Mutawintji National Park

Mutawintji National Park New South Wales
IUCN category II (national park)
Aboriginal rock art located within the national park, 1976.
Mutawintji National Park
Nearest town or city	White Cliffs
Coordinates	31°08′48″S 142°22′53″E
Established	4 September 1998 (1998-09-04)
Area	689.12 km2 (266.1 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Website	Mutawintji National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Mutawintji National Park, formerly the Mootwingee National Park, is a protected national park that is located in the Far West region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 68,912-hectare (170,290-acre) national park is situated approximately 880 kilometres (550 mi) west of Sydney and about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north-east of Broken Hill.

Features and location

Rock art at Mutawintji National Park. Etched stone emu. 1976

The rugged, mulga-clad Byngnano Range is dissected by colourful gorges, rockpools and creek beds lined with red gums. Scattered among the caves and overhangs are Aboriginal rock art and engravings.

In 1979, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife purchased and fenced 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi), in the Coturaundee Ranges, now part of Mutawintji National Park, for the conservation and protection of the yellow-footed rock wallaby.

Follow-up funding of fox eradication in the reserve ensured the survival of this last population of yellow-footed rock-wallabies in New South Wales. Of the wild animals, wedge-tailed eagle, peregrine falcon, short-billed correllas, zebra finches, budgerigars, apostle birds and magpies can also be found here.

The park also protects Mutawintji Historic Site, containing one of the best collections of Australian Aboriginal rock art.

See also

• Protected areas of New South Wales

Gallery

• 
  Hand stencils. Mootwingee.
• 
  Etched rock figures. Mutawintji National Park
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  Waterhole, Mootwingee
• 
  Rock etchings. Mootwingee
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  Hand stencils in rock overhang, Mootwingee
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  Mootwingee waterhole
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  Ancient rock etchings. Mootwinjee
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  Etched human-like figures. Mootwingee
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  Kangaroos etched on rocks. Mootwingee

External links

• "Mutawintji Lands: Plan of management" (PDF). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. 2013. ISBN 978-1-74359-284-7.
• Mutawintji National Park (PDF) (PDF Map). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Government of New South Wales.
• The Archaeology of Mootwingee,Western New South Wales by F. D. McCarthy and N. W. G. Macintosh. Records of the Australian Museum, VOL. XXV, No. 13, 1962, pp. 249–298.