Warrumbungle National Park
Formed by ancient volcanic activity, the Warrumbungles create a distinct microclimate that supports diverse plant communities from both eastern and western NSW.
The Warrumbungle range is the remnant of volcanic action that occurred around 17 million years ago. The theory goes that the volcano occurred due to the northward migration of the Australian continent over a section in the earth’s mantle that was very hot. Where the crust of our continent was thin, magma broke through leaving behind a series of volcanic events from Cape Hillsborough (35 million years ago), below Townsville in Queensland to Mount Macedon (6 million years ago) in Victoria.
This theory is supported by the fact that similarly typed volcanoes (central volcanoes) occur along the east of the continent, showing a decrease in age the further south one travels.
So it is unlikely another volcano will occur here. The hot spot we travelled over is now said to be off the west coast of Tasmania and not very hot anymore. In fact it appears it was at its peak (pardon the pun) when it showed itself at Mt Warning on the NSW North Coast. This was the largest event from this hot spot.
The Warrumbungle mountains left by the volcano, are unique. Firstly, its definitely not flat like much of the surrounding country. Secondly the mountains create a microclimate where miniorographic rainfall patterns occur so we have higher rainfall and the soils are richer than the surrounding area.
The mountains are a place of refuge to many species of plants and animals from both the east and the west of NSW.
The Warrumbungle Range is a haven for plants from two quite different habitats – the arid western areas and the more tropical eastern ranges. This results from great changes in the climate over the last 10,000 years. Plants closely aligned to those found in the Sydney area can be found along with species common to western woodlands. But the Warrumbungles have many plants endemic to the area and the mountains are a safe haven for a number of endangered and threatened species.
On the hot, dry westward slopes the plants are dominated by those of the inland – wattles such as the boree or weeping myall of the saltbush plains (Acacia pendula), small inland trees such as wilga (Geijera parviflora), the desert lime (Eremocitrus glauca) and the quandong (Santalum acuminatum) with its bright red edible stony-hearted fruit.
The cooler, moister conditions of the sheltered southern and eastern slopes support forests of tall trees normally found in the higher rainfall areas of the Great Dividing Range. Ferns, sundews and orchids are found in the damp gullies. The Rusty Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) grows in crevices and hollows where water is trapped, even in the “split” of “Split Rock”.
Although no volcanoes are currently active in Eastern Australia, a broad strip parallel to the coast from North Queensland to Tasmania, including the Warrumbungles, has been affected by volcanic activity over the past 70 million years.
The central volcanoes at Cape Hillsborough and the Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland, the Nandewar Ranges (Mt Kaputar National Park), the Warrumbungles and Mt Canobolas in New South Wales and Mt Macedon in Victoria get progressively younger as you travel south. This probably indicates that as the crustal plate carrying Australia travelled north under the influence of continental drift, it passed over a fixed zone of melting or hotspot in the earth’s mantle, which periodically erupted forming mountains.
Before the volcano the area was probably not unlike the Pilliga to the north – wooded, undulating to flat sandstone country cut by shallow valleys and creeks. These sandstones were laid down during the Jurassic period (the age of the dinosaurs) about 180 million years ago, in the shallow freshwater lakes which covered most of the eastern part of Australia.
Initially, about 17 million years ago, there were scattered flows of basalt. These were followed about 16 million years ago by numerous explosive eruptions which built up thick piles of breccia and tuff. As time progressed the magma became less and less viscous, spreading further and further from the vents and forming thick trachyte flows such as Mt Exmouth and Siding Spring Mountain. In the final stages from 14 million years ago, the flows became thinner and longer and more basaltic.
Since the end of volcanism about 13 million years ago, erosion has cut through the volcanic pile, removing most of the later deposits and the softer rocks to expose the products of the early phases of the volcano, the hard trachyte domes, plugs, and dykes now visible as Belougery Spire, Crater Bluff, the Breadknife and Bluff Mountain.
For more detailed geological information see “The Warrumbungle Volcano” written by MB Duggan and J Knutson and published in 1993 by Australian Geological Survey Organisation.
The Warrumbungles is a great place to look at the stars. Astronomers agree, so much so that they installed a group of telescopes on one of the highest mountains called ‘Siding Spring’.
The Warrumbungles were chosen because there are no big towns nearby to create light pollution and the number of cloudless winter nights is relatively high.
The Siding Spring telescopes are used by scientists, however Donna Burton can organise your students a dark sky gazing experience. For more information Donna can be contacted through her website Donna the Astronomer The visitors' centre in the park can also arrange to run dark sky tours. However, the skies are so clear here, viewing with the naked eye or assisted with only a pair of binoculars is a great way to stargaze.
If you want to make stargazing part of your visit, here are a few tips to help.
Winter nights may be cold (be sure to bring warm clothes) but they are long and start early. This makes times outside daylight savings days most suitable. The brighness of the moon may also be so great as to make the stars look less bright. Viewing of the stars two to three days after full moon will give the best results.
The Sydney Observatory provides monthly star charts that can be downloaded and printed off along with a detailed description of what’s on offer in the sky for that month. For more information visit the Sydney Observatory website.
If you are wanting to use the charts while stargazing you will need a torch and the tip is to cover it with red cellophane using a rubberband, as white light adversely affects your adaptation to the dark.
The brightness of the moon may also be so great as to make the stars look less bright. Viewing of the stars two to three days after full moon will give the best results.
Throughout the month the moon cycle can change the brightness of the sky and what you're able to see with the naked eye. Full moon nights are great for observing constellations without the backdrop of lots of stars. Check the Australia — Moon phases and lunar calendar
The Warrumbungle Environmental Education Centre has binoculars and a telescope that school groups can use if staying in the Warrumbungle National Park overnight.
First people and European history
First people
The Warrumbungles is at a place where three Aboriginal language groups intersect. To the north-west Wayilwan is the language of country. To the north-east, the traditional language is Gamilaraay and to the south is Wiradjuri country. People travelling through this country would no doubt have been multilingual.
The landscape of the Warrumbungles readily reveals evidence of a long human history. Stone flakes, axe grinding grooves, cave art and artifacts are all around if you are observant and adventurous. Finding these treasures for local Aboriginal community members is a bit like whitefellas looking at old family photographs. They are one aspect of their ancestral connection to place. Needless to say if any artifacts are found they need to remain exactly where they were found so future generations of local Aboriginal people have the opportunity to keep their strong sense of place intact.
Food and water were and still are abundant away from land that has been cleared. An Aboriginal diet was one of huge variety. Meats would have included kangaroo, possum, echidna, koala, reptiles such as snakes and lizards, birds including emu and ducks and a wide selection of life found in freshwater such as yabbies and fish. Comparing this list to the chicken, beef, lamb, pork and (if you are lucky) fish we have readily available today gives us a clue to the bounty this land was able to provide to its human inhabitants. Grain and meal is another group of foods where the Aboriginal diet provided far greater diversity than is available today. Flours for bread cooked in the ashes of a fire were ground from grass seeds, tree seeds, yam daisies (orchid and lily roots) and many other starchy parts of plants. Local favourite fruits are fivecorners and quandongs.
The drink of choice was clean water sometimes flavoured with blossom nectar.
Places of permanent water are a feature of the Warrumbungles with mountain springs dotted around the place. These places would have been well cared for as the connection between life and a healthy water supply was well understood.
There are many facets of the Aboriginal history of this part of western NSW and there are many stories to be told. But never think of this simply as history. The first people of this land are still here and keeping their identity strong.
European history
In 1818, John Oxley and the members of his second inland expedition were the first Europeans to enter the Warrumbungles.
After following the westward flowing Macquarie River till it disappeared into the Marshes, he travelled northeast to where he saw the jagged mountains on 13 July. He named them “Arbuthnot’s Range”. By 11 August he was close enough to send a party to climb a nearby peak, which he called Mount Exmouth. He tried to cross the Pilliga to reach the distant Nandewar Ranges which he could see from there. However he got bogged and gave up, finally heading east and reaching the coast at Port Macquarie.
His reports of fertile plains brought European invaders from the coast whose stock took over the water holes and ate the grass that the native animals and Aboriginal people had depended on. Squatters took up and cleared the flat lands of the lower levels for farming and wool-growing well before the land was gazetted for such uses. When the law caught up, legislation required that these farmers build fences, even in the more inaccessible areas.
The area that is now National Park was a farm. The flatter ares were cleared. Sheep were grazed and crops were grown. The delicate food webs were disturbed with the eradication of the dingo and the introduction of foxes, rabbits, goats and pigs.
In the 1930’s some members of the Sydney Bushwalkers began to visit the mountains to explore and to climb the rugged mountains. These included Dot Butler, Dr Dark and Myles Dunphy who recommended that it become a National Park in 1937. This was finally put into effect in 1953 when nearly 4000 hectares of the property “Wambelong” was given up by leaseholder A J Pincham to be placed under the management of a Trust. National Parks and Wildlife Service took over management in 1967, further acquisitions have been made and the Warrumbungle National Park now totals over 23 606 hectares.
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