The Great Western Woodlands

What is the Great Western Woodlands? The Great Western Woodlands is a fantastic place to visit, with numerous granite outcrops, secluded bush camping areas and historic attractions scattered across this large area of Western Australia’s heartland.  Despite this, many Western Australians have never heard of the internationally significant Great Western Woodlands (GWW), the largest remaining area of intact Mediterranean-climate woodland on Earth.  The GWW covers almost 16 million hectares (about the size of England), this unbroken band of native vegetation is made up  of woodlands, mallee and shrublands.

Telegraph Road - Print available @ www.lynn.webb.com.au

The woodlands are a refuge for many threatened and unique species found nowhere else on earth. Did you know that more than a fifth of Australia’s native plant species (over 3,000 species) are found here, including 20 per cent of Australia’s eucalypt species (more than 160 species)?  The Western Australian Government has committed to better protect and manage the woodlands through the development of  A Biodiversity and Cultural Conservation Strategy for the Great Western Woodlands, which can be downloaded at www.dec.wa.gov.au/ greatwesternwoodlands

 A guide to interesting places to visit and a location map can be found here - The Great Western Woodlands - Information brochure

Aboriginal occupation of the Great Western Woodlands has been dated to at least 22,000 years and the region has immeasurable cultural significance, with Aboriginal people retaining strong links and responsibility for country.

The Ngadju people are strongly committed to conservation and land management within the Great Western Woodlands, including the Ngadju Land Management Rangers: read more in the following links.

Ngadju Conservation - Bunna Yalinya

National Landcare Programme - Ngadju People Working on Country  -

Ngadju Land Management Rangers - Goldfields Land and Sea Council

Gondwana Link - Ngadju Cultural Connections

Other Community and Conservation Organisations

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Urban Landcare Group, (08) 9091 6233   www.kbulg.org.au

Great Western Woodlands Collaboration, (08) 6460 4936   www.greatwesternwoodlands.org.au

The Wilderness Society, (08) 9420 7255   www.wilderness.org.au