for Environment and Heritage
Naracoorte Caves National Park PO Box 134 Naracoorte SA 5271
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/naracoorte Email: [email protected] Tel: 08 8762 2340
Map produced by the Department of the
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites Riversleigh
Naracoorte
Map produced by the Department of the
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
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Map produced by the Department of the
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Fraser IslandFraser Island
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992
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Fraser Island
Fraser Island
Fraser Island is the largest
sand island in the world
and has immense scientific
importance. Half the
world's perched freshwater
dune lakes are found here
and its coastal dunes are
still evolving.
Nowhere else does sand
support such majestic
remnants of tall rainforest.
Fraser Island contains
an outstanding example
of patterned swampy
fens, and a rich diversity
of plants and animals
adapted to the nutrient-
poor, acidic environment.
The island is also home
to the world’s purest-bred
dingos.
A mosaic of long
windswept ocean beaches,
coloured sand cliffs,
rainforest and both
crystal-clear and dark
lakes, Fraser Island is an
exceptionally beautiful
place.
A surprising variety of vegetation types grow on the island, ranging from coastal heath to subtropical rainforests. It is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres.
The low 'wallum' heaths on the island are of particular evolutionary and ecological significance, providing magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer.
Birds are the most abundant form of animal life on the island, with more than 350 species recorded. It is a particularly important site for migratory wading birds, which use the area as a resting place during their long flight between southern Australia and their breeding grounds in Siberia.
A species of particular interest is the endangered ground parrot, which is found in the wallum heathlands.
Few mammal species are present on the island. The most common are bats, particularly flying foxes. The dingo population on the island is regarded as the most pure strain of dingoes remaining in eastern Australia.
The unique lakes and patterned fens on Fraser Island are poor habitats for fish and other aquatic species because of the purity, acidity and low nutrient levels of the water. Some frog species are adapted to survive in this difficult environment. Appropriately called 'acid frogs', they tolerate the acidic conditions characteristic of the Fraser Island lakes and swamps.
Called K'gari by its Aboriginal inhabitants, the island reveals Aboriginal occupation of at least 5,000 years, although it is possible that further archaeological work may indicate earlier occupation. Early European reports suggested that Fraser Island was heavily populated by Aboriginal people,
Fraser Island (K’gari) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values:
• as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes and biological evolution.
• as an example of superlative natural phenomena.
Stretching over 120 kilometres along the southern coast of Queensland and covering 1,840 km2, it is the largest sand island in the world. A place of exceptional beauty, it is characterised by its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, its majestic tall rainforests and numerous freshwater lakes of crystal clear waters.
The massive sand deposits that make up the island are a continuous record of climatic and sea level changes over the past 700,000 years.
Fraser Island features complex dune systems that are still evolving, and an array of dune lakes that is exceptional in its number, diversity and age.
The highest dunes on the island reach up to 240 metres above sea level. Forty perched dune lakes, half the number of such lakes in the world, can be found on the island. These lakes are formed when organic matter, such as leaves, bark and dead plants, gradually builds up and hardens in depressions created by the wind.
Fraser Island also has several barrage lakes, formed when moving sand dunes block a watercourse, and 'window' lakes, formed when a depression exposes part of the regional water table.
1�
but subsequent research indicates that there was a small permanent population of 400‑600 that swelled seasonally to perhaps 2000‑3000 in the winter months when seafood resources were particularly abundant. Fraser Island contains many sites of archaeological, social and spiritual significance. Middens, artefact scatters, fish traps, scarred trees and campsites bear witness to the lives of the original inhabitants.
European contact, initiated by Matthew Flinders in 1802, was sporadic and limited to explorers, escaped convicts and shipwreck survivors. In 1836 a number of survivors of the wrecked ship Stirling Castle lived for about six weeks on the island before being rescued. One of the survivors was Eliza Fraser, wife of the ship’s captain, after whom Europeans named the island.
Day‑to‑day management of Fraser Island is the responsibility of the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.
Fraser Island
title page: Fraser Island is a place of exceptional natural beauty Paul Candlin
top strip: Fraser Island features complex dune systems that are
still evolving Paul Candlin
top: Fraser Island’s dingo population is regarded as the most pure strain of
dingoes remaining in eastern Australia DEWHA
above centre: Wangoolba Creek, lined by sub‑tropical rainforest Tourism Queensland
above: Banksia robur, a lowland heath (wallum) species found on
Fraser Island Ian Hutton & DEWHA
Fraser Island
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Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/fraser/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/630
Contact
Fraser Island
Fraser Island World Heritage Area Executive Officer
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
Southern Region PO Box 64 Bellbowrie QLD 4070
Web: www.env.qld.gov.au/environment/ park Email: [email protected] Tel: 07 3202 0225
Fraser Island
JABIRUSWAMP
LAKEBOOMANJIN
LAKEBIRRABEEN
LAKEMcKENZIE
BOOMERANGLAKES
COOMBOOLAKES
LAKEBOWARRADY
WATHUMBASWAMP
MOODOORALAGOON
Woralie C
reek
Bowarrady Creek
YidneyC
reek
Eli Creek
Boon
BoonC
r eek
Gov
i Cre
ek
Bowal C
reek
Yeerall Creek
Tuan
Eurong
Maaroom
Bingham
Boonooroo
Happy Valley
Kingfisher Bay Resort
Central Forest Station
Cathedral Beach Resort
MARYBOROUGH
HERVEYBAY
MaryboroughCooloolaRoad
World Heritage Area
Built-up Area
Lake
Flat, Swamp
Foreshore Flat
Major River
Major Road
Track
Places
WoodyIsland
Sev
enty
F
ive
M
ile
B
each
HERVEY BAY
CORALSEA
Great
020 10kmTo Noosa
SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Sandy Cape
Rooney Point
Waddy Point
Indian Head
Platypus Bay
InskipPoint
Sandy
Strait
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Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
JABIRUSWAMP
LAKEBOOMANJIN
LAKEBIRRABEEN
LAKEMcKENZIE
BOOMERANGLAKES
COOMBOOLAKES
LAKEBOWARRADY
WATHUMBASWAMP
MOODOORALAGOON
Woralie C
reek
Bowarrady Creek
YidneyC
reek
Eli Creek
Boon
BoonC
r eek
Gov
i Cre
ek
Bowal C
reek
Yeerall Creek
Tuan
Eurong
Maaroom
Bingham
Boonooroo
Happy Valley
Kingfisher Bay Resort
Central Forest Station
Cathedral Beach Resort
MARYBOROUGH
HERVEYBAY
MaryboroughCooloolaRoad
World Heritage Area
Built-up Area
Lake
Flat, Swamp
Foreshore Flat
Major River
Major Road
Track
Places
WoodyIsland
Sev
enty
F
ive
M
ile
B
each
HERVEY BAY
CORALSEA
Great
020 10kmTo Noosa
SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Sandy Cape
Rooney Point
Waddy Point
Indian Head
Platypus Bay
InskipPoint
Sandy
Strait
1�
Gondwana Rainforest of Australia
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Gondwana Rainforests
of Australia contains
remnants of the great
rainforests that once
covered the entire
continent of Australia.
These reserves feature
striking vertical cliffs, the
world’s best preserved
eroded volcanic craters,
wild rivers and many
impressive high waterfalls.
The area is one of the
best places on earth to
see ancient ferns and
Araucaria such as Hoop
pines.
An outstanding record
of flowering plants, true
songbirds and other rare
or threatened animals of
the most ancient lineages
show that these reserves
have played a significant
role in providing refuge
to species for millions of
years.
Rainforest once covered most of the ancient southern supercontinent Gondwana and remains the most ancient type of vegetation in Australia. The Gondwana Rainforests provide an interesting living link with the evolution of Australia. Few places on earth contain so many plants and animals which remain relatively unchanged from their ancestors in the fossil record. Some of the oldest elements of the world's ferns and conifers are found here and there is a concentration of primitive plant families that are direct links with the birth and spread of flowering plants over 100 million years ago. A range of geological and environmental influences in the Gondwana Rainforests determine where forest communities grow. This process has occurred over millions of years and will continue to change the forest mosaic into the future.
High waterfalls crashing into steep gorges are spectacular examples of an important ongoing natural process ‑ erosion. Erosion by coastal rivers created the Great Escarpment and the steep‑sided caldera of the Tweed Valley surrounding Mount Warning. This towering mountain was once the buried plug of an ancient vast volcano. Today, rainforest grows on the fertile, well watered soils that remain.
The evolution of new species is encouraged by the natural separation and isolation of rainforest stands. Many plants and animals found in the World Heritage property are locally restricted to a few sites or occur in widely separated populations.
In 1986, a number of rainforest reserves located on the Great Escarpment of eastern New South Wales, known as the Australian East Coast Sub‑tropical and Temperate Rainforest Parks, were inscribed on the World Heritage list for their outstanding natural universal values:
• as an outstanding example representing major stages of the earth's evolutionary history
• as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes and biological evolution
• containing important and significant habitats for the in situ conservation of biological diversity.
Large extensions to the area, including reserves in south‑east Queensland, were listed in 1994 as Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia). Then in 2007 the name was changed to Gondwana Rainforests of Australia to better reflect the values of the property. The current listing includes approximately 50 separate reserves located between Newcastle and Brisbane. Only areas of reserved Crown land are listed.
Rainforest occurs in New South Wales and south east Queensland as discontinuous patches surrounded by fire‑prone eucalypt forest and agricultural lands. These patches range in size from tiny gully stands to lush forests covering large valleys and ranges. The Gondwana Rainforests include the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world, large areas of warm temperate rainforest and nearly all of the Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest.
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Although rainforests cover only about 0.3 per cent of Australia, they contain about half of all Australian plant families and about a third of Australia's mammal and bird species. The Gondwana Rainforests have an extremely high conservation value and provide habitat for more than 200 rare or threatened plant and animal species. The distributional limits of several species and many centres of species diversity occur in the property. The Border Group is a particularly rich area with the highest concentration of frog, snake, bird and marsupial species in Australia.
Exploring the World Heritage rainforests in the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage property is easy. Many of the reserves are readily accessible from major towns by sealed or graded gravel roads.
The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia are managed principally by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (part of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change) and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
title page: Buttress roots in wet sclerophyll forest – Springbrook National
Park, Queensland Paul Candlin
top strip: The wet sclerophyll forest in Lamington National Park Paul Candlin
top: Mt Warning National Park from Blackbutts Picnic Area –
caldera of the 20 million year old Tweed Shield Volcano Paul Candlin
above: Brindle Creek, Border Ranges National Park, DEWHA
below: Mundora Creek, Springbrook National Park Paul Candlin
Gondwana Rainforest of Australia
19
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/gondwana/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/368
Contact
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Gondwana Rainforests Executive Officer
c/- NSW NPWS
PO Box 1236
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 02 6650 7101
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au
New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
www.environment.nsw.gov.au
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Washpool NP
Gibraltar Range NP
Iluka NR
Mount Hyland NR
Dorrigo NP
New England NPCunnawarra NP
Barrington Tops NP
Mount Royal NP
Willi Willi NP
Mount Seaview NR
Werrikimbe NPOxley Wild Rivers NP
Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Mallanganee NP
Richmond Range NP
Nightcap NP
MountWarning NP
Lamington NPSpringbrook NP
CaptainsCreek NR
Tooloom NP
Toonumbar NP
MountBarney NP
BorderRanges NP
Numinbah NR
LimpinwoodNR
Mount Chinghee NP
Main Range NPGoomburra FR
Spicers Gap FR
Gilbert FR
GambubalState Forest
Koreelah NP
The Castles NR
MountNothofagus
NP
MountClunie NP
Emu Vale FRBurnett Creek FR
PrisonPurposesLand
AmarooFR
Teviot FR
Macintyre
River
Richmond River
Condami ne River
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rfoyle R i ver
Wall amba R iver
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Styx
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M acl eay River
Cat
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Sara R iver
Maria River
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AvonR
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Row
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Rive r
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ive r
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Boyd River
Gara
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Boo
noo
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M ann River
Wollomombi R
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Rocky River
Dee pwater River
C l arence R iver
Stewarts River
Alb
ert R
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Has
tings River
Elle
nboroug h River
Henry R iver
Ner
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Mac
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anning River
Cooplacur r ipa River
M
anning River
Barnard River
Ap sley
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Clarence River
Gara
River
Mole River
Taree
Walcha
Lismore
Grafton
Armidale
Glen Innes
Tenterfield
Coffs Harbour
Warwick
Stanthorpe
Gold Coast(
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Washpool NP
Gibraltar Range NP
Iluka NR
Mount Hyland NR
Dorrigo NP
New England NPCunnawarra NP
Barrington Tops NP
Mount Royal NP
Willi Willi NP
Mount Seaview NR
Werrikimbe NPOxley Wild Rivers NP
Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Mallanganee NP
Richmond Range NP
Nightcap NP
MountWarning NP
Lamington NPSpringbrook NP
CaptainsCreek NR
Tooloom NP
Toonumbar NP
MountBarney NP
BorderRanges NP
Numinbah NR
LimpinwoodNR
Mount Chinghee NP
Main Range NPGoomburra FR
Spicers Gap FR
Gilbert FR
GambubalState Forest
Koreelah NP
The Castles NR
MountNothofagus
NP
MountClunie NP
Emu Vale FRBurnett Creek FR
PrisonPurposesLand
AmarooFR
Teviot FR
Macintyre
River
Richmond River
Condami ne River
Seve
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Blicks
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ive
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Abe
rfoyle R i ver
Wall amba R iver
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il l iamsR
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Nambucca River
Styx
River
M acl eay River
Cat
arac
t R i v
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Sara R iver
Maria River
Roc
ky ( Tim
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rra)
Riv
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Myall Rive
unter River
AvonR
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Coo
mera River
Row
leys
Rive r
Or araR
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Guy
Fawkes River
Boyd River
Gara
River
Boo
noo
Boo
noo
River
Wal
lingat R iver
Bar r i n gton River
M ann River
Wollomombi R
iver
Rocky River
Dee pwater River
C l arence R iver
Stewarts River
Alb
ert R
iver
Has
tings River
Elle
nboroug h River
Henry R iver
Ner
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Mac
don
a ld
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anning River
Cooplacur r ipa River
M
anning River
Barnard River
Ap sley
Rive
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Clarence River
Gara
River
Mole River
Taree
Walcha
Lismore
Grafton
Armidale
Glen Innes
Tenterfield
Coffs Harbour
Warwick
Stanthorpe
Gold Coast
Queensland
New South Wales
PortMacquarie
Kempsey
0 10 20 30 405km
World Heritage Area
Mainland
Ocean
Major River
Major Road
Minor Road
State Border
( Major Locality
Map produced by the Department of theEnvironment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
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Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier ReefInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981
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Washpool NP
Gibraltar Range NP
Iluka NR
Mount Hyland NR
Dorrigo NP
New England NPCunnawarra NP
Barrington Tops NP
Mount Royal NP
Willi Willi NP
Mount Seaview NR
Werrikimbe NPOxley Wild Rivers NP
Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Mallanganee NP
Richmond Range NP
Nightcap NP
MountWarning NP
Lamington NPSpringbrook NP
CaptainsCreek NR
Tooloom NP
Toonumbar NP
MountBarney NP
BorderRanges NP
Numinbah NR
LimpinwoodNR
Mount Chinghee NP
Main Range NPGoomburra FR
Spicers Gap FR
Gilbert FR
GambubalState Forest
Koreelah NP
The Castles NR
MountNothofagus
NP
MountClunie NP
Emu Vale FRBurnett Creek FR
PrisonPurposesLand
AmarooFR
Teviot FR
Macintyre
River
Richmond River
Condami ne River
Seve
rn R i ver
Blicks
R
ive
r
Abe
rfoyle R i ver
Wall amba R iver
W
il l iamsR
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Nambucca River
Styx
River
M acl eay River
Cat
arac
t R i v
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Sara R iver
Maria River
Roc
ky ( Tim
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rra)
Riv
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Myall Rive
unter River
AvonR
iver
Coo
mera River
Row
leys
Rive r
Or araR
ive r
Guy
Fawkes River
Boyd River
Gara
River
Boo
noo
Boo
noo
River
Wal
lingat R iver
Bar r i n gton River
M ann River
Wollomombi R
iver
Rocky River
Dee pwater River
C l arence R iver
Stewarts River
Alb
ert R
iver
Has
tings River
Elle
nboroug h River
Henry R iver
Ner
ang
Riv
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Bellinger River
Mac
don
a ld
Riv
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M
anning River
Cooplacur r ipa River
M
anning River
Barnard River
Ap sley
Rive
r
Clarence River
Gara
River
Mole River
Taree
Walcha
Lismore
Grafton
Armidale
Glen Innes
Tenterfield
Coffs Harbour
Warwick
Stanthorpe
Gold Coast(
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Washpool NP
Gibraltar Range NP
Iluka NR
Mount Hyland NR
Dorrigo NP
New England NPCunnawarra NP
Barrington Tops NP
Mount Royal NP
Willi Willi NP
Mount Seaview NR
Werrikimbe NPOxley Wild Rivers NP
Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Mallanganee NP
Richmond Range NP
Nightcap NP
MountWarning NP
Lamington NPSpringbrook NP
CaptainsCreek NR
Tooloom NP
Toonumbar NP
MountBarney NP
BorderRanges NP
Numinbah NR
LimpinwoodNR
Mount Chinghee NP
Main Range NPGoomburra FR
Spicers Gap FR
Gilbert FR
GambubalState Forest
Koreelah NP
The Castles NR
MountNothofagus
NP
MountClunie NP
Emu Vale FRBurnett Creek FR
PrisonPurposesLand
AmarooFR
Teviot FR
Macintyre
River
Richmond River
Condami ne River
Seve
rn R i ver
Blicks
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Abe
rfoyle R i ver
Wall amba R iver
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Nambucca River
Styx
River
M acl eay River
Cat
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t R i v
er
Sara R iver
Maria River
Roc
ky ( Tim
ba
rra)
Riv
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Myall Rive
unter River
AvonR
iver
Coo
mera River
Row
leys
Rive r
Or araR
ive r
Guy
Fawkes River
Boyd River
Gara
River
Boo
noo
Boo
noo
River
Wal
lingat R iver
Bar r i n gton River
M ann River
Wollomombi R
iver
Rocky River
Dee pwater River
C l arence R iver
Stewarts River
Alb
ert R
iver
Has
tings River
Elle
nboroug h River
Henry R iver
Ner
ang
Riv
er
Bellinger River
Mac
don
a ld
Riv
er
M
anning River
Cooplacur r ipa River
M
anning River
Barnard River
Ap sley
Rive
r
Clarence River
Gara
River
Mole River
Taree
Walcha
Lismore
Grafton
Armidale
Glen Innes
Tenterfield
Coffs Harbour
Warwick
Stanthorpe
Gold Coast
Queensland
New South Wales
PortMacquarie
Kempsey
0 10 20 30 405km
World Heritage Area
Mainland
Ocean
Major River
Major Road
Minor Road
State Border
( Major Locality
Map produced by the Department of theEnvironment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, one of Australia's first World Heritage properties, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values:
• an outstanding example representing the major stages in the earth's evolutionary history
• an outstanding example representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes
• an example of superlative natural phenomena
• containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity.
It is the world's largest World Heritage property extending over 2,000 kilometres and covering 348,000 km2 on the north‑east continental shelf of Australia. Larger than Italy, it is one of the best known marine protected areas. The Great Barrier Reef's diversity reflects the maturity of the ecosystem which has evolved over many thousands of years. It is the world's most extensive coral reef system and has some of the richest biological diversity found anywhere.
The Great Barrier Reef contains extensive areas of seagrass, mangrove, sandy and muddy seabed communities, inter‑reefal areas, deep oceanic waters and island communities. Contrary to popular belief, the Great Barrier Reef is not a continuous barrier, but a broken maze of around 2,900 individual reefs, of which 760 are fringing reefs along the mainland or around islands. Some have coral cays. The reefs range in size from less than one hectare to over 1,000 km2, and in shape from flat platform reefs to elongated ribbon reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef provides habitat for many diverse forms of marine life. There are an estimated 1,500 species of fish and over 360 species of hard, reef‑building corals. More than 4,000 mollusc species and over 1,500 species of sponges have been identified.
Other well‑represented animal groups include anemones, marine worms, crustaceans and echinoderms.
The extensive seagrass beds are an important feeding ground for the dugong, a mammal species internationally listed as vulnerable. The reef also supports a variety of fleshy algae that are heavily grazed by turtles, fish, sea urchins and molluscs.
The reef contains nesting grounds of world significance for the endangered loggerhead turtle, and for green, hawksbill and flatback turtles, which are all listed as vulnerable. It is also a breeding area for humpback whales that come from the Antarctic to give birth in the warm waters.
The islands and cays support around 215 bird species, many of which have breeding colonies there. Reef herons, osprey, pelicans, frigatebirds, sea eagles and shearwaters are among the seabirds that have been recorded.
The Great Barrier Reef is also of cultural importance, containing many archaeological sites of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, including fish traps, middens, rock quarries, story sites and rock art. Some notable examples occur on Lizard and Hinchinbrook Islands, and on Stanley, Cliff and Clack Islands where there are spectacular galleries of rock paintings. There are over 30 historic shipwrecks in the area, and on the islands are ruins, operating lighthouses and other sites that are of cultural and historical significance.
The Great Barrier Reef is
the largest living organism
in the world and is a site
of remarkable variety and
beauty that stretches for
over 2,000 kilometres.
It contains the world's
largest collection of coral
reefs, with 400 different
coral types, 1,500 species
of fish and an incredible
4,000 types of mollusc.
The reef forms significant
habitat for larger
migratory species such
as the dugong and the
large green turtle, which
are threatened with
extinction.
The 300 coral or sand
cays and 600 continental
islands, supporting 2,195
plant species, contribute
to making this a truly
spectacular landscape,
combining marine and
terrestrial features on an
unparalleled scale.
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Great Barrier Reef About 99.3 per cent of the World Heritage property is within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, with the remainder in Queensland waters and islands. Because of its status, many people think the entire Great Barrier Reef is a marine sanctuary or national park, and therefore protected equally throughout. However, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple‑use area in which a wide range of activities and uses are allowed, including extractive industries.
This has been achieved using a comprehensive, multiple‑use zoning system. Impacts and conflicts are minimised by providing high levels of protection for specific areas. A variety of other activities are allowed to continue in a managed way in certain zones (such as shipping, dredging, aquaculture, tourism, boating, diving, research, commercial fishing and recreational fishing).
A new Zoning Plan for the entire Marine Park came into effect on 1 July 2004. The proportion of the Marine Park protected by no‑take zones (known also as green zones) was increased from less than five per cent to over 33 per cent, and now protects representative examples of each of the 70 broad habitat types across the entire Marine Park. In November 2004, Queensland mirrored the new zoning in most of the adjoining State waters, so there is complementary zoning for virtually all the State and Federal waters within the Great Barrier Reef.
The majority of the World Heritage property is still relatively pristine when compared with coral reef ecosystems elsewhere in the world. Guided by the principle of balancing conservation and sustainable use, the regulatory framework significantly enhances the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian and Queensland Governments have a cooperative and integrated approach to managing the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is the Australian Government agency responsible for overall management, and the Queensland Government, particularly the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, provides day‑to‑day management of the marine park for the Authority.
Great Barrier Reef
title page: Rachael Carson Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is not a continuous
barrier, but a broken maze of around 2,900 individual reefs A. Elliott, GBRMPA
top strip: One Tree Island Reef in the Capricorn Bunker group features corals
and sandy lagoons in clear blue‑green waters J. Oliver, GBRMPA
top: A Crested Tern. The islands and cays support around 215 bird species,
many of which have breeding colonies there L. Zell, GBRMPA
above: The Great Barrier Reef provides habitat for many diverse forms of
marine life such as this white Biscuit starfish V. Harriott, GBRMPA
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Great Barrier Reef
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/great-barrier-reef/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154
Contact
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
PO Box 1379
Townsville QLD 4810
Web: www.gbrmpa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07 4750 0700
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Greater Blue MountainsGreater Blue MountainsInscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Greater Blue Mountains
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Greater Blue Mountains
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000 for its outstanding natural universal values under the two following criteria:
• outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals; and
• contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in‑situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
The Greater Blue Mountains consists of over 10,000 km2 of mostly forested landscape on a sandstone plateau 60 to 180 kilometres inland from central Sydney, New South Wales. The property includes very extensive areas of a wide range of eucalypt communities and large tracts of wilderness. The high wilderness quality of much of the Greater Blue Mountains constitutes a vital and highly significant contribution to its World Heritage value and has ensured the integrity of its ecosystems and the retention and protection of its heritage values.
The Greater Blue Mountains is an area of breathtaking views, rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs, deep, inaccessible valleys and swamps teeming with life. The unique plants and animals that live in this outstanding natural place relate an extraordinary story of Australia's antiquity, its diversity of life and its superlative beauty. This is the story of the evolution of Australia's unique eucalypt vegetation and its associated communities, plants and animals.
The property is comprised of eight protected areas in two blocks separated by a transportation and urban development corridor. These protected areas are the Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai, Kanangra‑Boyd, Gardens of Stone and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks, and the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve.
The area is a deeply incised sandstone plateau rising from less than 100 metres above sea level to about 1,300 metres at the highest point. There are basalt outcrops on the higher peaks and ridges. This plateau is thought to have enabled the survival of a rich diversity of plant and animal life by providing a refuge from climatic changes during recent geological history. It is particularly noted for its wide and balanced representation of eucalypt communities ranging from wet and dry sclerophyll to mallee heathlands, as well as localised swamps, wetlands, and grassland. One hundred and one species of eucalypts (over 14 per cent of the global total) occur in the Greater Blue Mountains. Twelve of these are believed to occur only in the Sydney sandstone region.
The property has been described as a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of eucalypts. The largest area of high diversity of eucalypts on the continent is located in south‑east Australia and the Greater Blue Mountains includes much of this eucalypt diversity.
As well as supporting a significant proportion of the world's eucalypt species, the property provides examples of the range of structural adaptations of the eucalypts to Australian environments. These vary from tall forests at the margins of rainforest in the deep valleys, through open forests and woodlands, to shrublands of stunted mallees on the exposed tablelands.
Extending over
10,000 km2 of spectacular
sandstone plateaux,
escarpments and gorges,
most of it wilderness, the
Greater Blue Mountains
is largely dominated by
temperate eucalypt forest.
This area provides an
exceptional example of
how eucalypts evolved,
adapted and diversified
after the break-up of
the supercontinent
Gondwana. It contains
over 100 eucalypt species
and nearly ten per cent of
Australia’s vascular plant
species.
This ecologically diverse
environment provides
habitat for significant
numbers of rare or
threatened plants and
animals. Endemic and
evolutionary relict species,
such as the Wollemi pine
have persisted in highly
restricted and isolated
areas.
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Greater Blue Mountains
In addition to its outstanding eucalypts, the Greater Blue Mountains also contains ancient, relict species of global significance. The most famous of these is the recently‑discovered Wollemi pine, Wollemia nobilis, a "living fossil" dating back to the age of the dinosaurs. Thought to have been extinct for millions of years, the few surviving trees of this ancient species are known only from three small populations located in remote, inaccessible gorges within the Greater Blue Mountains. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's rarest species.
More than 400 different kinds of animals live within the rugged gorges and tablelands of the Greater Blue Mountains. These include threatened or rare species of conservation significance, such as the spotted‑tailed quoll, the koala, the yellow‑bellied glider, the long‑nosed potoroo, the green and golden bell frog and the Blue Mountains water skink. Flora and fauna of conservation significance and their habitats are a major component of the World Heritage values of the area.
The area is widely renowned and extensively used for sight‑seeing, bushwalking, rock climbing, canyoning and other outdoor recreational pursuits.
Day‑to‑day management of the Greater Blue Mountains is the responsibility of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (part of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change).
title page: Mount Solitary and the upper Kedumba Valley from
Narrow Neck Ian Brown
top strip: The top of Wentworth Falls and the upper Jamison
Valley Mark Mohell & DEWHA
top: The green and golden bell frog, a nationally vulnerable species B. Peters, Olympic Coordination Authority
above: The Wollemi pine, a ‘living fossil’ dating back to the age of the
dinosaurs Botanic Gardens Trust
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Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/blue-mountains/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/917
Contacts
New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
Blue Mountains Heritage CentrePO Box 43
Blackheath NSW 2785
Web: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Email: bluemountains.heritagecentre@
environment.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 02 4787 8877
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Greater Blue Mountains
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Heard and McDonald Islands
Heard and McDonald IslandsInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Heard and McDonald Islands
Heard and McDonald Islands
This is one of the wildest
and remotest places on
earth.
Heard Island is dominated
by Big Ben, Australia’s
highest mountain and an
active volcano, under a
deep mantle of snow and
glaciers. On the horizon,
the volcanic McDonald
Islands rise precipitously
out of the world’s
stormiest waters.
The driving winds
create unique weather
patterns that change
with unbelievable speed
as they hit the enormous
bulk of Big Ben, including
spectacular cloud
formations around its
summit.
It is one of the most
biologically pristine areas
in the world, containing
no introduced species,
making it especially
valuable for scientific
reference.
Heard and McDonald Islands were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 for their outstanding natural universal values:
• as outstanding examples representing major stages of the earth's history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
• as outstanding examples representing significant on‑going ecological and biological processes.
The Australian Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands lies in a remote and stormy part of the globe, near the meeting‑point of Antarctic and temperate ocean waters. The islands, which were unknown to humanity until the 19th century, are located in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean at around 53° 05' S and 73° 30' E. They lie about 1,500 kilometres north of Antarctica and over 4,000 kilometres south‑west of Australia.
The Heard Island and McDonald Islands group was formed by the plume type of volcanism, a process that is poorly understood in comparison with the earth's other two main volcanic types ‑ subduction and seafloor spreading. This feature of the group offers an extraordinary view into the earth's deep interior and its interactions with the lithospheric plates that resulted in the formation of the ocean basins and continents. They are the only sub‑Antarctic islands that are volcanically active.
The last recorded major eruption on Big Ben, which soars to an altitude of 2,745 metres, was in 1992. However, continuous activity is evident from other observations of minor steam and smoke emissions.
Permanent snow and ice cover 70 per cent of Heard Island. Its steepness, combined with significant snow fall at high altitudes, makes the glaciers fast‑flowing – in the order of 250 metres a year. As a result, the ice and snow in the glaciers have a relatively short turnover period of around 100 years, and the glaciers respond quickly to changes in climate by advancing or retreating.
McDonald Island lies 43.5 kilometres due west of Heard Island, and is the major island in the McDonald Islands group. Satellite images taken in 2004 give evidence of significant volcanic activity over the last decade, which has seen the island increase in size from 1km2 to 2.5 km2. The previously separate Flat Island and McDonald Island are now joined by a low‑lying isthmus. At its highest point, McDonald Island rises to about 230 metres.
Extraordinary landforms on the islands include the flutes of Cape Pillar on Heard Island and the lonely pinnacle of Meyer Rock; the caves and other lava formations of the northern Heard Island peninsulas; the smoking caldera of Mawson Peak above the older caldera of Big Ben; the shifting sands of the Nullarbor Plain; and the extensive, dynamically changing Elephant Spit.
The Heard Island and McDonald Islands group can be described as the wildest place on earth – a smoking volcano under a mantle of snow and glacial ice rising above the world's stormiest waters. On the horizon to the west, smaller volcanic fragments rise precipitously and defiantly out of huge Southern Ocean swells. Verdant vegetation and multi‑coloured bird colonies contrast in sharp relief against the dazzling white of snow and ice and the grey‑black of volcanic rock. The driving westerly winds above the Southern Ocean in these latitudes create unique weather patterns when they
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Heard and McDonald Islands
Heard and McDonald Islands
come up against the enormous bulk of Big Ben, including spectacular cloud formations around the summit and unbelievably rapid changes in winds, cloud cover and precipitation.
It is the only sub‑Antarctic island group believed to contain no known species directly introduced by humans. This makes it invaluable for having within one site an intact set of interrelated ecosystems – terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine – in which the ongoing evolution of plants and animals occurs in a natural state.
The islands host a range of seabirds, and are an excellent location for investigating the effects of geographic isolation and climate on the evolution of species. Active speciation is clearly present. The beetle populations on Heard Island and McDonald Islands group show unique evolutionary adaptations to the environment, and several other invertebrate groups provide opportunities to study evolutionary processes in undisturbed populations at the southern limits of their distribution.
The vast numbers of penguins (including the world’s largest macaroni penguin colony), seals and flying birds that occupy the islands are one of the great wildlife sights of the world. When the wind has died and the skies have cleared, these congregations create an incomparable cacophony of natural sound.
The seal and penguin populations provide excellent opportunities to monitor the health and stability of the larger Southern Ocean ecosystem. The Heard Island and McDonald Island group is one of the best sites in the world to study the ecological and biological processes of recolonisation of the Antarctic fur seal and the king penguin populations. It is also one of the best land‑based sites in the world to study the leopard seal and its role in the sub‑Antarctic ecosystem.
The World Heritage property is contained within the 65,000 km2 HIMI Marine Reserve, declared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in 2002. The Reserve is managed by the Antarctic Division of the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
title page: Big Ben rising to 2,745 metres at Mawson Peak is Australia’s only
active volcano Eric Woehler AAD
top strip: Lower slopes of Big Ben G. Budd
top: The population of king penguins on Heard Island has increased dramatically
over the last 50 years AAD
above: Laurens Peninsula and the lower snow‑covered slopes of Anzac Peak AAD
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts © Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/heard-mcdonald/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698
Contact
Heard and McDonald Islands:
Australian Antarctic Division
Channel Highway
Kingston TAS 7050
Web: www.aad.gov.au
www.heardisland.aq
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 03 6232 3209
Heard and McDonald Islands
��
Kakadu National ParkInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 (Stage 1);
1987 (Stage 2); and 1992 (Stage 3)
Kakadu National Park
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Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage
List in three stages over 11 years, starting in 1981. It is one
of the few sites included on the list for both outstanding
cultural and natural universal values:
Natural
• as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological and biological processes
• as an example of superlative natural phenomena
• containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity.
Cultural
• representing a unique artistic achievement
• being directly associated with living traditions of outstanding universal significance.
Kakadu is located in the tropical north of Australia, some 130
kilometres east of Darwin, and covers a vast 19,804 square
kilometres.
The park stretches from the mangrove‑fringed tidal plains
in the north, through floodplains and lowland hills to the
high sandstone cliffs of the spectacular Arnhem Land
escarpment, through to the rugged stone country in the
south. It protects almost the entire catchment of a large
tropical river, another three river systems and examples of
most of Australia’s Top End habitats.
Kakadu’s ancient escarpment and stone country spans
more than two billion years of the earth’s geological history.
In contrast the riverine and coastal floodplains are more
recent, dynamic environments, shaped by changing sea
levels and the big floods every wet season.
This is a place of enormous biological diversity. Savannah
woodlands, eucalypt and monsoon forests, rivers and
billabongs, coastal beaches, mudflats and mangroves are
home to a range of rare and endemic plants and animals.
There are 77 species of mammals (nearly a quarter of
Australia’s land mammals), 271 species of birds (more than
one‑third of Australian bird species), 132 reptiles, 27 species
of frogs, 314 fish species, almost 1600 plant species and
over 10,000 species of insects.
Kakadu’s landscapes undergo dramatic seasonal changes.
Wet season rains create a sea of shallow freshwater for
hundreds of square kilometres, and saltwater crocodiles
move swiftly upstream. As the floodplains start to dry,
vast numbers of ducks, geese and wading birds flock to
the rivers and billabongs. These extensive wetlands are
listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance (the Ramsar Convention).
More than 30 species of waders have been recorded on the
wetlands, many being winter migrants from the sub‑Arctic
region. Kakadu is a major staging point within Australia for
many migrating birds.
The wet also brings spectacular waterfalls to the 500
kilometre long Arnhem Land escarpment and new life to the
rainforests in the ravines and plateau.
The rainforests are dominated by allosyncarpia trees, found
only in this region. Rare birds such as the hooded parrot
and white‑throated grass wren live in the plateau’s spinifex
and woodland, and rare bats shelter in the escarpment
caves. Restricted populations of animals such as the black
wallaroo, the Oenpelli python and the giant cave gecko live
around the isolated massive rock outliers, left behind when
the escarpment eroded eastwards.
Kakadu is a living cultural
landscape, inhabited
continuously by its
Aboriginal traditional
owners for more than
50,000 years.
The region’s cave
paintings, rock carvings
and archaeological sites
record their skills and way
of life, from the hunter-
gatherers of prehistoric
times to the Aboriginal
people – Bininj/Mungguy
- who still live in the park
today..
Kakadu is a unique mosaic
of ecosystems, including
tidal flats, floodplains,
lowlands and plateaux,
which provide habitat
for a wide range of rare
or endemic plants and
animals.
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Kakadu’s rivers meander to the Van Dieman Gulf, gradually depositing large
quantities of silt to form extensive mudflats. These are inundated with
salt water at high tide, and only salt‑tolerant plants can grow here. Twenty‑
two species of mangroves form extensive mangrove swamps, important
feeding and breeding grounds for many invertebrate species, fish (including
barramundi) and birds.
Generations of Aboriginal people – known as Bininj/Mungguy – have lived
and cared for this country for tens of thousands of years. Their deep spiritual
connection to the land dates back to the Creation or Dreamtime.
Bininj/Mungguy believe that during the creation time ancestral beings known
as the first people or Nayahunggi journeyed across the landscape. They came in
many different forms – such as the Rainbow Serpent, Bula (Jawoyn Ancestor),
Namarrgon (Lightning Man) and Warramurrungundji (Earth Mother). The
ancestors created the landforms, plants, animals and Aboriginal people we
see today, and they left language, ceremonies, kinship, and rules to live by.
The cultural obligations and responsibility for country handed down by the
ancestors are still central to the lives of Bininj/Mungguy, and age‑old skills such
as patch burning are integral to the modern management of the park.
Kakadu’s Aboriginal rock art documents these creation stories. The paintings
constitute one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the
world, an outstanding record of human interaction with the environment over
tens of thousands of years. Some 5,000 art sites have been recorded and a
further 10,000 sites are thought to exist.
Concentrated along the escarpment, in gorges, and on rock outliers, the art
sites display a range of styles including naturalistic paintings of animals and
traditional x‑ray art. Some galleries intriguingly capture the first contacts
with non‑Aboriginal people, from the Macassans in 17th century to the early
European explorers in the 19th century.
Kakadu is jointly managed under the direction of a Board of Management,
which has an Aboriginal majority representing the traditional owners. Day‑to‑
day management is carried out by Parks Australia, a division of the Australian
Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
Kakadu National Park
title page: Jim Jim Falls in flood
top strip: During the wet season, rivers and creeks flood and spread out over the
broad floodplains to form vast wetlands
top: Mandy Muir runs a family tourism business, with Indigenous art and craft.
above: Rock art, Nourlangie. The Aboriginal art sites of Kakadu National Park
provide an outstanding record of human interaction with the environment over
tens of thousands of years
All images: DEWHA
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Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/kakadu/index
UNESCO World Heritage
www.unesco.org/whc/sites/147.htm
Contact
Kakadu National Park
PO Box 71 Jabiru NT 0886
Web: www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu/index.html
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 08 8938 1100
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Kakadu National Park
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Lord Howe Island GroupLord Howe Island GroupInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982
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Lord Howe Island GroupOf volcanic origin, the
Lord Howe Island Group
has an exceptional
diversity of spectacular
and scenic landscapes
within a small area.
The sheer slopes of its
volcanic mountains
and the dramatic rock
formation Ball’s Pyramid
rise out of an underwater
world that is one of the
most beautiful in the
world. These marine
ecosystems form the
southernmost true coral
reef in the world.
The isolation of this
special place at the
junction of tropical and
temperate latitudes
has led to tremendous
biodiversity. The Lord
Howe Island Group is one
of the major breeding
sites for seabirds in the
southwest Pacific.
The Lord Howe Island Group was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 for its outstanding natural universal values:
• as an example of superlative natural phenomena
• containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity.
Located 700 kilometres north‑east of Sydney and covering an area of 1,463 km2, the Lord Howe Island Group comprises Lord Howe Island, Admiralty Islands, Mutton Bird Islands, Ball's Pyramid, and associated coral reefs and marine environments.
Nearly seven million years ago geologic movement of the Lord Howe Rise (an underwater plateau) gave birth to a large shield volcano on its western edge. Over time the sea eroded 90 per cent of the original volcano, leaving the islands that today comprise the Lord Howe Island Group.
Lord Howe Island has a spectacular landscape with the volcanic mountains of Mount Gower (875 metres) and Mount Lidgbird (777 metres) towering above the sea. The central low‑lying area provides a marked contrast to the adjacent mountains and northern hills.
There are 241 different species of native plants, of which 105 are endemic to Lord Howe Island. Most of the island is dominated by rainforests and palm forest. Grasslands occur on the more exposed areas of Lord Howe Island and on the offshore islands. Most of the main island and all of the offshore islands are included in the Lord Howe Island Permanent Park Preserve.
The islands support extensive colonies of nesting seabirds, and at least 168 bird species have been recorded either
living on, or visiting, the islands. A number of these are rare or endangered.
The endangered woodhen is one of the world's rarest bird species. During the 20th century the population of woodhens experienced a significant decline in numbers as a result of hunting by humans, habitat loss and disturbance by feral animals. Over the last few years a successful captive breeding program and other conservation measures have increased the numbers of these small flightless birds to around 220.
The islands are one of two known breeding areas for the providence petrel, a species that is also found nesting on Phillip Island, near Norfolk Island. The Lord Howe Island Group contains what is probably the largest breeding concentration in the world of the red‑tailed tropicbird, and the most southerly breeding colony of the masked booby.
The waters surrounding Lord Howe Island provide an unusual mixture of temperate and tropical organisms. The reef is the southern‑most coral reef in the world and provides a rare example of the transition between coral and algal reefs. A marine national park was declared by the State of New South Wales in 1999 to increase protection of the marine environment. A Commonwealth Marine Reserve was declared in 2002, covering most of the World Heritage property and extending around Lord Howe Island and Ball’s Pyramid from three to 12 nautical miles.
It is believed Europeans discovered Lord Howe Island when it was sighted from the British colonial naval vessel HMS Supply in 1788, en route from Sydney to the penal colony on Norfolk Island. The first landing was made two months later on the return voyage to Sydney.
Lord Howe Island Group
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Lord Howe Island Group
By the 1830s there was a small permanent settlement in the lowland area of the main island. The settlers made a living by hunting and fishing, and by growing vegetables, fruit and meat for trade with passing ships.
Pigs and goats, which were introduced to Lord Howe Island for food, later went wild and caused extensive vegetation and habitat changes, threatening populations of native species. Rats arrived on the island in 1918 from a wrecked ship, and have since been responsible for the extinction of five bird species. Over the last decade there have been intensive efforts to control these feral animals. Wild pigs, cats and goats have been successfully eradicated.
The Lord Howe Island Board has also embarked on an ambitious weed eradication strategy and is in the early stages of planning for a rodent eradication programme subject to necessary licensing approvals and field trials.
Lord Howe Island and its associated islands are under the care, control and management of the Lord Howe Island Board. When carrying out its functions, the Board is required to have particular regard to the World Heritage status of the area and to conserve those values for which the area was inscribed on the list.
title page: Aerial view of Lord Howe Island Group, capturing the spectacular
and scenic volcanic landscape
top strip: The view from Mount Gower
top: Waters around the Island support fascinating marine animals such as
sea slugs or nudibranchs ‑ Spanish dancers
above centre: The Island is the most southerly breeding colony of the
masked booby
above: The Lignum vitae tree, Sophora howinsula, flowers in winter on Lord
Howe IslandAll images : Ian Hutton & DEWHA
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Lord Howe Island Group
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/lord-howe/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/186
Contact
Lord Howe Island Group
Lord Howe Island Board PO Box 5 Lord Howe Island NSW 2898
Web: www.lordhoweisland.info Email: [email protected] Tel: 02 6563 2066
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Macquarie IslandMacquarie IslandInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997
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Macquarie Island
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 on the basis of its outstanding natural universal values:
• as an outstanding example representing major stages of the earth's evolutionary history, including the record of life, significant on‑going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
• containing superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
Macquarie Island is situated about 1,500 km south‑south‑east of Tasmania, half way between Tasmania and Antarctica at around 55 degrees south. The main island is approximately 34 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres wide at its broadest point.
It provides evidence of the rock types found at great depths in the earth's crust and of plate tectonics and continental drift; the geological processes that have dominated the earth's surface for many millions of years. It is the only island in the world composed entirely of oceanic crust and rocks from the mantle, deep below the earth's surface.
Macquarie Island probably began as a spreading ridge under the sea with the formation of new oceanic crust somewhere between 11 and 30 million years ago.
At some stage the spreading halted and the crust began to compress, squeezing rocks from deep within the mantle upward like toothpaste from a tube. As the ridge grew it eventually became exposed above the ocean's surface about 600,000 years ago. Thus, rocks normally only occurring deep within the earth's mantle have become exposed on the earth's surface.
Since Macquarie Island emerged, it has mainly been carved by marine processes such as wave action, unlike other subantarctic islands, which have been shaped by glaciers.
The geodiversity of Macquarie Island provides the foundation for the landforms, soils, plants and animals occurring there. It is an island of unique natural diversity, a site of major geoconservation significance and one of the truly remarkable places on earth.
Around the shoreline there is a coastal terrace formed from a wave‑cut platform now raised above sea level. Vast waterlogged areas on the coastal platform are heavily vegetated, forming a mire based on deep peat beds and known locally as "featherbed" from the sensation gained when walking over them. Old sea stacks testify to the continual uplifting of the island as they protrude through the peat beds, some of them now being several hundred metres from the existing coastline.
Behind the coastal terrace, steep escarpments rise more than 200 metres to the undulating central plateau which has three peaks over 400 metres; the highest being Mt Hamilton at 433 metres. The slopes from the plateau to the sea are most spectacular at the southern end of the island and along the west coast where the relentless pounding of the Southern Ocean has cut a myriad of rugged bays and coves, fringed with sea stacks and reefs.
The plateau surface is dotted with innumerable lakes, tarns and pools, mainly of structural origin. Fluctuations in sea level and marine erosion have cut away the original escarpments leaving some lakes perched on the edge of the plateau, while others have been partially or totally drained. The continual westerly winds, which increase in force as they
Macquarie Island is a
sub-Antarctic island of
unique natural diversity,
a site of major geological
significance and one of the
truly remarkable places on
earth.
It is the only island in the
world composed entirely
of oceanic crust and rocks
from the earth’s mantle
– a unique example of
active sea-floor spreading.
Macquarie Island’s beauty
lies in its remote and
windswept landscape of
steep escarpments, lakes,
dramatic changes in
vegetation, and the vast
congregations of wildlife
around its dark, dramatic
shores.
The breeding population
of royal penguins on
Macquarie Island is
estimated at over 850,000
pairs - one of the greatest
concentrations of sea birds
in the world.
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Macquarie Island
rise over the barrier of the island, and changes in the topography on the plateau, result in dramatic changes in the vegetation cover.
Among the most aesthetically appealing sights of the island are the vast congregations of wildlife, particularly penguins during breeding seasons. The breeding population of royal penguins on Macquarie Island is estimated at over 850,000 pairs – one of the greatest concentrations of sea birds in the world.
Four species of albatross nest on steep and rugged cliffs, both on the main island and on nearby Bishop and Clerk Islands. These are majestic birds, easily viewed when nesting.
Elephant seals also form impressive colonies on suitable beaches during the breeding season. These animals can grow to over 4.5 metres in length and to a weight of 3.5 tonnes. Conflicts between the larger bulls are among the more memorable sights that may be witnessed on the island.
Macquarie Island and the Bishop and Clerk Islets, about 37 kilometres to the south, and Judge and Clerk Islets about 11 kilometres to the north, form a Nature Reserve with protection extending out to three nautical miles from the coast. Some of the marine values beyond state waters are also protected by the Macquarie Island Marine Park declared by the Australian Government on 28 October 1999. The primary purpose of the marine park is to protect the conservation values of the region from human disturbance. The marine park contains one of the world's largest highly protected marine zones, covering more than 160,000 km2.
There are no permanent human inhabitants on Macquarie Island although the Australian Antarctic Division station is occupied year round. The only access to the island is by sea.
Day‑to‑day management of the area is the responsibility of the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts). Specialist advice is provided to the Service by Resource Management and Conservation Division (Department of Primary Industries and Water).
title page: View from North Head to the Southern part of
Macquarie Island Mike Preece
top strip: Rainbow over Brothers Point Mike Preece
top: The breeding population of royal penguins on Macquarie
Island is estimated at over 850,000 pairs ‑ one of the greatest
concentrations of sea birds in the world Noel Carmichael, Tas Parks
and Wildlife Service
above: Although the highest parts of Macquarie Island are only just
above 400m, climatic conditions in such exposed locations are so
harsh that only mosses and cushion forming plants can survive Noel Carmichael, Tas Parks and Wildlife Service
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/macquarie/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/629
Contact
Macquarie Island
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
PO Box 126
Moonah TAS 7009
Web: www.parks.tas.gov.au/macquarie
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 03 6233 7876
Purnululu National Park
Macquarie Island
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Purnululu National Park
Purnululu National ParkInscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003
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Purnululu National Park
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Purnululu National Park
Purnululu National Park, in the isolated east Kimberley
region of Western Australia, was inscribed on the World
Heritage List in 2003 because of its outstanding universal
natural heritage values:
• as an outstanding example representing the major stages in the earth’s evolutionary history
• contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
The World Heritage Listed area for Purnululu National Park
is almost 2,400km2. Purnululu National Park is located 300
kilometres by road south of the nearest population centre,
the small regional town of Kununurra.
There is an adjacent buffer zone to the north and west (the
Purnululu Conservation Reserve) of almost 800 km2, which
is not part of the nominated area but which is managed to
help protect the park’s World Heritage values.
Famous for the 450 km2 Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu
has been listed as an outstanding landscape that is an
incomparable natural phenomenon. It reveals the story of
its formation over hundreds of millions of years, and helps
unlock the story of the earth’s history.
Twenty million years of weathering have produced the
eroded sandstone towers and banded beehive structures
of the Bungle Bungle Range. Dark bands, formed by
cyanobacteria, winding horizontally around the domes,
contrast with the lighter orange sandstone. Cyanobacteria
are single‑celled organisms that represent some of the
oldest life‑forms on earth. These organisms have been
found as fossils in rocks elsewhere in Western Australia in
rocks that are believed to be up to 3500 million years old.
The cyanobacterial bands are up to several metres wide, yet
only a few millimetres thick. The crusts help stabilise and
protect the ancient and fragile sandstone towers.
The dramatically sculptured structures undergo remarkable
seasonal variation in appearance, including striking colour
transition following rain. The intricate maze of towers is
accentuated by sinuous, narrow, sheer‑sided gorges lined
with majestic Livistona fan palms. These, and the soaring
cliffs up to 250 metres high, are cut by seasonal waterfalls
and pools, creating the major tourist attractions in the park.
The sandstone karst of Purnululu is of great scientific
importance in demonstrating so clearly the process of
cone karst formation on sandstone – a phenomenon only
recognised by geomorphologists over the past 25 years and
still not completely understood.
While sandstone towers and cliffs are known from other
parts of the world, including some regions in Australia,
the spectacular features of the Bungle Bungle Range are
unrivalled in their scale, extend, grandeur and diversity of
forms. They owe their existence and uniqueness to several
interacting geological, biological, erosional and climatic
phenomena.
Purnululu (the Bungle
Bungles) is by far
the most outstanding
example of cone karst
in sandstones anywhere
in the world. It owes its
uniqueness to several
interacting geological,
biological, erosive and
climatic phenomena.
These dramatically
sculptured structures,
unrivalled in their
scale, extent, grandeur
and diversity of forms
anywhere in the world,
undergo remarkable
seasonal variation in
appearance, including
striking colour changes
after rain.
The intricate maze of
towers is accentuated by
sinuous, narrow, sheer-
sided gorges lined with
majestic Livistona fan
palms. The soaring cliffs
are sculpted by seasonal
waterfalls and pools.
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Purnululu National Park
Purnululu National Park
The park’s domes, gorges and wet season waterfalls were
almost unknown to the outside world until 1982 when aerial
pictures of this outback jewel were released.
Purnululu National Park lies in a transition zone between the
arid desert environments of central Australia to the south
and, to the north, the monsoon savannah environments
of northern Australia. The biological features of the park
show adaptations to the aridity of the neighbouring desert
environments and also to the rainfall‑rich zone of the
monsoon region. The Ord River, the major watercourse,
creates a riverine ecosystem that is a vital resource for
plants, animals and people. Mean annual rainfall is around
600 mm but the evaporation rate is very high, and runoff is
rapid. Consequently, there is little permanent surface water.
The diversity of landforms, along with the park’s location
in a transitional climatic zone, supports a range of distinct
vegetation communities, ranging from desert shrubs along
the exposed plateaus of the Bungle Bungle Range, to the
rainforest communities along Osmond Creek valley.
The Western Australian Government Department of
Environment and Conservation is responsible for day‑to‑day
management of the property, through the Purnululu Park
Council in conjunction with local Aboriginal people.
title page: The fan palm Livistona victoriae is commonly seen throughout the
park. The surrounding ridges show geological variations in the rock formation
in the southern end of the Bungle Bungle Range from the domes in the
northern end WA DEC
top strip: The huge amphitheatre of Cathedral Gorge is one of incredible
natural beauty with its almost 360 degrees of vertical sandstone cliffs
showing evidence of waterfalls that cascade down steep rock faces during
the wet season WA DEC
top: The Bungle Bungle Range with its extraordinary array of banded
sandstone domes covering 450 km2 of the park. These dramatically
sculptured natural formations are unrivalled in their scale, grandeur and
diversity of form anywhere in the world John Baker & DEWHA
above: Echidna Chasm’s narrow 200 metre walls join with the sun to yield
striking colour variations of superlative natural phenomena WA DEC
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Purnululu National Park
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/purnululu/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/917
Contact
Purnululu National Park
Department of Environment
and Conservation
PO Box 942
Kununurra WA 6743
Web: www.naturebase.net/national_
parks/previous_parks_month/
purnululu.html
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 08 9168 4200
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Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton
Gardens
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton GardensInscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004
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Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004 because of its outstanding universal cultural heritage values:
• exhibits an important interchange of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town planning or landscape design.
The Royal Exhibition Building was built in Melbourne's Carlton Gardens for the Melbourne International Exhibition. It subsequently hosted Melbourne's second international exhibition, the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition. It is one of the great enduring monuments to the International Exhibition movement, which began in the mid‑19th century.
International exhibitions were staged around the world to demonstrate the confidence and achievements of the industrial age. They provided a mechanism for the worldwide exchange of goods, technology, ideas, culture and values, and heralded a new era of trading networks and the modern international economy. The exhibitions were a spectacular shop front for the industrial revolution, which shaped some of the greatest global social and economic transformations.
Around 1.5 million people visited the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition (including repeat visitors). Around 2.2 million visited the 1888 Centennial Exhibition, amounting to about 69 per cent of the population of the Australian colonies.
The Royal Exhibition Building is representative of the international exhibition movement style, based on a Beaux‑Arts axial scheme with the building as a palace, primarily in the German Rundbogenstil and Italian Renaissance style.
The soaring dome was influenced by the Florence cathedral dome designed by Brunellescchi. The building is cruciform in plan, comprising a pair of elongated rectangular wings, extending east and west, with a transept to the north and a truncated transept to the south.
During the 1880 and 1888 international exhibitions, the South Garden was the site for the "pleasure garden" that contained exhibits. The North Garden was used to house temporary exhibition pavilions during the two international exhibitions. It was re‑landscaped as parkland and now also houses the Melbourne Museum.
The scale and grandeur of the building reflects the values and aspirations attached to industrialisation and its international face. The Building boasts many of the important features that made the exhibitions so dramatic and effective, including a dome, a great hall, giant entry portals, versatile display areas, axial planning and complementary gardens and viewing areas.
The Royal Exhibition Building was purpose‑designed to be the Great Hall or "Palace of Industry", the focal point of international exhibitions. Unlike many international exhibitions, Melbourne's Exhibition Building was conceived as a permanent structure that would have a future role in the cultural activities of the growing city of Melbourne.
The Carlton Gardens were designed by the architect who designed the building and still retain the layout of the original Exhibition Gardens. The formal ornamental palace garden, as represented by Carlton Gardens, is substantially intact in form and in its treed avenues.
The South Garden, which is essentially in the Gardenesque style with classical elements, contains parterre garden
The Royal Exhibition
Building was built for
the 1880 Melbourne
International Exhibition
and hosted Melbourne's
second international
exhibition, the 1888
Centennial International
Exhibition. It is one
of the great enduring
monuments to the
International Exhibition
movement, which began
in the mid-nineteenth
century.
The Royal Exhibition
Building, in its original
setting of the Carlton
Gardens, was purpose-
designed to be the
Great Hall or "Palace
of Industry", the focal
point of international
exhibitions. The scale and
grandeur of the building
reflects the values and
aspirations attached to
industrialisation and
represents its international
face.
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Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
beds, significant avenues, including the “Grand Allee” and specimen and clusters of trees. The feature entrance fountain of 1880, the French fountain and a granite drinking fountain are surviving features. The South Garden continues to be used for parkland and exhibition purposes.
The North Garden was designed to be a complementary landscape that would be reinstated after the removal of the temporary exhibits in the northern portion of the site. It was restored after the 1880 exhibition with a main east‑west path and treed avenues of oak and elm.
Despite the great impact of the international exhibition movement worldwide and the impressive nature of the many buildings designed and built to hold these exhibitions, few remain. Even fewer retain their authenticity in terms of original location and condition. The Royal Exhibition Building, in its original setting of the Carlton Gardens, is one of the rare survivors.
It continues to be used as a general exhibition hall, which is unusual for surviving international exhibition buildings in other parts of the world. The authenticity of the building and gardens has ensured its association with the exhibition movement remains substantial.
Museum Victoria is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of the property in conjunction with the City of Melbourne Council which manages the Carlton Gardens. title page: The Royal Exhibition Building is one of the great enduring
monuments to the International Exhibition Movement Mark Mohell & DEWHA
top strip: The scale and grandeur of the building reflects the values and
aspirations attached to industrialisation Mark Mohell & DEWHA
top: The building continues to be used as a general exhibition hall Rodney Start,
Melbourne Museum
above: The building boasts many of the important features that made the
exhibitions so dramatic Mark Mohell & DEWHA
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/royal-exhibition/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1131
Contact
Royal Exhibition Centre
9 Nicholson Street
Carlton Victoria 3056
Museum Victoria
GPO Box 666
Melbourne Victoria 3001
Web: www.museum.vic.gov.au/reb/
Tel: 13 11 02
Carlton Gardens
City of Melbourne
Town Hall
90-120 Swanston Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Web: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 03 9658 9658
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Shark Bay, Western Australia
Shark Bay, Western AustraliaInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991
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Shark Bay
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Shark Bay, Western Australia
Shark Bay, Western Australia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991, and is one of the few properties listed for all four outstanding natural universal values:
• as an outstanding example representing the major stages in the earth's evolutionary history
• as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes
• as an example of superlative natural phenomena
• containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity.
Shark Bay is located on the most western point of the coast of Australia and covers 23,000 km2. The area represents a meeting point of three major climatic regions and forms a change‑over between two major groups of plant species – the South West and Eremaean provinces.
The number of species that reach the end of their range is a major feature of the region's flora. Twenty‑five per cent (283 species) of the area’s vascular plants are at the limits of their range in Shark Bay. Many vegetation associations and plant species are found only in the areas between different biological zones.
The area south of Freycinet Estuary contains the unique type of vegetation known as tree heath. There are also at least 51 species endemic to the region and others that are considered new to science.
The Shark Bay region is an area of major zoological importance, primarily due to habitats on peninsulas and islands being isolated from the disturbance that has occurred elsewhere. Of the 26 species of endangered
Australian mammals, five are found on Bernier and Dorre Islands. These are the boodie or burrowing bettong, rufous hare wallaby, banded hare wallaby, the Shark Bay mouse and the western barred bandicoot.
The Shark Bay region has a rich avifauna, and over 230 species or 35 per cent of Australia's bird species have been recorded. A number of birds attain their northern limit at Shark Bay including the regent parrot, western yellow robin, blue‑breasted fairy wren and striated pardalote.
The region is noted for the diversity of its amphibians and reptiles, supporting nearly 100 species. Again, many species are at the northern or southern limit of their range. The area is also significant for the variety of burrowing species, such as the sandhill frog, which apparently needs no surface water. Shark Bay is home to three endemic sand swimming skinks, and 10 of the 30 dragon lizard species found in Australia.
The 12 species of seagrass found in Shark Bay make it one of the most diverse seagrass assemblages in the world. Seagrass covers over 4,000 square kilometres of the bay, and the 1,030 square kilometres Wooramel Seagrass Bank is the largest structure of its type in the world.
Seagrass has contributed significantly to the evolution of Shark Bay. It has modified the physical, chemical and biological environment as well as the geology and has led to the development of major marine features such as Faure Sill. Faure Island is an emergent portion of the ‘Faure Sill’, a sandbar overlaying sandstone that crosses the eastern gulf of Shark Bay from Peron Peninsula to the mainland. Interestingly, it is this sandbar that has created the vast areas of sandy hypersaline shallows that support the famous Stromatolites of Shark Bay.
Shark Bay lies at the
most westerly point of the
Australian continent.
Its vast seagrass meadows
are the largest and richest
in the world, providing
safe haven for one of the
world’s largest dugong
populations.
Shark Bay contains, in one
place, the world’s most
diverse and abundant
examples of Stromatolites,
the oldest life form on
Earth. It is the only
place in the world with
a range of Stromatolites
comparable with fossils in
ancient rocks.
A refuge for many
rare and endangered
species, the Shark
Bay area contains
significant populations of
approximately one fifth
of Australia’s threatened
mammal species.
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Shark Bay, Western Australia
The barrier banks associated with the growth of seagrass over the last 5,000 years – and the low rainfall, high evaporation and low tidal flushing – have produced the hypersaline Hamelin Pool and L’haridon Bight. This hypersaline condition is conducive to the growth of cyanobacteria which trap and bind sediment to produce a variety of mats and structures including Stromatolites.
Stromatolites represent the oldest form of life on earth. They are representative of life‑forms which lived some 3,500 million years ago. Hamelin Pool contains the most diverse and abundant examples of Stromatolite forms in the world.
Shark Bay is renowned for its marine fauna. The population of about 10,000 dugong, for example, is one of the largest in the world, and dolphins abound, particularly at Monkey Mia.
Humpback whales use the Bay as a staging post in their migration along the coast. This species was reduced by past exploitation from an estimated population of 20,000 to around 800 whales in 1962. The population is recovering and is now estimated at up to 3,000.
Green and loggerhead turtles are found in Shark Bay near their southern limits, with loggerhead turtles nesting on the beaches of Dirk Hartog Island and Peron Peninsula. Dirk Hartog Island is the most important nesting site for loggerhead turtles in Western Australia.
Shark Bay is also an important nursery ground for larval stages of crustaceans, fishes and medusae.
The Western Australian Government is responsible for day‑to‑day management of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
title page: Shark Bay, Western Australia Lochman Transparencies
top strip: The largest seagrass banks in the world, covering 4,000 km2,
are found in Shark Bay Lochman Transparencies
top: The Greater Bilby has been successfully reintroduced onto the Peron
Peninsula Lochman Transparencies
above centre: Sunset over Shark Bay Lochman Transparencies
above: One of the world’s largest populations of Dugong is found in Shark Bay
where they feed on sea grasses B. Cropp, GBRMPA
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Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/shark-bay/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/578
Contact
Shark Bay
Department of Environment
and Conservation
89 Knight Terrace
Denham WA 6537
Web: www.sharkbay.org
Email: [email protected] or
Tel: 08 9948 1208
Shark Bay, Western Australia
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseInscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007
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Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House was inscribed in the World Heritage List in June 2007 because of its outstanding universal cultural heritage values:
• Sydney Opera House is a great architectural work of the 20th century. It represents multiple strands of creativity, both in architectural form and structural design, a great urban sculpture carefully set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building.
It is a masterpiece of human creative genius and a daring and visionary experiment that has had an enduring influence on the emergent architecture of the late 20th century. Jørn Utzon’s original design is a great artistic monument and an exceptional building composition responding to the Sydney Harbour setting. It comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted ‘shells’ set upon a vast terraced platform and surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses.
The two main halls are arranged side by side, with their long axes, slightly inclined from each other, generally running north‑south. The auditoria face south, away from the harbour with the stages located between the audience and the city. The Forecourt is a vast open space from which people ascend the stairs to the podium. The Monumental Steps, which lead up from the Forecourt to the two main performance venues, are a great ceremonial stairway nearly 100 metres wide.
The vaulted roof shells were designed by Utzon in collaboration with internationally renowned engineers Ove Arup & Partners with the final shape of the shells derived from the surface of a single imagined sphere. Each shell is composed of pre‑cast rib segments radiating from a concrete pedestal and rising to a ridge beam. The shells are faced in glazed off‑white tiles while the podium is clad in earth‑toned, reconstituted granite panels. The glass walls
are a special feature of the building, constructed according to the modified design by Utzon’s successor architect, Peter Hall.
The history surrounding the design and construction of the building is as controversial as its design. In 1956 the New South Wales Government called an open‑ended international design competition and appointed an independent jury, rather than commissioning a local firm. The competition brief provided broad specifications to attract the best design talent in the world; it did not specify design parameters or set a cost limit. The main requirement of the competition brief was a design for two performance halls, one for opera and one for symphony concerts. Reputedly rescued from a pile of discarded submissions, Jørn Utzon’s winning entry created great community interest and the New South Wales Government’s decision to commission Utzon as the sole architect was unexpected, bold and visionary. There was scepticism as to whether the structure could be built given Utzon’s limited experience, the rudimentary and unique design concept and the absence of engineering advice.
Design and construction were closely intertwined. Utzon’s radical approach to the construction of the building fostered an exceptional collaborative and innovative environment. The design solution and construction of the shell structure took eight years to complete and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took over three years. The project was not helped by the changes to the brief. At the behest of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) the New South Wales Government changed the proposed larger opera hall into the concert hall because at the time, symphony concerts, managed by the ABC, were more popular and drew larger audiences than opera.
Cost overruns contributed to populist criticism and a change of government resulted in 1966 in Utzon’s resignation, street demonstrations and professional
Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture. It is admired internationally, proudly treasured by the people of Australia and created by a young architect who understood and recognised the potential provided by the site against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Denmark’s Jørn Utzon gave to a young nation a challenging, graceful, piece of urban sculpture in patterned tiles, glistening in the sunlight. Functioning as a world class performing arts centre, it is invitingly aglow at night. By day the effect is likened romantically to white, wind filled billowing sails, soaring above and contrasting with the ever changing restlessness of the sea dark harbour.
It is a rare and outstanding architectural and structural engineering achievement, stretching the boundaries of concepts of space and raising the human spirit. Sydney Opera House has become a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.
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title page: Integral to Sydney’s indentity the iconic Sydney Opera House
is the focal point of the city
top strip: Situated at Bennelong Point the Sydney Opera House is adjacent
to Circular Quay at the West and is a brilliant response to its maritime setting
top: The glossy tiles create a surface that responds to changing light
above: An extract of the spherical solution to the shell geometry as drawn
by Rafael Moneo who worked in Utzon’s Hellebaek officeAll images: Sydney Opera House
controversy. Peter Hall supported by Lionel Todd and David Littlemore in conjunction with the then New South Wales Government Architect, Ted Farmer completed the glass walls and interiors including adding three previously unplanned venues underneath the Concert Hall on the western side. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, new works were undertaken between 1986 and 1988 to the land approach and Forecourt under the supervision of the then New South Wales Government Architect, Andrew Andersons, with contributions by Peter Hall.
In 1999, Jørn Utzon was re‑engaged as Sydney Opera House architect to develop a set of design principles to act as a guide for all future changes to the building. These principles reflect his original vision and help to ensure that the building’s architectural integrity is maintained.
Utzon’s first major project was the refurbishment of the Reception Hall into a stunning, light filled space which highlights the original concrete ‘beams’ and a wall‑length tapestry designed by Utzon which hangs opposite the harbour outlook. Noted for its excellent acoustics, it is the only authentic Utzon‑designed space at Sydney Opera House and was renamed the Utzon Room in his honour in 2004.
This project was followed by the first alteration to the exterior of the building with the addition of a new Colonnade along the western side, which shades nine new large glass openings into the previously solid exterior wall. This Utzon‑led project, which was completed in 2006, gave the theatre foyers their first view of Sydney Harbour. The foyers’ interiors are now being renovated to Utzon’s specifications, to become a coherent attractive space for patrons. The design also incorporates the first public lift and interior escalators to assist less mobile patrons.
Utzon has also been working on designs to renovate the ageing and inadequate Opera Theatre. On all projects, he has worked with his architect son Jan, and Sydney‑based architect Richard Johnson of Johnson Pilton Walker.
In 2003 he received the Pritzker Prize, international architecture’s highest honour.
Sydney Opera House
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Port Jackson
Royal Botanic Gardens
SydneyHarbourBridge
THE ROCKS
Circular Quay
KIRRIBILLI
1500 300m
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Sydney CBD
Parks and Gardens
World Heritage Area
Water bodies
Sydney Opera House
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/
places/world/sydney-opera-house/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/166
Contacts
The World Heritage Centre
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France
Tel: +33-(0)1-45 68 15 71 /
+33-(0)1-45 68 18 76
Fax: +33-(0)1-45 68 55 70
Email: [email protected]
Sydney Opera House
GPO Box 4274
Sydney NSW 2001
Tel: 02 9250 7111
Web: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Email: [email protected]
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Tasmanian WIldernessTasmanian WildernessInscribed on the World Heritage list in 1982;
updated in 1989
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Tasmanian Wilderness
Tasmanian Wilderness
The Tasmanian Wilderness was inscribed on the World
Heritage List for its outstanding natural and cultural
universal values under the following criteria:
Natural• outstanding examples representing the major stages of
the earth's evolutionary history
• outstanding examples representing significant ongoing
geological processes, biological evolution and man’s
interaction with his natural environment; as distinct from
the periods of the Earth’s development, this focuses upon
ongoing processes in the development of communities
of plants and animals, landforms and marine and fresh
water bodies
• contain superlative natural phenomena, formations or
features, for instance outstanding examples of the most
important ecosystems, areas of exceptional natural
beauty or exceptional combination of natural and cultural
elements
• contain the most important and significant natural
habitats where threatened species of animals and plants
of outstanding universal value from the point of view of
science or conservation still survive.
Cultural
• a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a civilisation
which has disappeared
• an outstanding example of a traditional human
settlement which is representative of a culture and which
has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible
change
• directly or tangibly associated with events or with ideas
or beliefs of outstanding universal significance.
Covering approximately 20 per cent of Tasmania, the
Tasmanian Wilderness is one of the largest conservation
reserves in Australia. At 13,800 km2, it is one of the three
largest temperate wilderness areas remaining in the
Southern Hemisphere.
The rugged and spectacular landscapes of the Tasmanian
Wilderness contain rocks from almost every geological
period, the oldest being formed about 1,100 million years
ago during the Precambrian period. Some of the deepest
and longest caves in Australia and other spectacular karst
landscapes are found here.
Due to the diversity of its vegetation the region is recognised
as an International Centre for Plant Diversity by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The
highly varied flora ranging from open and closed forests
through to buttongrass moorland and alpine communities
occurs in a unique mosaic of Antarctic and Australian
elements. The Antarctic element consists of species
descended from those present on the supercontinent
Gondwana.
Some of the longest lived trees in the world such as Huon
pines (Lagarostrobos) and other native conifers grow in the
area. Nothofagus is an ancient plant genus of Gondwanan
ancestry, represented in the area by N. cunninghamii and
Australia’s only winter deciduous tree, N. gunnii. Some of the
tallest flowering plants in the world, Eucalyptus regnans,
grow here. The area contains approximately 255, or 63 per
cent, of Tasmania's endemic vascular plant species.
The fauna is also of global significance because it includes
an unusually high proportion of endemic species and relict
groups of ancient lineage. The diverse topography, geology,
soils and vegetation, in association with harsh and variable
The Tasmanian Wilderness
contains some of the last
remaining expanses of
temperate rainforest in the
southern hemisphere.
With living evidence of
its ancient Gondwanan
heritage, the area is
internationally recognised
as a hotspot for plant
diversity and endemicity.
The landscape is graced
with some of the world’s
longest lived trees and
inhabited by the world’s
largest carnivorous
marsupials.
Rock art and remains in
limestone caves attest to
the human occupation
of the area for at least
30,000 years. This is one
of the richest and best
preserved collections of Ice
Age sites anywhere in the
world.
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Tasmanian W
ilderness
climatic conditions, combine to create a wide array of animal habitats. Many groups of marsupials and burrowing freshwater crayfish have survived as relicts of the Gondwanan fauna.
The insularity of Tasmania, and of the Tasmanian Wilderness in particular, has contributed to its uniqueness. The area remains a stronghold for several animals such as the Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian pademelon, eastern quoll and ground parrot, that are either extinct or threatened on mainland Australia.
Fauna endemic to the region include the moss froglet, Pedra Branca skink, Pedder galaxias and invertebrate groups with a high proportion of species entirely or primarily restricted to the area, such as freshwater crayfish, mountain shrimps, stoneflies, caddisflies, landhoppers and harvestmen.
The area's cultural World Heritage values relate to Aboriginal occupation.
Archaeological surveys have revealed an exceptionally rich and important collection of Aboriginal sites, including Kutikina Cave. These places, along with all of the World Heritage property’s Aboriginal sites, are extremely important to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community for their exceptional cultural, emotional and spiritual value.
Over 40 sites have been located in the south west inland river valleys that indicate human occupation dating to at least 30,000 years ago. When these places were occupied the climate was significantly colder and drier than it is now, and the sites reveal the distinctive ways the Tasmanian Aboriginal community developed to survive climate change and Ice Age conditions.
This group of places, which also includes rock art sites, forms one of the richest and best‑preserved collections of Ice Age sites found anywhere in the world. During the periods of earliest occupation, the Aboriginal people of the region are believed to have been the most southerly people on earth.
Day‑to‑day management of the area is the responsibility of the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts). Specialist advice is provided to the Service by:
• Resource Management and Conservation Division (Department of Primary Industries and Water)
• Aboriginal Heritage Office (Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage
title page: Gondwanan relict Nothofagus cunninghamii and the world’s
tallest heath Richea pandanifolia
top strip: View across some of the area’s extensive, high quality
temperate wilderness
top: The Marakoopa Cave system is simply spectacular
above: Tarn and Tasmanian endemic Pencil pines, whose stronghold is
the World Heritage AreaAll images: Tasmania Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts. Joe Shemesh
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and the Arts).
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/tasmanian-wilderness/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/181
Contact
Tasmanian Wilderness
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
GPO Box 1751
Hobart TAS 7001
Web: www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/
whahome.html
Tel: 03 6233 2270
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Tasmanian Wilderness
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Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National ParkUluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 (Stage 1)
and 1994 (Stage 2)
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park was inscribed on the World
Heritage List in two stages, initially for its outstanding
universal natural values (1987) and then for its outstanding
universal cultural values (1994).
Natural
• as an example of ongoing geological processes
• as an example of exceptional natural beauty and combination of natural and cultural elements.
Cultural
• as an outstanding example of traditional human land use
• being directly associated with living traditions and beliefs of outstanding universal significance.
The park covers 1,325 km2 of arid ecosystems and is
located close to the centre of Australia in the traditional
lands of Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal people
(locally known as Anangu).
The huge rock formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are
remarkable geological and landform features, set in a
contrasting, relatively flat, sand‑plain environment. They are
a part of an important cultural landscape and have special
significance to Anangu.
The features of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the surrounding
landscape are physical evidence of the actions, artefacts
and bodies of the ancestral heroes (Tjukuritja) who travelled
the earth in creation times. These heroic beings, who
combined the attributes of humans and animals, journeyed
across the landscape creating not only its features, but
also Tjukurpa (the law) – the code of behaviour followed by
Anangu today.
Tjukurpa regulates all aspects of life, from foraging
behaviour and management of the landscape to social
relationships and personal identity. It is expressed in
verbal narratives, through lengthy inma (song cycles and
associated ritual), art and the landscape itself. For Anangu
the landscape is the narratives, songs and art of Tjukurpa.
Anangu learned how to patch burn the country from
Tjukurpa of lungkata, the blue tongued lizard. Now, in
conjunction with modern methods, the cool season practice
of lighting small fires close together leaves burnt and
unburnt areas in a pattern like a mosaic. This traditional
knowledge is adopted as a major ecological management
tool in the park. Tjukurpa also teaches about the location
and care of rock holes and other water sources.
Uluru is a huge, rounded, red sandstone monolith 9.4
kilometres in circumference rising from the plain to a height
of over 340 metres. Rock art in the caves around its base
provides further evidence of the enduring cultural traditions
of Anangu.
About 32 kilometres to the west of Uluru lie the 36 steep‑
sided domes of Kata Tjuta. The domes cover an area of 35
square kilometres, with the highest rising to 500 metres
above the plain. This area is sacred under Anangu men’s law
and detailed knowledge is restricted.
These huge rock formations, their creek lines, waterholes
and the surrounding sand country vegetation is an arid
environment of enormous diversity.
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta
World Heritage Area
features two of the
world’s most spectacular
geological formations.
Uluru, an immense rock
formation, and Kata Tjuta,
the rock domes located
west of Uluru, form a
fundamental part of the
traditional belief system of
one of the oldest human
societies in the world.
The enormous rock
formations dominate
the surrounding vast
red sandy plain of
central Australia, which
provides habitat for an
incredible variety of rare
or threatened plants and
animals.
The traditional owners
of Uluru-Kata Tjuta are
known as Anangu.
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Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park
The landscape is dominated by spinifex and low shrubs, with large
desert oaks dotted on the sand dunes and plains. Sizeable areas
of mulga woodland and other low shrubs also occur on dunes
and swales. The alluvial flow areas at the base of the major rock
formations support large bloodwoods, acacias and native grasses.
Water holes and soaks provide restricted habitats for a number of
rare and unique plant species. Larger stands of mulga and other
acacias dominate the harder, wide, sand plain surrounding Uluru
and Kata Tjuta.
Anangu’s traditional ecological knowledge is critical to the ongoing
scientific management of the species found in these habitats.
The park is home to more than 150 species of birds and
many reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates adapted to arid
environments.
A number of rare mammals are found here, including the hairy‑
footed dunnart, the sandhill dunnart and the mulgara. The mala, a
significant Tjukurpa species, has recently been re‑introduced .
Reptile species are well adapted to this arid environment and are
found in numbers unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Lizard
species include the rare giant desert skink and Australia’s largest
lizard, the perentie, which can grow to a length of 2.5 metres.
The inalienable freehold title to Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park
was handed back to the traditional owners in 1985 and is held
by the Uluru‑Kata Tjuta Aboriginal Land Trust. The park is leased
back to the Director of National Parks and is jointly managed
under the direction of a Board of Management which has an
Aboriginal majority representing the traditional owners. Day‑to‑
day management is carried out by Parks Australia, a division of
the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water,
Heritage and the Arts.
title page: Uluru at sunset, Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park. The huge rock
formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are remarkable geological and landform
features, set in a contrasting, relatively flat, sand‑plain environment
Michael Nelson
top strip: Kata Tjuta, Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park ‑ A Living Cultural Landscape.
This area is sacred under Anangu men's law and, as such, detailed knowledge is
restricted. Michael Nelson
top: Anangu artist, Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park Michael Nelson
above: Elsie Wanatjura digging for honey ants. Parks Australia, DEWHA
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Wet Tropics of Queensland
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ places/world/uluru/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/447
Contact
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
PO Box 119 Yulara NT 0872
Web: www.environment.gov.au/parks/ uluru/index.html Email: [email protected] Tel: 08 8956 1100
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
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Wet Tropics of Queensland
Wet Tropics of QueenslandInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
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Wet Tropics of Queensland
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Wet Tropics of Queensland
The Wet Tropics of Queensland was inscribed on the World
Heritage List in 1988 in recognition of its outstanding natural
universal values:
• as an outstanding example representing the major stages
in the earth's evolutionary history
• as an outstanding example representing significant
ongoing ecological and biological processes
• as an example of superlative natural phenomena
• containing important and significant habitats for in situ
conservation of biological diversity.
The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area lies between Townsville
and Cooktown on the north‑east coast of Queensland and
covers an area of approximately 8,940 km2.
It is a region of spectacular scenery and rugged topography
with fast‑flowing rivers, deep gorges and numerous
waterfalls. Mountain summits provide expansive vistas of
undisturbed rainforests. One of the largest rainforest areas
in Australia centres around the Daintree River valley. The
association of fringing coral reefs and rainforest coastline
in the Cape Tribulation region is not found elsewhere in
Australia and is rare in the world.
The Wet Tropics provides the only habitat for numerous rare
species of plants and animals. There are 380 plants and
102 animals in the Wet Tropics that are considered rare or
threatened. These species include 40 rare animal species,
including the northern bettong, the spotted‑tailed quoll, the
yellow‑bellied glider and the southern cassowary.
The vegetation is predominantly rainforest, but includes
mixtures with sclerophyll tree species occurring as
emergent and co‑dominant species in the canopy. Fringing
the rainforests are tall, open forest, and tall, medium and
low woodland. A striking and unique feature is the sharp
demarcation between the rainforest and adjacent sclerophyll
vegetation.
The Wet Tropics rainforests contain an almost complete
record of the major stages in the evolution of plant life on
earth. Many rainforest species originated when Australia was
still part of Gondwana.
These rainforests are floristically and structurally the most
diverse in Australia. They include 13 major structural types,
further classified into 64 broad plant communities. Mangrove
forests cover 136 km2 hectares. Their floristic diversity
is the highest of any mangrove community in Australia
and comparable with that of any in the world; 29 'species
associations' have been defined.
Of particular importance are the primitive flowering plants
in the rainforests. Of 19 families of angiosperms recognised
as primitive, 13 are found in the Wet Tropics. Two of these are
confined to the area. This gives the Wet Tropics the highest
concentration of such families on earth.
The rainforests are important as habitats for the
conservation of the plant family proteaceae, in particular the
more primitive genera of the family. These genera represent
the nearest relatives of the ancestors of the sclerophyll
types, for example, banksias, grevilleas, persoonias, that
form a major part of the Australian flora.
There is a large number of plant species with very restricted
distribution within the Wet Tropics. There are some
curiosities, including one of the largest and one of the
The Wet Tropics is a
hotspot for biodiversity
and has the world’s
highest concentration of
primitive flowering plant
families.
Hundreds of rare and
primitive species are
found here, including
cycads, ferns, the southern
cassowary, several species
of gliders and possums,
the musky rat kangaroo
and tree kangaroos.
Distinctive birdsong, frog
calls and butterflies fill the
forests with vibrant sound
and colour.
This is one of the few
places in the world where
fringing coral reef meets
rainforest that stretches up
precipitous slopes of the
area’s misty mountains.
This breathtaking
landscape of crater lakes
and spectacular waterfalls
and gorges is still cared for
by Rainforest Aboriginal
people.
�0
Wet Tropics of Queensland
Wet Tropics of Queensland
smallest cycads in the world. The area has the richest concentration of ferns and fern allies in Australia (65 per cent of Australia's fern species), including 46 species restricted to the area.
The rainforests also contain a number of unique marsupials, including the musky rat kangaroo, which is probably the most primitive surviving kangaroo species.
The Wet Tropics is home to 30 per cent of Australia's marsupial species, 58 per cent of bat species, 29 per cent of frog species, 20 per cent of reptile species, 58 per cent of the butterfly species and 40 per cent of bird species. There are around 85 species of vertebrate animals unique to the area.
Aboriginal occupation of the area probably dates back to the earliest human occupation of Australia (c. 50,000 years BP), and one of the recorded stories appears to describe the volcanic activity that produced some crater lakes (up to 20,000 years ago), when the rainforests were smaller than today.
The district is a rich environment for Aboriginal hunter gatherers. About 18 Rainforest Aboriginal tribal groups occupied the area, and used a range of forest products including several toxic plants that required complex treatment to make them safe to eat. Such intensive use of toxic food plants is not recorded elsewhere.
The Wet Tropics holds great significance for the local Aboriginal communities, which identify as 'rainforest people'.
The management of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area is on three levels. A State and Commonwealth Ministerial Council coordinates policies and funding. The Wet Tropics Management Authority is responsible for general planning and policy development, advised by Rainforest Aboriginal Advisory, Community Consultative and Scientific Advisory Committees. The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Natural Resources and Water manage the day‑to‑day aspects of the Wet Tropics.
title page: The spectacular Wallaman Falls near Ingham is Australia's longest
single drop waterfall (305m) Townsville Enterprise Ltd
top strip: The Babinda Boulders, south of Cairns, hold great significance for
local Aboriginal people Tourism Tropical North Queensland
top: The rainforest meets the sea on the Daintree Coast ‑ a rare combination
in Australia and the rest of the world DEWHA Collection
above centrre: The bright colours of fruits from rainforest trees attract birds
and bats Wet Tropics Management Authority
above: The rainforest contains a number of unique marsupials including the
musky rat‑kangaroo, the smallest and most primitive surviving member of
the kangaroo species Mike Trenerry
�1
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/
world/wet-tropics/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/486.htm
Contact
Wet Tropics Management Authority
PO Box 2050
Cairns QLD 4870
Web: www.wettropics.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07 4052 0555
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/
world_heritage_areas/wet_tropics/
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Wet Tropics of Queensland
��
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Willandra Lakes RegionWillandra Lakes RegionInscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981
��
Willandra Lakes Region
AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE
Willandra Lakes Region
The region was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 for both outstanding natural and cultural universal values:
Natural
• as an outstanding example representing the major stages in the earth's evolutionary history
• as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes.
Cultural
• bearing an exceptional testimony to a past civilisation.
The Willandra Lakes Region covers 2,400 km2 of a semi‑arid landscape mosaic in the Murray Basin area of far south‑western New South Wales. It comprises dried saline lake bed plains vegetated with saltbush communities, fringing sand dunes and woodlands with grassy understoreys.
The region contains a system of Pleistocene lakes, formed over the last two million years. These lakes are now dry. Most are fringed on the eastern shore by a crescent‑shaped dune, referred to as a ‘lunette’, that was formed by the prevailing winds.
Today, the lake beds are flat plains vegetated by salt tolerant low bushes and grasses. Part of the World Heritage property is gazetted as the Mungo National Park, which covers about two‑thirds of Lake Mungo and includes the spectacular parts of the Walls of China lunette. The remaining area comprises pastoral leasehold properties. Joulni Station at the southern end of the Mungo lunette is of cultural significance to the three Traditional Tribal Groups.
There are five large, interconnected, dry lake basins and 14 smaller basins varying in area from 6 to 350 km2. The original
source for the lakes was a creek flowing from the Eastern Highlands to the Murray River. When the Willandra Billabong Creek ceased to replenish the lakes, they dried in series from south to north over a period of several thousand years, each becoming progressively more saline.
The ancient shorelines are stratified into three major layers of sediments that were deposited at different stages in the lakes' history.
The lakes were full of deep, relatively fresh water for a period of 30,000 years that came to an end 19,000 years ago. The earliest sediments are more than 50,000 years old and are orange‑red in colour. Above are clays, clean quartz sand and soil that were deposited along the lakes' edges when the lakes were full. The top layer is composed largely of wind‑blown clay particles heaped up on the lunettes during periods of fluctuating water levels, before the lakes finally dried up.
Indigenous people have lived in the Willandra Lakes Region for at least 50,000 years. Excavations in 1968 uncovered the cremated remains of ‘Mungo Lady’ in the dunes of Lake Mungo. At 40,000 years old, this is believed to be the oldest site of ritual cremation in the world. In 1974, the ochred burial of a male Aborigine was found nearby. The skeleton, known as ‘Mungo Man’, is believed to be 40,000 years old.
In 2003, nearly 460 fossilised human footprints were discovered, the largest collection of its kind in the world. The prints were made by children, adolescents and adults 19,000 to 23,000 years ago in wet clay. The clay, containing calcium carbonate, hardened like concrete, and a layer of clay and sand protected the prints.
A place of stark beauty,
the Willandra Lakes
Region is unique, showing
how climate, wind and
water have shaped the
landscape over the last
2,000,000 years. Human
remains found here are
crucial to improving our
understanding of the
human settlement
of Australia.
The region contains
powerful fossil evidence
of ongoing human
occupation dating back
45-60,000 years.
Once a lush environment
teeming with water and
animal life, the now-dry
lakes and dunes have
yielded well-preserved
fossils of over 55 animal
species, including giant
mammals. The fossil
record also provides
evidence of people
adapting to changes in
climatic conditions.
��
Willandra Lakes Region
Willandra Lakes Region
During the last Ice Age, when the lakes were full, the Mungo people camped along the lake shore, taking advantage of a wide range of food including freshwater mussels, yabbies, golden perch and Murray cod, large emus and a variety of marsupials, which probably included the now extinct giant kangaroos. They also exploited plant resources, particularly when the lakes began to dry and food was less abundant.
The human history of the region is not restricted just to an ancient episode. Evidence so far points to an extraordinary continuity of occupation over long periods of time. In the top layers of sediments there is abundant evidence of occupation over the last 10,000 years.
The vegetation in the region, sparse though it is, is typical of the semi‑arid zone. It plays an important role in stabilising the landscape and hence maintaining its sediment strata and many species of native fauna.
Small scrubby multi‑stemmed mallee eucalypts are found on the dunes, with an understorey of herbs and grasses. Rosewood‑belah woodland is common on the sand plains. In the lake beds, several species of saltbush are able to thrive in the saline conditions.
The remains of a large number of animals have been found in the Willandra Lakes Region. More than 55 species have been identified, 40 of which are no longer found in the region, and 11 of which are extinct.
Twenty‑two species of mammals are currently recorded. Bats are the most diverse group, and there are some 40 species of reptiles and amphibians.
The bird life of the Willandra Lakes Region is similar to that in many other semi‑arid areas of Australia. Parrots, cockatoos and finches are the most conspicuous of the 137 recorded species.
Policy coordination and funding are joint responsibilities of the State and Commonwealth with advice from the Community Management Council, the Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee and the Elders Council. Day‑to‑day management is the responsibility of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and the New South Wales Department of Lands. The Elders Council advises on Indigenous cultural matters.
title page: Human footprints made in the last ice age Michael Amendolia,
reproduced with the kind permission of the Willandra Lakes Three Traditional Tribes Elders Council
top strip: The Willandra Lakes Region is a place of stark
beauty Mark Mohell & DEWHA
top: Animal bones in a fossil dune Mark Mohell & DEWHA
above: The Walls of China is a spectacular lunette that encircles
the ancient lakebed’s eastern shore Mark Mohell & DEWHA
��
Willandra Lakes Region
Further information
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/willandra/index
UNESCO World Heritage
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/167
Contact
Willandra Lakes Region The Willandra Lakes Executive Officer
C/- New South Wales National Parks & Wildlife Service PO Box 318 Buronga NSW 2739
Web: www.environment.nsw.gov.au Email: [email protected] Tel: 03 5021 8900
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
��
Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
��
Fraser Island Paul Candlin
�8
Allosyncarpia A large, spreading, shady tree that is found
only in the Kakadu and Arnhem Land region.
Alluvial Flow Landscape features produced by deposits of
mud, clay, silt, gravel or sand; made by a stream.
Angiosperm A name given to flowering plants whose seeds
are found inside a developing ovary (fruit).
Araucaria: A genus of conifers consisting of about 18
species. There are three Australian members of the genus:
A. bidwillii (the bunya pine), A. cunninghamii (the hoop pine
from Queensland and New South Wales) and A. heterophylla
(the Norfolk Island pine).
BP Abbreviation of ‘Before Present’.
Biota Relating to life; living things.
Cay A low island or reef of sand or coral.
Caldera A large crater caused by the violent explosion of a
volcano that collapses into a depression.
Community (Ecology) A group of plants and animals living
and interacting with one another in a specific region under
relatively similar environmental conditions (eg a forest).
Cyanobacteria A grouping of bacteria that obtain their
energy through photosynthesis. They are often referred to
as blue‑green algae. Fossil traces of cyanobacteria have
been found from around 3.5 billion years ago. Cyanobacteria
are one of the largest and most important groups of bacteria
on earth.
Cycads Palmlike woody plants (in the order Cycadales).
They have crowns of large, feathery compound leaves and
cones at the ends of their branches. Some are tall with
unbranched, armourlike trunks; others have partially buried
stems with swollen trunks.
Echinoderms Invertebrate marine animals (eg sea
urchins, sea lilies and starfish) which are usually radially
symmetrical, have a chalky or calcified internal skeleton and
are often covered with spines.
Family A broad grouping of life forms believed to have a
distant common ancestry, and sharing many general traits.
Families are further subdivided into genera, and genera into
species. Family names usually end in ‘‑aceae’ for plants and
‘‑idea’ for animals.
Genus (Plural ‘genera’) A collective term used to incorporate
like‑species into one group. The first part of the Latin name
of any life form refers to the genus.
Gymnosperm Seed‑bearing plants; differ from angiosperms
in having naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary. Examples
are pine, cypress and cycad.
Karst A type of topography, terrain or landscape that is
formed over limestone, dolomite or gypsum by solution
of the rock and is characterised by closed depressions
or sinkholes, caves and underground drainage. Karst
landscapes have complex physical and biological
characteristics that are often unique to each system.
Lunette A broad, low‑lying, typically crescent‑shaped
mound of sandy or loamy matter that is formed by the wind,
especially along the windward side of a lake basin.
Medusae The tentacled, usually bell‑shaped, free‑swimming
sexual stage in the life cycle of a coelenterate, such as a
jellyfish.
Megafauna Comparatively large animals that once lived in
Australia.
Midden (Archaeology): A mound or deposit containing
shells, animal bones, and other refuse that indicates a site
of a human settlement.
Monotreme Monotremes are the world’s only egg‑laying
mammals. The order ‘Monotremata’ includes just three
species ‑‑ the platypus and the short and long‑nosed
echidnas. Home base for monotremes is Australia. They are
also found on some nearby islands except for the long‑
nosed echidna, which is found only on the island of New
Guinea.
Myrtaceae The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family is a family of
flowering plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle,
clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here.
The plants are mostly woody, with essential oils, and most
flower parts in multiples of five.
Order A grouping of one or more families.
Outlier (Geology) A portion of stratified rock separated from
a main formation by erosion.
Plume volcanism A rising hot bubble of material finds its
way into the crust of the Earth from the deep interior, and
erupts material onto the surface. This bubble or ‘plume’ is
called a ‘hot spot’. Lava from the eruption turns to layers
of rock and builds a volcanic ‘cone’. Continual eruptions
eventually build a whole island on the surface.
Persoonia A genus of about 100 species in the plant
family Proteaceae, including plants commonly known as
‘geebungs’ or ‘snottygobbles’. All species are endemic to
Australia, growing in the form of shrubs and small trees.
They are widespread in non‑arid regions and most are
concentrated in the subtropical to temperate parts of south
eastern and south western Australia, including Tasmania.
Glossary
�9
Precambrian The geological period before the Cambrian period, ie before
about 542 million years ago. (See the geological timeline on page 81).
Plume volcanism This term describes the way that some volcanoes are
made. A rising hot bubble of material finds its way into the crust of the
Earth from the deep interior, and erupts material onto the surface. Lava
from the eruption turns to layers of rock and builds a volcanic ‘cone’.
Continual eruptions eventually build a whole island on the surface.
Proteaceae A large family of flowering plants, with about 1500 species
of evergreen trees, shrubs, and herbs. The family is in the order
Proteales and includes the genera Protea, Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea,
Dryandra and Macadamia.
Sclerophyll forest A typically Australian vegetation type consisting
of plants with hard, thick‑skinned leaves that are resistant to drought.
Examples of the plants are many eucalypts, banksias, grevilleas and
wattles.
Simosthenurus gilli Was the smallest of the short faced leaf eating
kangaroos.
Speleothems Commonly called stalagmites and stalactites,
speleothems are formed from secondary deposition of calcite,
aragonite, or other minerals in caves.
Stromatolite Mats of microbes built from cyanobacteria known as blue‑
green algae and other microscopic organisms. The origin of these rock‑
like structures, which were known only as fossils, puzzled geologists
for centuries until living examples were found in Hamelin Pool, Shark
Bay in 1954. Stromatolites – literally ‘layered rocks’ – are the oldest
fossils of life on earth with some examples dating to 3.5 billion years
old. The examples at Shark Bay are relatively modern, being about 3000
years old.
Swales A linear hollow or depression found between dunes. Generally
marshy or swampy, or may contain small lakes.
Thylacine The pouched dog (Thylacinus cynocephalus), also known as
the Tasmanian Tiger, is a large carnivorous marsupial now believed to
be extinct. It was once found across Australia and although the precise
reasons for its extinction from the mainland are unknown, it probably
declined in competition with the then introduction of the dingo. The
thylacine became extinct on the mainland not less than 2000 years
ago and now appears to be extinct in Tasmania as well.
Thylacoleo carnifex Commonly referred to as a ‘Marsupial Lion’, largely
because of the cat‑like nature of its skull and its carnivorous habit.
Vascular plants Plants that have specialised tissues for conducting
water. They include the ferns, clubmosses, horsetails, flowering plants,
conifers and other gymnosperms. The vascular tissues enable the
plants to evolve to a larger size. Non‑vascular plants lack these and
are restricted to relatively small sizes.
Seal, Macquarie Island Mike Preece
80
EON ERA PERIOD/EPOCH SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN AUSTRALIA’S BIOLOGICAL & GEOLOGICAL HISTORY
PHAN
EROZ
OIC
CENO
ZOIC
NEOG
ENE
HOLOCENE 11,�00 years
In Australia climates and biota were more or less as at present. Sea level reached its present level about 6000 years ago so the present day coastline started to form. The present phase of Great Barrier Reef growth commenced about 7000 years ago as the shelf flooded.
PLEISTOCENE 1.81 million years
Aborigines arrive between 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Extinction of most megafaunal species (e.g. of kind represented at Naracoorte) around 35,000 years ago. Dingos introduced about 4000 years ago. Cool/dry climates and low sea levels alternated with warm/wet climates and high sea levels as polar ice caps expanded and contracted. Sea levels varied by around 120‑130 metres with climate cycles, exposing land bridges to Tasmania and Papua‑New Guinea.
PLIOCENE �.�� million years
Australia drifts into lower latitudes, cools and dries out. Rainforests continue to decline and eucalypts and grasslands spread. First appearance of a variety of modern types of animals including specialised grazers. Many lineages becoming gigantic.
MIOCENE ��.0� million years
Early to middle Miocene characterised by lush forests (e.g. at Riversleigh). Australia crashes into south‑eastern Asia soon after which rodents enter. By late Miocene, rainforests decline and grasslands begin to spread.
PALA
EOGE
NE
OLIGOCENE ��.9 million years
By end of Oligocene, koalas, kangaroos, possums and other modern families present. Fossil deposits in Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland contain diverse vertebrate faunas, most indicative of forest communities. Antarctic Ice Sheet develops.
EOCENE ��.8 million years
Rainforest covers much of southern Australia. Australia’s oldest marsupials, bats, frogs and snakes (Murgon) present. Non‑marine mammals known from Antarctica – where forests still existed but became stunted as the climate cooled and glaciers formed. Australia separates from Antarctica and begins to move rapidly north.
PALEOCENE ��.� million years
World climates mostly cool with a short warm phase. Mammals begin to diversify on all continents following decline of dinosaurs. First horses, primates, carnivores and other groups appear. Marsupials diversify at least in South America.
MES
OZOI
C
CRETACEOUS 1��.� million years
Early in this period, much of Australia is covered by shallow seas. Giant aquatic reptiles abound. Flowering plants appear and spread rapidly; conifers and cycads decline. Dinosaurs and many other groups become extinct by the end of this period. Australia’s oldest known monotreme is a platypus‑like animal. Australia’s oldest birds recorded. Australia and Antarctica separate.
JURASSIC 199.� million years
Australia’s climate is warm and wet. Conifers, cycads and ferns abundant. Large plant‑eating and aquatic reptiles abundant. Ray‑finned fishes present. Earliest birds found in Northern Hemisphere. Mammals diversify but as tiny, mouse‑sized creatures. Gondwana begins to break up and Australia begins to move north.
TRIASSIC ��1.0 million years
Mammal‑like reptiles present on all continents. Australia’s climate warmer and drier. Insects, amphibians and primitive reptiles well‑represented. First mammals known from many continents but not Australia. Many groups became extinct or steeply declined at the end of this period.
PALA
EOZO
IC
PERMIAN �99.0 million years
Glaciers cover parts of Gondwana, including southern and western Australia, in early part. Climate later more temperate with swamp forests. Insects, fish and early amphibians plentiful but, in Australia, no reptiles. Trilobites become extinct. The earth’s biggest extinction occurred at the end of this period.
CARBONIFEROUS ��9.� million years
Warm conditions at first; later, glaciers cover much of Gondwana as it moves towards the South Pole. Club moss forests die out and are replaced by hardier seed ferns. Many kinds of fishes and amphibians. First reptiles appear in Northern Hemisphere.
DEVONIAN �1�.0 million years
Plants spread from water margins into swampy areas forming thick vegetation with tree‑like club mosses and ferns. Fish of many kinds, including lungfish, sharks and armoured fish in sea and freshwaters. First amphibians develop and venture onto the land. Large coral reefs developed.
SILURIAN ���.� million years
Life colonises the land. Land plants evolve from seaweeds. Jawless fish and sea ‘scorpions’ live in freshwaters. First fish with jaws appear in seas. First coral reefs formed.
ORDOVICIAN �88.� million years
Varieties of sea life become extensive including trilobites, brachiopods, bivalves, nautiloids and crinoids. Some nautiloids and trilobites became very large
CAMBRIAN ���.0 million years
No life on land, but seas teeming with life including jellyfish, sea anemones, sponges, trilobites, brachiopods and molluscs. First jawless fish evolve
PROT
EROZ
OIC
��00
mill
ion
year
s
EDIACARAN ��0 million years
Last geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era. Name derives from the Ediacara Hills in South Australia where fossils of this period were first found. The fossils are all soft‑bodied marine organisms, thought to be the earliest multicellular forms of life. Near the end of this period the first shelled invertebrates appeared.
Immediately before the Ediacaran, there were at least three episodes of very extensive glaciation which may have covered the entire planet in ice (‘Snowball Earth’). Earlier in the Proterozoic oxygen became more abundant in the atmosphere. Only single celled organisms such as bacteria and algae existed.
ARCH
AEAN
��
�0 m
illio
n ye
ars
Formation and development of Earth’s crust, atmosphere and oceans. Life evolves from organic compounds at least as early as 3500 million years ago. Later, with the development of photosynthesis, some bacteria produce oxygen which forms ozone layer that shields Earth from lethal UV radiation. Oldest dated mineral on earth is a zircon from Western Australia with an age of 4400 million years. Earth is thought to have formed about 4560 million years ago.
Australia’s Geological Timeline
81
The World Heritage Convention
BackgroundThe Convention Concerning the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage (the World Heritage
Convention) was adopted by the UNESCO General
Conference at its 17th session in Paris on 16 November
1972. The Convention came into force in 1975.
In August 1974, Australia became one of the first countries
to ratify the Convention. Since then the number of countries
that have become States Parties to the Convention has
increased to 185 (as at November 2007). The Convention is
considered the most successful global instrument for the
protection of cultural and natural heritage.
AimsThe World Heritage Convention promotes cooperation among
nations, in order to protect heritage that is of outstanding
universal value and ensure its conservation for current and
future generations.
It is intended that, unlike the seven wonders of the
ancient world, properties on the World Heritage List will be
conserved for all time.
States Parties to the Convention commit themselves to
ensure the identification, protection, conservation, and
presentation of World Heritage properties. They recognise
that the identification and safeguarding of heritage located
in their territory is primarily their responsibility. They agree
to do all they can, using their own resources and, at times
with international assistance, to protect their World Heritage
properties. They agree, among other things, to as far as
possible:
• ‘adopt a general policy that aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community and to integrate the protection of that heritage into comprehensive planning programs’.
• undertake ‘ appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and rehabilitation of this heritage’.
• refrain from ‘any deliberate measures which might damage, directly or indirectly, the cultural and natural
heritage’ of other Parties to the Convention, and to help
other Parties in the identification and protection of their
properties.
World Heritage CommitteeThe Convention is administered by a World Heritage
Committee, which consists of 21 members elected from
States that are Parties to the Convention. Elections are
held every two years. Australia has been a member of the
Committee on a number of occasions and was elected to a
four year term in October 2007.
The Committee’s main tasks are to:
• decide on the inscription of new properties on the World
Heritage List
• discuss all matters relating to the implementation of the
Convention
• consider requests for international assistance
• ensure States meet their obligations under the Convention
to protect World Heritage properties
• administer the World Heritage Fund.
The Committee is supported by a small secretariat, the
World Heritage Centre, which is a part of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation based in
Paris, France.
World Heritage BureauThe executive body of the World Heritage Committee
is the World Heritage Bureau. The Bureau consists of a
Chairperson, five Vice‑Chairpersons and a Rapporteur. The
Bureau is elected by the Committee at its annual meeting
and holds office for one year until the next ordinary meeting
of the Committee. Australia has served on the Bureau on a
number of occasions.
World Heritage ListThe Convention establishes a list of properties that have
outstanding universal value. This is called the World Heritage
List. These properties are part of the cultural and natural
heritage of States that are Parties to the Convention.
At November 2007 there were 851 properties that the World
Heritage Committee has included in the World Heritage
List. The List includes 660 cultural properties, 166 natural
8�
properties and 25 properties that meet both cultural and
natural criteria. Many World Heritage sites in other parts of
the world are well known, such as the Pyramids of Egypt,
the Grand Canyon of the United States, the Taj Mahal of India,
Westminster Abbey in the United Kingdom, Sagarmatha
National Park (containing Mount Everest) in Nepal and the
Great Wall of China.
There are currently 17 Australian properties on the World
Heritage List.
World Heritage in DangerThe World Heritage Committee prepares and publishes a
List of World Heritage in Danger that includes World Heritage
properties threatened by serious and specific dangers, such
as development projects, the outbreak or threat of armed
conflict, or natural disasters. The Convention provides
for State Party consent prior to any ’in danger’ listing,
however, in cases where a site is threatened and State Party
government processes have broken down (that is there
is no effective government) the Committee may reach a
decision on its own. Each time that the Committee makes
a new entry on the List of World Heritage in Danger, it is
required to publicise the entry immediately.
World Heritage FundA trust fund, the World Heritage Fund for the Protection
of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Outstanding
Universal Value, is established under the Convention. The
Fund is financed by contributions from States Parties and
contributions from private organisations and individuals.
The Fund is used to respond to requests by States Parties for
assistance in support of their efforts to protect their sites
on the World Heritage List, and to meet urgent conservation
needs of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
States Parties can request international assistance from
the Fund for studies, provision of experts and technicians,
training of staff and specialists, and the supply of
equipment. They can also apply for long‑term loans and,
in special cases, non‑repayable grants.
Great Barrier Reef T. Fontes, GBRMPA
8�
World Heritage Listing ProcessOnly the national government of States Parties to the World
Heritage Convention can nominate properties within their
territory for inscription on the World Heritage List. The
World Heritage Committee decides whether the property is
to be inscribed, after considering extensive international
appraisal.
States Parties may submit nominations at any time during
the year, however only complete nominations received on or
before 1 February will be considered for inscription by the
Committee during the following year.
The World Heritage Committee operates under rules of
procedure and operational guidelines. These provide a
firm basis for the assessment process and ensure the
Committee acts in an objective and professional manner.
When nominations are received by the World Heritage
Committee Secretariat, they are referred for assessment
by international non‑government organisations. The
International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
and the International Centre for the Study of the
Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
(ICCROM) are the advisory bodies for cultural properties,
while the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) advises on natural properties. In addition, these
organisations consult with relevant scientific and technical
experts from around the world.
The World Heritage Committee, at its annual meeting,
considers the evaluations from the non‑government
organisations and makes a decision on the inscription
of the property. The World Heritage Committee can seek
further information from either the non‑government
organisations or the nominating country.
World Heritage nomination and listing processes are
rigorous, and many nominations have been withdrawn or
rejected because they fail the assessment process.
Iceberg off Heard and McDonald Islands Grant Dixon
8�
World Heritage CriteriaTo qualify for inscription on the World Heritage List,
nominated properties must have values that are
outstanding and universal, based on ten World Heritage
criteria. Properties may be nominated for cultural heritage
values, natural heritage values or both.
In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, the Tasmanian
Wilderness, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and Shark Bay
meet all four World Heritage criteria for natural heritage,
and Kakadu National Park, Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park,
Willandra Lakes Region and the Tasmanian Wilderness are
listed for both natural and cultural heritage. These Australian
sites are among the few properties on the World Heritage
List selected for both natural and cultural criteria, or for all
four natural criteria.
The Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte/
Riversleigh), Lord Howe Island Group, Gondwana Rainforests
of Australia, Fraser Island, Macquarie Island, Heard and
McDonald Islands, the Greater Blue Mountains Area and
Purnululu National Park are listed under the World Heritage
criteria for natural heritage.
The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and the
Sydney Opera House are listed under the World Heritage
criteria for cultural heritage.
Cultural heritageArticle 1 of the World Heritage Convention defines cultural
heritage as:
“MONUMENTS: architectural works, works of monumental
sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an
archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and
combinations of features, which are of outstanding
universal value from the point of view of history, art or
science.
GROUPS OF BUILDINGS: groups of separate or connected
buildings which, because of their architecture, their
homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of
outstanding universal value from the point of view of
history, art or science.
SITES: works of man or the combined works of nature and of
man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of
outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic,
ethnological or anthropological points of view.
Cultural Landscapes represent the “combined works of
nature and of man”. They are illustrative of the evolution
of human society and settlement, under the influence of
the physical constraints and/or opportunities presented
by their natural environment and of successive social,
economic and cultural forces. Cultural landscapes include
diverse examples of the interaction between humans and
the natural environment and fall into three main categories:
(i) the clearly defined landscape designed and created
intentionally by man
(ii) the organically evolved landscape
(iii) the associative cultural landscape”.
Natural heritageArticle 2 of the World Heritage Convention, defines natural
heritage:
(i) “natural features consisting of physical and biological
formations or groups of such formations, which are of
outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific
point of view
(ii) geological and physiographical formations and precisely
delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened
species of animals and plants of outstanding universal
value from the point of view of science or conservation
(iii) natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas
of outstanding universal value from the point of view of
science, conservation or natural beauty”.
World Heritage CriteriaThe criteria listed below are current as at April 2008.
Criteria are subject to change.
For a property to be included on the World Heritage List the
World Heritage Committee must find that it meets one or
more of the following criteria, pass the test of authenticity
and be adequately protected. Sites nominated should
therefore:
i. represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
ii. exhibit an important interchange of human values, over
a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on
developments in architecture or technology, monumental
arts, town‑planning or landscape design
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iii. bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a
cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which
has disappeared
iv. be an outstanding example of a type of building or
architectural or technological ensemble or landscape
which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
v. be an outstanding example of a traditional human
settlement, land‑use or sea‑use which is representative
of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the
environment especially when it has become vulnerable
under the impact of irreversible change
vi. be directly or tangibly associated with events or living
traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and
literary works of outstanding universal significance (the
Committee considers that this criterion should preferably
be used in conjunction with other criteria)
vii. contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of
exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
viii. be outstanding examples representing major stages
of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant
ongoing geological processes in the development of
landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic
features,
ix. be outstanding examples representing significant
ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution
and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and
marine ecosystems and communities of plants and
animals, or
x. contain the most important and significant natural
habitats for in‑situ conservation of biological diversity,
including those containing threatened species of
outstanding universal value from the point of view of
science or conservation.
The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the
World Heritage Convention provide guidance to the World
Heritage Committee in deciding which nominations should
be included on the List. This document can be found in full
at the World Heritage Centre web site at http://whc.unesco.
org/archive/opguide08‑en.pdf
Purnululu Colin Totterdell
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Australian World Heritage Legislation
THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999Australia's World Heritage properties are protected under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 (EPBC Act). This Act provides automatic protection for
World Heritage properties by ensuring that an environmental
impact assessment process is undertaken for proposed
actions that will, or are likely to, have a significant impact
on the values of a declared property. This process allows
the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Water,
Heritage and the Arts to grant or refuse approval to take an
action, and to impose conditions on the taking of an action.
The EPBC Act imposes substantial civil and criminal
penalties on a person who takes an unlawful action.
Which properties are covered?All Australian properties that have been inscribed on the
World Heritage List are automatically declared World
Heritage properties and are therefore protected. The
EPBC Act also gives the Commonwealth Minister for the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts the power to
declare other properties where:
• the property has been nominated for, but not yet
inscribed on the World Heritage list, or
• the property has not been nominated for World Heritage
listing but the Minister believes that the property
contains World Heritage values that are under threat.
A cooperative approachHistorically, the protection and management of many
of Australia's World Heritage properties has involved a
cooperative approach between the Australian Government
and State Governments, while relevant State agencies take
responsibility for on‑ground management. The EPBC Act
creates a mechanism for the Commonwealth and a State to
enter bilateral agreements to achieve the requirements of
the Act and to remove duplication of regulatory processes.
This provides an avenue for formalising existing cooperative
arrangements through Commonwealth accreditation of
State World Heritage management plans and environmental
impact assessment processes. In order to be accredited, the
relevant State plan or process must be consistent with the
Australian World Heritage management principles, which are
regulations made under the EPBC Act.
The EPBC Act continues the existing joint management
arrangements between the Commonwealth and the
traditional owners of the Uluru‑Kata Tjuta and Kakadu World
Heritage Areas.
What is a World Heritage property?Under the EPBC Act, a World Heritage property is either:
• an Australian property on the World Heritage List kept under the World Heritage Convention, or
• a property declared to be a World Heritage property by the Commonwealth Environment Minister.
The Commonwealth Environment Minister will only declare
a property not on the World Heritage List to be a World
Heritage property if he or she believes the property is of
international significance and that its world heritage values
are under threat. A declaration must specify the period for
which it is in force. If the property has been nominated for
World Heritage listing, the Minister may specify the period of
time that he or she thinks the World Heritage Committee will
need to decide whether to include the property in the World
Heritage List.
If the property has not been nominated, the Minister will
specify the period he or she believes the Commonwealth
needs to decide whether the property has World Heritage
values and to submit a nomination to the World Heritage
Committee. This period must not be longer than 12 months.
If after declaring a World Heritage property, the Minister
becomes satisfied it is not of international significance,
or that there is no longer any threat to the property, the
Minister will revoke the declaration.
Protecting World Heritage properties
Assessment and approval provisionsWorld Heritage properties are recognised as a matter of
national environmental significance under the EPBC Act's
assessment and approval provisions.
A person must not take an action that has, will have, or is
likely to have, a significant impact on the world heritage
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values of a declared World Heritage property, without
approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister.
To obtain approval, the action must undergo a rigorous
environmental assessment and approval process.
The World Heritage values of a property are 'the natural
heritage and cultural heritage contained in the property'. The
terms 'natural heritage' and 'cultural heritage' in the Act have
the same meaning as in the World Heritage Convention. Each
World Heritage property has individual World Heritage values.
To find out whether an action is likely to have a significant
impact on the World Heritage values of a World Heritage
property, see the EPBC Act Administrative guidelines on
significance.
Biodiversity conservation provisionsUnder its biodiversity conservation provisions, the Act
establishes an improved framework for managing World
Heritage properties in the form of the Australian World
Heritage management principles. These principles are
intended to promote national standards of management,
planning, environmental impact assessment, community
involvement, and monitoring, for all of Australia's World
Heritage properties in a way that is consistent with
Australia's obligations under the World Heritage Convention.
A management plan for a World Heritage property cannot
be accredited unless it will promote the management of the
property in accordance with these principles.
The EPBC Act requires the Commonwealth Environment
Minister to prepare a written management plan for World
Heritage properties that are entirely within Commonwealth
areas, unless a property is in a Commonwealth reserve, in
which case it will be managed as a Commonwealth reserve.
Slightly different arrangements apply to the Great Barrier
Reef and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands World
Heritage properties. For World Heritage properties
that are wholly or partly within a State or Territory, the
Commonwealth must use its best endeavours to prepare
and implement a management plan in cooperation with the
State or Territory.
Management plans for World Heritage properties must be
consistent with Australia's obligations under the World
Heritage Convention and with the Australian World Heritage
management principles. There are several provisions in
the EPBC Act and Regulations relating to World Heritage
properties, including the following:
• EPBC Act/Chapter 2/Part 3/Division 1/Subdivision A/World Heritage
• EPBC Act/Chapter 5/Part 15/Division 1/Managing World Heritage properties
• EPBC Regulations/Schedule 5/Australian World Heritage management principles
Please note that these provisions are not the only EPBC
provisions relating to World Heritage properties. For a
comprehensive understanding of the provisions relating to
World Heritage properties, you should refer directly to the
EPBC Act and the EPBC Regulations. These can be found at
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/about/index.html.
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Implications of World Heritage Listing
BenefitsInscription of a property on the World Heritage List can
produce many benefits for Australia, and in particular, for
local communities.
Australia's World Heritage properties are a clearly identifiable
part of our heritage. In the case of properties such as
the Tasmanian Wilderness, Kakadu and Uluru‑Kata Tjuta
National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef, World Heritage
listing has featured in promotions which have resulted in
greatly increased tourist visitation from overseas and within
Australia.
In addition to possible increases in employment
opportunities and income, local communities could also
expect benefits from improved planning and management
of the region. A major focus for Australian Government
assistance for World Heritage properties has been the
provision of resources for strengthening management and
improving interpretation and visitor facilities.
World Heritage listing also cultivates local and national
pride in the property and develops feelings of national
responsibility to protect the area.
Ownership and ControlWorld Heritage listing does not affect ownership rights.
Ownership remains as it was prior to nomination, and
State and local laws still apply. Australia's World Heritage
properties comprise a variety of land tenures including
freehold, perpetual lease, pastoral lease, town reserve, State
forest, national park, nature reserve, Aboriginal reserve and
recreational reserve.
Land UsesThe Australian Government has an international obligation to
protect and conserve World Heritage properties, but there is
no impediment to existing land uses unless they threaten
the outstanding universal natural and cultural values of the
property.
Experience in Australia's World Heritage properties shows
that listing does not necessarily limit the range of activities
Willandra Lakes Region Mark Mohell & DEWHA
89
that can be carried out on a property. For instance, grazing
occurs in the Willandra Lakes Region, New South Wales, and
Shark Bay, Western Australia, and there is recreational and
commercial fishing in the Great Barrier Reef.
ManagementManagement systems or plans have been produced or are
planned for each Australian property. The Commonwealth
considers such management systems or plans as vital
in implementing Australia's obligations under the World
Heritage Convention.
The primary management objectives for World Heritage
properties are part of Australia's general obligations under
the World Heritage Convention:
• to protect, conserve and present the World Heritage values of the property
• to integrate the protection of the area into a comprehensive planning program
• to give the property a function in the life of the Australian community
• to strengthen appreciation and respect of the property's World Heritage values, particularly through educational and information programs
• to keep the community broadly informed about the condition of the World Heritage values of the property
• to take appropriate scientific, technical, legal, administrative and financial measures necessary for achieving the foregoing objectives.
In achieving these primary objectives due regard is given to:
• ensuring the provision of essential services to communities within and adjacent to a property
• allowing provision for use of the property which does not have a significant impact on the World Heritage values and their integrity
• recognising the role of current management agencies in the protection of a property's values
• the involvement of the local community in the planning and management of a property.
Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian Wilderness Dave Watts
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Australia’s seat on the World Heritage Committee In October 2007 Australia was elected to the World Heritage
Committee for a four year term. This is Australia’s fourth
term as a member of the Committee, having previously
served in 1976‑83, 1985‑89 and 1995‑2000. Australia’s
current membership is for the period November 2007 to
October 2011.
Australia’s experience Australia takes its World Heritage role seriously – both
in Australia and when working in partnership with other
nations to share knowledge and experience to protect
exceptional sites for the global community. Australia is
committed to strengthening the integrity, relevance and
implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Australia
brings to the World Heritage Committee membership a range
of unique skills and experiences. We are:
A proactive State Party to the World Heritage Convention:
Australia has played a prominent role in the World Heritage
Convention since its adoption. Since 1974, when Australia
became the seventh State Party to accede to the World
Heritage Convention, Australia has taken a leadership role
in promoting the World Heritage Convention’s objectives
and set high standards in meeting our commitments. In
previous stints on the World Heritage Committee, Australia
was instrumental in establishing the reserved seat on the
World Heritage Committee for countries without sites on
the World Heritage List. Australia helped drive the World
Heritage Committee’s endorsement of the concept of
cultural landscapes as a complement to natural heritage
and, with a strong interest in quality over quantity, Australia
successfully promoted a limitation on the number of listings
that should be brought before the World Heritage Committee
each year.
A champion of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’: Australia has
long been an active contributor to World Heritage policy
discussions. Australia continues to champion Outstanding
Universal Value as fundamental in implementing the World
Heritage Convention. On issues such as periodic reporting
and reform of the operational guidelines, Australia support
approaches that ensure adherence to the criteria for natural
and cultural heritage as essential to the integrity and
credibility of listings.
A leader in ‘best practice’ management frameworks:
Australia had its first three sites inscribed onto the World
Heritage List in 1981. Our properties cover the range
of types, including properties listed for their cultural (2
properties), natural (11) and mixed (4) values. Australia
has worked energetically to ensure that our sites of
Outstanding Universal Value are well protected and
managed.
Our property management has been internationally
recognised as ‘best practice’ with a series of awards,
including UNESCO’s Picasso Gold Medal for World Heritage
for management of the Uluru‑Kata Tjuta National Park and
the Einstein Medal and MAB/ UNESCO Environmental Prize
for management of the Great Barrier Reef.
A partner in capacity building: Australia has extensive
experience in partnering with government and non‑
government organisations to support heritage managers
worldwide. As the focal point for World Heritage managers
in the Asia‑Pacific, Australia has provided technical support
to protect and manage sites in more than 20 countries in
our region. Australia has also provided significant funding
under a Memorandum of Understanding with the World
Heritage Centre and through the World Heritage Fund to
protect sites in developing countries
Australia’s World Heritage Committee membersAustralia’s representation on the World Heritage Committee
comprises experts who have extensive strategic, policy and
practical experience in cultural and natural heritage:
– Dr Greg Terrill leads Australia’s team. Dr Terrill has a doctorate in history and has worked on climate change issues for over a decade when employed by the United Nations and the Australian Government. He is currently Assistant Secretary, Heritage Division, Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
91
– Dr Anita Smith is an archaeologist with 20 years of research experience in Indigenous and historic heritage in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Dr Smith was the Convenor of the Australia ICOMOS World Heritage Reference Group, co‑author of the 2008 ICOMOS Thematic Study on Pacific Island Cultural Landscapes and has advised the Australian Government on the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.
– Mr Jon Day has over 30 years of experience as a natural area manager, including 20 years in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and four years in Kakadu National Park. He is a memeber of the World Heritage Centre’s expert working group revising the World Heritage periodic reporting process.
Objectives for Australia’s membership of the World Heritage Committee
1. To create a positive legacy Australia strongly supports the objectives of the World
Heritage Convention to identify, protect and conserve
properties of Outstanding Universal Value. World Heritage
needs to be managed for the long term. Ensuring that
future generations can enjoy World Heritage properties is a
State Party obligation under the World Heritage Convention
and a pillar of Australia’s policy approach. Australia
recognises that the development of the frameworks to do
this important work have been built incrementally and with
the contribution of heritage experts from each of the State
Parties.
World Heritage sites face a myriad of threats and
challenges. These challenges include but are not limited to
development pressures, sustainable financial management,
increasing tourism, fire, pest incursion, impacts of climate
change and issues outside formal property boundaries.
Australia has developed methodologies for managing many
of these threats which we can share with the World Heritage
community. Australia has developed a range of tools to
help tourism operators, heritage managers and policy
makers ensure that tourism at World Heritage properties is
sustainable.
�. To strengthen the integrity of the Convention Australia will seek to contribute to efforts to improve the
governance of the World Heritage Convention. Australia has
a history, in this as in many other international conventions,
of promoting good governance. Australia can work with
other State Parties to develop strategies to strengthen
the integrity of the World Heritage Convention through
consistent management, cohesive policies, streamlined
processes and addressing strategic issues. The World
Heritage Committee is working to achieve a more balanced
and representative World Heritage List, and Australia has
been one of the champions of a more sustainable process.
Australia will continue to be a strong supporter of making
the World Heritage Convention more inclusive and relevant.
�. To continue to build world heritage capacity in our region Australia intends to continue and consolidate directions
set by New Zealand during its most recent term on the
World Heritage Committee. Australia has several aims
for the region. First, Australia will work to maintain the
current momentum towards Pacific nominations to the
World Heritage List. Second, Australia will work with the
Pacific countries to draw more resources into the region for
World Heritage. Third, Australia will ensure that the Pacific
has a strong voice on important emerging issues for the
Convention.
Australia’s role in supporting World Heritage in the Asia-Pacific The World Heritage Committee has recognised that the
Pacific is the least represented area in the World Heritage
List, and that action needs to be taken to address this.
The UNESCO State of World Heritage in the Asia Pacific
Region 2003 report found that only the Solomon Islands
had a property inscribed on the World Heritage List from the
Pacific. Eleven Pacific islands countries out of thirteen have
now ratified the World Heritage Convention (as compared
with two in 2000).
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Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and
Vanuatu are in the process of preparing Tentative Lists and
their first nominations.
Australia was asked to function as the Asia Pacific Focal
Point (APFP) for World Heritage managers, to encourage
implementation of the Convention and improve regional
World Heritage management. The APFP is implemented
under a Memorandum of Understanding on World Heritage
with UNESCO.
It is a regional network for World Heritage managers to
assist countries in the Asia‑Pacific region in adopting and
implementing the World Heritage Convention. The focus is
to encourage and support the countries of South‑East Asia
and the South Pacific to nominate properties for the World
Heritage List and to encourage and support best practice
management of their World Heritage properties.
It does this by working with countries and World Heritage
managers to:
• Share information and experience and further develop networks;
• Exchange views on management issues;
• Respond to specific requests;
• Help promote best practice in heritage management; and
• Help to identify and secure funding for World Heritage activities.
The objectives of the APFP are to:
• enhance implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Asia‑Pacific region;
• assist regional State Parties to identify and nominate places for World Heritage listing; and
• assist regional State Parties with improving the management of World Heritage properties.
Australia has supported projects in the Asia‑Pacific region
to protect and manage the biodiversity of the region,
and to raise community awareness of natural heritage
conservation issues.
Since the MOU with UNESCO was signed in 2002, Australia
has supported a number of activities within the Asia‑Pacific
region, including workshops, training, staff exchanges,
website development, development of awareness raising
materials and advice on preparation of nominations.
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Since 2000 Australia’s heritage support in the Asia‑Pacific
has included:
• CHINA: The China Principles Project involved more than a decade of collaboration between Australia, China and the Getty Conservation Insitute to develop guidelines for conservation of heritage sites in China.
• INDONESIA: We engaged in a project to enhance local government planning and mangement capacity at Lorentz National Park World Heritage Area, Irian Jaya (now West Papua).
• CAMBODIA: The Living with Heritage project created a monitoring system to assist site management of the Greater Angkor World Heritage property.
• POLYNESIA & MICRONESIA: Australia has contributed over $10 million to projects to assist prepartion of nominations and management of World Heritage and protected areas in the region.
• FIJI: We supported ongoing community‑based marine conservation efforts, including educational workshops on marine resource planning and bringing technical assistance to village‑based conservation and management planning.
• COOK ISLANDS & KIRIBATI: We assisted preparation of a case for World Heritage listing of a cluster of islands amoung the Cook, Kirbati and Line Islands.
Australia took a leadership role in the first cycle of periodic
reporting for the region, hosting UNESCO’s Periodic
Reporting Workshop in Asia and the Pacific. Australia, along
with New Zealand and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre,
will continue to host a series of Pacific World Heritage
Workshops, focusing on capacity building in preparing
nominations and management plans. These forums and
activities provide useful opportunities to listen to the
World Heritage interests of the Pacific islands States, which
Australia can then take to the World Heritage Committee.
Rock outcrops typical of the Riversleigh area Colin Totterdell
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Further information
Can World Heritage properties be assessed for other values?Yes. World Heritage properties may contain values other
than those of 'outstanding universal significance' which
have led to them being inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Under the new heritage system, any person may nominate
an existing World Heritage property for additional values
of national heritage significance. Such a nomination would
then be assessed in the normal way by the Australian
Heritage Council with the Minister making the final listing
decision. However, existing World Heritage values will
not be re‑assessed or reconsidered as a result of these
legislative amendments – provisions already exist under the
Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World
Heritage Convention for that purpose.
In future, if any new World Heritage values are identified for
an existing World Heritage property, then the Minister can
also have these included in the National Heritage List under
these provisions.
Are the criteria the same?No. The World Heritage criteria are established by the World
Heritage Committee and are included in the Operational
Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage
Convention. They are used to determine 'outstanding
universal significance'. The criteria for the National Heritage
List are different and are included in regulations under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999
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