World Heritage Scanned Nomination File Name: 1094.pdf UNESCO Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SITE NAME: Purnululu National Park DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 5th July 2003 STATE PARTY: AUSTRALIA CRITERIA: N (i)(iii) DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Excerpt from the Report of the 27th Session of the World Heritage Committee Criterion (i): Earth’s history and geological features The claim to outstanding universal geological value is made for the Bungle Bungle Range. The Bungle Bungles are, by far, the most outstanding example of cone karst in sandstones anywhere in the world and owe their existence and uniqueness to several interacting geological, biological, erosional and climatic phenomena. The sandstone karst of PNP is of great scientific importance in demonstrating so clearly the process of cone karst formation on sandstone - a phenomenon recognised by geomorphologists only over the past 25 years and still incompletely understood, despite recently renewed interest and research. The Bungle Bungle Ranges of PNP also display to an exceptional degree evidence of geomorphic processes of dissolution, weathering and erosion in the evolution of landforms under a savannah climatic regime within an ancient, stable sedimentary landscape. IUCN considers that the nominated site meets this criterion. Criterion (iii): Superlative natural phenomena or natural beauty and aesthetic importance Although PNP has been widely known in Australia only during the past 20 years and it remains relatively inaccessible, it has become recognised internationally for its exceptional natural beauty. The prime scenic attraction is the extraordinary array of banded, beehive-shaped cone towers comprising the Bungle Bungle Range. These have become emblematic of the park and are internationally renowned among Australia’s natural attractions. The 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 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 m high are cut by seasonal waterfalls and pools, creating the major tourist attractions in the park, with evocative names such as Echidna Chasm, and Frog Hole, Piccaninny and Cathedral Gorges. The diversity of landforms and ecosystems elsewhere in the park are representative of the larger region, and lack a unique aesthetic quality, but provide a sympathetic visual buffer for the massif. The powerful aesthetic experience of the Bungle Bungles has aroused huge interest among the public, and the ranges figure prominently in national and international advertising of Australia’s tourist attractions, matching the prominence of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Photographers and travel writers include the Bungle Bungles among the world’s natural wonders, some describing them as Australia’s equivalent of the Grand Canyon. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS The 239,723 ha Purnululu National Park is located in the State of Western Australia. It contains the deeply dissected Bungle Bungle Range composed of Devonian-age quartz sandstone eroded over a period of 20 million years into a series of beehive-shaped towers or cones, whose steeply sloping surfaces are distinctly marked by regular horizontal bands of dark-grey cyanobacterial crust (single-celled photosynthetic organisms). These outstanding examples of cone karst owe their existence and uniqueness to several interacting geological, biological, erosional and climatic phenomena. 1.b State, Province or Region: Western Australia 1.d Exact location: S17 30 00.0 E128 30 00.0 Nomination of Purnululu National Park by the Government of Australia for Inscription on the World Heritage List Environment Australia 2002 i Cover image Jack Britten. Kija people, c. 1921 Jack Britten. Purnululu (Bull Creek Country), 1988. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Reproduced courtesy of the Warmun Art Centre. The spectacular sandstone canyons commonly called the Bungle Bungles, in the East Kimberley. This particular area is the site of a meeting between two ancestral devil figures, one of which lives in a cave in the region. © Commonwealth of Australia 2002 Contents Chapter 1 Identification of the property 1 1.1 Country 2 1.2 State 2 1.3 Name of the property 2 1.4 Geographic location of property 2 1.5 Area proposed for inscription 3 Chapter 2 Justification for inscription 5 2.1 Statement of significance 6 2.2 Criteria under which inscription is proposed 7 2.3 Comparative analysis of similar sites 29 2.4 Authenticity and integrity 33 Chapter 3 Description 35 3.1 Description of property 36 3.2 History and development 40 3.3 Recent investigations and records 42 3.4 Present state of conservation 44 3.5 Policies and programs promoting the property 45 Chapter 4 Management 47 4.1 Ownership 48 4.2 Legal status 49 4.3 Protective measures and implementation 50 4.4 Management authority 50 4.5 Local and regional management contacts 51 4.6 Agreed plans for conservation and tourism development 52 4.7 Sources and levels of finance 52 4.8 Sources of expertise and training 53 4.9 Visitor facilities and statistics 53 4.10 Site management plan and objectives 53 4.11 Staffing levels 53 Chapter 5 Factors affecting the site 55 5.1 Development pressures 56 5.2 Environmental pressures 56 5.3 Natural disasters and preparedness 57 5.4 Visitor and tourism pressures 57 5.5 Number of inhabitants within the property 57 5.6 Cultural areas 57 Chapter 6 Monitoring 59 6.1 Key indicators for measuring state of conservation 60 6.2 Administrative arrangements for monitoring property 60 6.3 Results of previous monitoring and reporting 61 Bibliography and Information Sources 63 List of attachments 66 Signature of State Party 67 Chapter 1 Identification of the property Parallel joints and fractures splinter the Bungle Bungles near Piccaninny Creek. Photograph: Steve Strike. 1 1.1 Country Australia 1.2 State Western Australia 1.3 Name of the property Purnululu National Park 1.4 Geographic location of property Purnululu National Park is located in the East Kimberley Region of the State of Western Australia, in north-western Australia, approximately 300 kilometres by road south of the regional town of Kununurra. The geographic centre of the Park is approximately latitude Chapter 1 17°30’ south and longitude 128°30’ east (Figure 1). NORTHERN Elevation TERRITORY Sealed road Watercourse QUEENSLAND (metres) WESTERN AUSTRALIA SOUTH Unsealed road Town or settlement AUSTRALIA 500 NEW SOUTH WALES 200 ACT Vehicle track Saline coastal flats VICTORIA 0 TASMANIA Figure 1: Location of Purnululu National Park. Source: Hoatson and others 1997 (with permission) 2 1.5 Area proposed for inscription Purnululu National Park (239 723 hectares) is the proposed area for inscription on the World Heritage List. The adjacent Purnululu Conservation Reserve (79 602 hectares) has nationally significant natural and cultural values and will be managed as a buffer zone to protect and enhance the outstanding values of the Park. These reserves were created on 27th March 1987 by the Western Australian Government. The Ord River forms the southern and eastern boundary of the Park, draining Bellburn Creek and Piccaninny Creek to the south and Red Rock Creek, Osmond Creek and Buchanan Creek to the north. The spectacular gorges, banded domes and towers of the Bungle Bungle Range (approximately 45 000 hectares), are located wholly within Purnululu National Park (Figure 2). The geographical coordinates of the Property are: 17°15’00”–17°46’00” S 128°15’00”–128°55’00” E Chapter 1 Sealed road Campsite Unsealed road Settlement Vehicle track Homestead National Park and Conservation Reserve boundaries Elevation in metres Parking area Breakaway Lookout Watercourse Figure 2: Purnululu National Park. Source: Hoatson and others 1997 (with permission) 3 Chapter 2 Justification for inscription Beehive clumps are one of the more distinctive aspects of the range. Photograph: Brendan Read. 5 2.1 Statement of significance Purnululu National Park has outstanding universal natural and cultural values. The landscape has exceptional natural values. Twenty million years of weathering has 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 sandstone. The crusts, which help stabilise and protect the ancient and fragile sandstone towers, are present on a massive scale. Purnululu sits between the hot dry deserts of Western Australia’s arid zone to the south and the better watered monsoonal areas to the north. This transitional zone possesses unique natural and cultural values. A rich mixture of species, some of them endemic, on the edge of their ranges are found here, as is a remarkably diverse range of spinifex species — the spiny grass genus (Triodia spp) that dominates Australia’s arid zone. The cyanobacterial (single cell photosynthetic organisms) bands crossing the rock surfaces of the Bungle Bungle Range, are adapted to the transitional nature of this area’s environment. In addition to the geomorphic and biological importance of the Park’s natural features, the Chapter 2 myriad sandstone towers of the Bungle Bungle Range are exceptionally beautiful and inspirational. The orange