Gibson Desert Nature Reserve

The Gibson Desert Nature Reserve is an 18,900 km2 nature reserve located in the Gibson Desert in central Western Australia. The nature reserve is remote and rarely visited by tourists, and is administered by the Kalgoorlie regional office of the Department of Environment and Conservation.[3]

Gibson Desert Nature Reserve
Western Australia
The Gibson Desert Nature Reserve from Gunbarrel Highway
Gibson Desert Nature Reserve is located in Western Australia
Gibson Desert Nature Reserve
Gibson Desert Nature Reserve
Map
Nearest town or cityWiluna
Coordinates24°44′55″S 125°15′05″E / 24.748619°S 125.251404°E / -24.748619; 125.251404
Established1977
Area1,842,053 hectares (4,551,810 acres)[1][2]
Managing authoritiesDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
See alsoList of protected areas of
Western Australia
Gunbarrel grasslands and dune in the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve

Located in Australia's arid zone, the reserve's landscape features include sand dune and plains, stony mesaform hills and undulating laterite plains. The dominant vegetation is spinifex interspersed with low shrubs and trees.[4]

The vast pebbles, red sand plains, and hills of this wilderness are home to many diverse reptiles. Here one can find yellow and brown striped snakes and the thorny devil.[5]

In 2020, an agreement with the Gibson Desert People and the Western Australian Government, gave the name Pila Reserve to the area, with management to be shared by the traditional owners, the Gibson Desert People and the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions.[6]

Further reading

edit
  • Turner, J. (2018). "The view from below: A selected history of contact experiences, patjarr, gibson desert, Western Australia". Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia. 42: 13–47. ISSN 1034-4438. Wikidata Q106616162.
  • Neil Burrows; Bruce Ward; Alex Robinson (March 1991). "Fire behaviour in spinifex fuels on the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve, Western Australia". Journal of Arid Environments. 20 (2): 189–204. doi:10.1016/S0140-1963(18)30708-0. ISSN 0140-1963. Wikidata Q106616044.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Terrestrial CAPAD 2022 WA summary". www.dcceew.gov.au/. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Australian Protected Areas Dashboard". www.dcceew.gov.au/. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  3. ^ Central Desert Native Title Services. "Other projects". Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  4. ^ Burrows, N.D.; Algar, D.; Robinson, A.D.; Sinagra, J.; Ward, B.; Liddelow, G. (December 2003). "Controlling introduced predators in the Gibson Desert of Western Australia". Journal of Arid Environments. 55 (4): 691–713. doi:10.1016/S0140-1963(02)00317-8. ISSN 0140-1963. Wikidata Q60895001.
  5. ^ Shorowarthy, Shahab Uddin (26 November 2022). "Gibson Desert Nature Reserve: A Beautiful Place in Australia". nehrin.com. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  6. ^ Gibson Desert Native Title Services (28 October 2020), Agreement between the Gibson Desert People and State Government of Western Australia (PDF), retrieved 23 April 2021