Chichester Range
Encyclopedia
The Chichester Range is a range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
.
The range rises abruptly from the coastal plain and is composed of rolling hills, escarpments, jagged peaks, gorges and winding tree-lined watercourses.
The range is best described as an escarpment
with a height of 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) forming a tableland behind that slope gently to the South until it runs into the Hamersley Range. The steep escarpment is defined by a jumble of weathered basalt
s and granophyre
s
The highest point of the Chichester Range is Mount Herbert with a height of 367 metres (1,204 ft), the peak takes about 45 minutes to climb and a car park is at the base of the peak. The peak is also on the route of the Chichester Range Camel trail, a tourist attraction that is operated on the range that finishes at Python's Pool. The range is part of the Millstream-Chichester National Park
, along with Millstream station that is one of the few permanent watercourses in the area.
Geologically the range is made up of a mixture sandstone, igneous rocks, and mineralised banded iron formation, being part of the Pilbara Craton.
The area was named by the explorer Francis Thomas Gregory
in 1861 after the British Undersecretary Chichester Samuel Fortescue.
The traditional owners
of the area are the Bailgu or Palyku peoples, who speak the Yinjibarndi language
The range is the basis of two major river basins; the Fortescue
Basin and the Port Hedland coast Basin.
The Port Hedland Coast Basin is the catchment area for many rivers including the Harding River
, Sherlock River
, Yule River
and Shaw River.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The range rises abruptly from the coastal plain and is composed of rolling hills, escarpments, jagged peaks, gorges and winding tree-lined watercourses.
The range is best described as an escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
with a height of 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) forming a tableland behind that slope gently to the South until it runs into the Hamersley Range. The steep escarpment is defined by a jumble of weathered basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
s and granophyre
Granophyre
Granophyre is a subvolcanic rock that contains quartz and alkali feldspar in characteristic angular intergrowths such as those in the accompanying image....
s
The highest point of the Chichester Range is Mount Herbert with a height of 367 metres (1,204 ft), the peak takes about 45 minutes to climb and a car park is at the base of the peak. The peak is also on the route of the Chichester Range Camel trail, a tourist attraction that is operated on the range that finishes at Python's Pool. The range is part of the Millstream-Chichester National Park
Millstream-Chichester National Park
Millstream Chichester National Park is a national park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia , and is located north of the state capital, Perth....
, along with Millstream station that is one of the few permanent watercourses in the area.
Geologically the range is made up of a mixture sandstone, igneous rocks, and mineralised banded iron formation, being part of the Pilbara Craton.
The area was named by the explorer Francis Thomas Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory
Francis Thomas Gregory was an English-born Australian explorer and politician.-Biography:Gregory was born at Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, England, and was the younger brother of the explorer Augustus Gregory...
in 1861 after the British Undersecretary Chichester Samuel Fortescue.
The traditional owners
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of the area are the Bailgu or Palyku peoples, who speak the Yinjibarndi language
The range is the basis of two major river basins; the Fortescue
Fortescue River
The Fortescue River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the third longest river in the state.The river rises near Deadman Hill in the Ophthalmia Range about 30 km South of Newman. The river flows in a Northerly direction parallel with the Great Northern...
Basin and the Port Hedland coast Basin.
The Port Hedland Coast Basin is the catchment area for many rivers including the Harding River
Harding River
The Harding River is a river in the Pilbara of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the Chichester Range in the Millstream-Chichester National Park near Merrinyaginya Spring and flow is a northerly direction...
, Sherlock River
Sherlock River (Western Australia)
The Sherlock River is a river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise from numerous springs on the Abydos Plain below the Mungaroona Range near the western edge of the Mungaroona Range Nature Reserve then flows in a northerly direction past the Chichester Range...
, Yule River
Yule River
The Yule River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the Abydos Plain between the Chichester Range and the Mungaroona Range in the Scientific Reserve then flow in a north westerly direction crossing the North West Coastal Highway...
and Shaw River.