Hattah-Kulkyne National Park

The Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is a national park in the Mallee district of Victoria, Australia. The 48,000-hectare (120,000-acre) national park is situated adjacent to the Murray River, approximately 417 kilometres (259 mi) northwest of Melbourne with the nearest regional centre being Mildura. The Hattah Lakes National Park was proclaimed on 7 June 1960 (1960-06-07), later being greatly expanded in 1980 and becoming the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.[3] It is a popular destination for bushwalkers and school camping trips.[4]

Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
Victoria
Hattah Lake, within the national park.
Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is located in Victoria
Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
Map
Nearest town or cityMildura
Coordinates34°41′14″S 142°22′54″E / 34.68722°S 142.38167°E / -34.68722; 142.38167
Established7 June 1960 (1960-06-07)[1]
Area480 km2 (185.3 sq mi)[1]
Managing authoritiesParks Victoria
WebsiteHattah-Kulkyne National Park
Footnotes
Official nameHattah-Kulkyne Lakes
Designated15 December 1982
Reference no.264[2]
See alsoProtected areas of Victoria

History

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In 1915, a sanctuary was formed to protect the beauty of the Hattah lakes. In 1949, ornithologist Les Chandler and the Reverend Clarrie Lang formed the Sunraysia Field Naturalists' Club (later the Sunraysia Naturalists' Research Trust). Les Chandler was variously its president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and editor. They agitated to have the Hattah-Kulkyne area declared a national park, which was partially achieved in 1960, with the Hattah Lakes area becoming the Hattah Lakes National Park.[5][6][7][8][9] The Kulkyne State Forest was added to the national park in 1980, resulting in the creation of the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.[3]

Description

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The park is in the Mallee district, famous for its red dirt and mallee eucalypts. There are several lakes in the area, the largest of which is Lake Hattah. During the dry season most of the lakes and their streams dry out completely. Although there are limited road and tracks, there are several major high tension power and telegraph lines that run through or near the park, around which large areas are cleared. For management purposes, the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is managed with the Murray-Sunset National Park, Wyperfeld National Park, Lake Albacutya Park and Murray-Kulkyne Park as part of the Victorian Mallee Parks.[1]

Important Bird Area

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Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the park, which is overlapped by the Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello Important Bird Area (IBA), so identified by BirdLife International because it contains mallee habitat supporting a suite of threatened mallee bird, including the malleefowl, black-eared miner and mallee emu-wren.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mallee Parks Management Plan" (PDF). Parks Victoria (PDF). Government of Victoria. September 1996. pp. 1–3. ISBN 0-7306-6174-1. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Hattah Lakes" (PDF). mdba.gov.au. February 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and Murray-Kulkyne Park" (PDF). Parks Victoria (PDF). Government of Victoria. June 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  5. ^ Kloot T (1980) Obituary. Leslie Gordon Chandler. Emu 80, 241-242. https://doi.org/10.1071/MU9800241
  6. ^ L. C. Chandler (1934), "v. : ill., maps.; 34 cm.", Walkabout., Rex Nan Kivell Collection, Melbourne: Australian National Travel Association, ISSN 0043-0064, nla.obj-747971279 – via Trove
  7. ^ Hugh Wilson (1933), "v. : ill., maps.; 34 cm.", Walkabout., Rex Nan Kivell Collection, Melbourne: Australian National Travel Association, ISSN 0043-0064, nla.obj-749128577, retrieved 7 June 2021 – via Trove
  8. ^ Victorian National Parks Association, 1937, retrieved 7 June 2021
  9. ^ Australian Government; Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (June, 2011) Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Ramsar Site Ecological Character Description
  10. ^ "IBA: Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
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