Nangar National Park Brochure

Home , Eugowra

Photos: P. Matthew, J. Fox J. Matthew, P. Photos:

Water NSW. Printed on recycled paper recycled on Printed NSW. Water

Published January 2010 January Published 2010/9 DECCW

Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au Website:

Email: [email protected] Email:

TTY: (02) 9211 4723 9211 (02) TTY: 5999 9995 (02) Fax:

Ph: 1300 361 967 (national parks information / publications) / information parks (national 967 361 1300 Ph:

General inquiries: General

FORBES NSW 2871 ph (02) 6851 4429 6851 (02) ph 2871 NSW FORBES

Government Offices, Camp St, St, Camp Offices, Government Office: Area Lachlan NPWS

Mogong Creek. Mogong

upper tributaries of of tributaries upper

springs located in the the in located springs

are also several natural natural several also are

gentle slopes. There There slopes. gentle

wide creek flats and and flats creek wide

valley is relatively open, with with open, relatively is valley

The western part of the Terarra Creek Creek Terarra the of part western The

surrounding park and farmland. farmland. and park surrounding

Mount Nangar, which provides extensive views across the the across views extensive provides which Nangar, Mount

around Nangar Valley. The cliff line rises to 770 metres at at metres 770 to rises line cliff The Valley. Nangar around

long cliff line of red siltstone on the northern boundary, boundary, northern the on siltstone red of line cliff long

cliffs, ridges and narrow valleys. The principal feature is a a is feature principal The valleys. narrow and ridges cliffs,

relief. The northern section is relatively rugged, with with rugged, relatively is section northern The relief.

The landscape can be divided into two units based on on based units two into divided be can landscape The

surrounding areas. areas. surrounding

Nangar are the principal scenic features of the park and and park the of features scenic principal the are Nangar

The spectacular scenery of the cliff line and Mount Mount and line cliff the of scenery spectacular The

along the Lachlan Fold Belt. Belt. Fold Lachlan the along

conservation reserves in the region which occur occur which region the in reserves conservation million years ago. years million

for agricultural activities. It is one of a series of of series a of one is It activities. agricultural for rocks of similar age that were formed between 450 to 340 340 to 450 between formed were that age similar of rocks

surrounding plains which have been largely cleared cleared largely been have which plains surrounding NSW and into Victoria. It is a zone of folded and faulted faulted and folded of zone a is It Victoria. into and NSW

of rugged escarpment country overlooking the the overlooking country escarpment rugged of feature which runs from Queensland, through mid-western mid-western through Queensland, from runs which feature

Orange and Forbes the park covers 9,196 hectares hectares 9,196 covers park the Forbes and Orange location on the Lachlan Fold Belt – a massive landscape landscape massive a – Belt Fold Lachlan the on location

parks in the central west of NSW. Located between between Located NSW. of west central the in parks Nangar’s landscapes are directly linked to the parks parks the to linked directly are landscapes Nangar’s

Nangar National Park is one of four major national national major four of one is Park National Nangar The landscapes of Nangar of landscapes The

Welcome to Wiradjuri Country Gold mining heritage The Indigenous people of the region are the Wiradjuri Gold was discovered around Eugowra in the 1860s, people. Wiradjuri Country covers a vast area of the central resulting in significant population growth in the area. It west of NSW, extending from the Talbraggar River near also encouraged bushranger activity. The Gardener and Coolah, south to Albury, east to the Blue Mountains and Ben Hall gangs operated adjacent to and within the park. west to Willandra. Escort Rock between Eugowra and the park is a significant It has been suggested that the Nangar Range is likely to part of local Bushranger history, where there was a two-day have been an important landmark in Aboriginal culture hold up of a stage coach carrying gold and bank notes in and to have been occupied for extended periods. Within 1862. the park there may be individual places that are significant to the Wiradjuri people. These include archaeological Chinese miners resided in the park area prospecting for sites containing artefacts, stone scatters, quarries and copper during the early 1900s. Mine diggings, a fenced scar trees. Other types of sites such as mythological, garden area beside Terarra Creek and a small weir can still ceremonial and contact sites may occur on park. be seen today. A well is located close to the garden but has partly collapsed and become overgrown. It is reported that Farming heritage Red-necked wallaby the garden was originally fenced with small timber slabs The park area was formerly a combination of vacant crown but this was later replaced with chicken wire. Part of the land, crown lease land, state forest and freehold. The fence still exists today. Nangar’s wildlife freehold section, known as Dripping Rock, was settled in 1928 and purchased by National Parks in 1988. It makes The eastern grey kangaroo, common wallaroo, red- up what is now the western part of the park along Terarra necked wallaby and swamp wallaby can be seen Creek. The flats and lower slopes were cleared and used throughout the park grazing in open forests and along to run sheep while some parts were improved for dairying creeks. Small mammals recorded here, include the and cropping. The relatively fertile soils of the area yellow-footed antechinus and common dunnart. Seven ensured good yields, although water supply was always a species of bat have also been observed in the park problem. including the little mastiff-bat and chocolate wattled The original Dripping Rock homestead, which was little bat. more than a tin shed, was built in 1928. From 1931 to 1945 The park has a great abundance of birds, both sedentary it also doubled as a school. The children of the owners and Nangar’s prominent clifflines are its most striking visual feature. and migratory. Many species return to the park in nearby properties were educated at the school. Around winter including the jacky winter, red-capped robin and 1954 it was converted to a shearing shed. In 1935 a larger woodswallow to name a few. weatherboard and fibro homestead was built which Plant communities provided comfortable living for the families of Dripping Other birds commonly seen throughout the year Six woodland communities are located within Nangar Rock. In September 2009, the Dripping Rock homestead include the white winged chough, crested pigeon, National Park - Grey Box, White Box, Blakely’s Red Gum/ was lost to fire and all that remains of the original apostle bird, red-rumped parrot and eastern rosella. White Cypress Pine, Red Stringybark/ Scribbly Gum, homestead are remnants of the once luscious gardens and Mugga Ironbark/ Red Stringybark and Tumbledown Gum Birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, wedge-tailed bountiful orchards. Woodland. The park’s vegetation and landscape have been eagle and brown falcon, along with some species of Nearby the remains of the piggery, fallen down hay shed, altered by past agricultural and forestry activities. However, owls, utilise the cliff face along the northern boundary fences, yards and other ruins can be seen which tell the the vegetation communities will gradually recover from for nesting and perching. These birds are relatively story of the early settlers and their lifestyle. these impacts through natural regeneration. common within the park and adjacent lands.