Murray-Sunset National Park
Encyclopedia
Murray-Sunset is the second largest national park in Victoria
, Australia
, 438 km northwest of Melbourne. It is in the northwestern corner of the state, bordering South Australia
to the west and the Murray River
to the north. The Sturt Highway
passes through the northern part of the park, but most of the park is in the remote area between the Sturt Highway and the Mallee Highway
, west of the Calder Highway
.
pigment that colours it in late summer, caused by the algae Dunaliella salina
. This area was the site of a major salt industry from 1916 to 1975. At its peak, ten thousand tons of salt was harvested and railed from Lake Crosbie, Lake Becking and Lake Kenyon to the nearby town of Linga.
Another defunct railway, the Nowingi line, terminates at the remains of a gypsum mine hopper on the Raak Plain. Other historical relics include Shears Quarters and Mopoke Hut, built as grazier accommodation in the 1960s.
, saltbush
, Buloke
, porcupine grass, Blue-leaved Mallee and other mallee eucalypts
. In spring, wildflowers include spider orchid
s, Azure Sun Orchids, Desert Heath-myrtles and Poached-egg Daisies.
Emu
s, Wedge-tailed Eagle
s, and both Western Grey
and Red Kangaroo
s are present.
(IBA), so identified by BirdLife International
because it contains mallee habitat
supporting a suite of threatened mallee bird species, including the Malleefowl
, Black-eared Miner
and Mallee Emu-wren
.
The Pink Lakes are medium sized salt lakes. In late summer a red pigment, carotene, is secreted from the alga Dunaliella salina and gives a distinct pink colour to the lakes.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 438 km northwest of Melbourne. It is in the northwestern corner of the state, bordering South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
to the west and the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
to the north. The Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway
The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...
passes through the northern part of the park, but most of the park is in the remote area between the Sturt Highway and the Mallee Highway
Mallee Highway
The Mallee Highway runs east from Tailem Bend in South Australia through cereal-growing farmland at the southern end of the Murray Mallee to Pinnaroo near the border with Victoria, where it crosses route...
, west of the Calder Highway
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...
.
History
The park was created in 1991, and expanded to encompass Pink Lakes State Park in 1999. The lakes are dubbed "pink" after the beta-caroteneBeta-carotene
β-Carotene is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. It is an organic compound and chemically is classified as a hydrocarbon and specifically as a terpenoid , reflecting its derivation from isoprene units...
pigment that colours it in late summer, caused by the algae Dunaliella salina
Dunaliella salina
Dunaliella salina is a type of halophile green micro-algae especially found in sea salt fields. Known for its anti-oxidant activity because of its ability to create large amount of carotenoids, it is used in cosmetics and dietary supplements. Few organisms can survive in such highly saline...
. This area was the site of a major salt industry from 1916 to 1975. At its peak, ten thousand tons of salt was harvested and railed from Lake Crosbie, Lake Becking and Lake Kenyon to the nearby town of Linga.
Another defunct railway, the Nowingi line, terminates at the remains of a gypsum mine hopper on the Raak Plain. Other historical relics include Shears Quarters and Mopoke Hut, built as grazier accommodation in the 1960s.
Flora and fauna
Over 600 species of plants have been recorded, and 300 species of birds. Notable plants include Murray Lily, Silvery Emu-bushEremophila scoparia
Eremophila scoparia , also known as Silver Emubush, is a shrub which is native to Australia.-Description:This species can grow up to 3 metres in height, has a silvery, broom-like appearance and lilac or white flowers which appear year round...
, saltbush
Atriplex
Atriplex is a plant genus of 100-200 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache . The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments...
, Buloke
Allocasuarina luehmannii
Allocasuarina luehmannii is a species of she-oak native to Australia. Stands are endangered by farming practices in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, where it is integral to the survival of the endangered southeastern subspecies of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo for feeding and nesting.The...
, porcupine grass, Blue-leaved Mallee and other mallee eucalypts
Mallee (habit)
Mallee is the growth habit of certain eucalypt species that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground lignotuber, usually to a height of no more than ten metres...
. In spring, wildflowers include spider orchid
Caladenia
The genus Caladenia belongs to the subfamily Orchidoideae of the orchid family . The abbreviation Calda. is often used in trade journals to indicate the genus....
s, Azure Sun Orchids, Desert Heath-myrtles and Poached-egg Daisies.
Emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s, Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
s, and both Western Grey
Western Grey Kangaroo
The Western Grey Kangaroo is a large and very common kangaroo or macropod, found across almost the entire southern part of Australia, from just south of Shark Bay to coastal South Australia, western Victoria, and the entire Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales and Queensland...
and Red Kangaroo
Red Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.-Description:This species is a very...
s are present.
Important Bird Area
Most of the park lies within the Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello Important Bird AreaMurray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello Important Bird Area
The Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello Important Bird Area comprises 7004 km2 of mallee habitat in the Mallee region of north-western Victoria, Australia.-Description:...
(IBA), so identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because it contains mallee habitat
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands is a Major Vegetation Group which occurs in semi-arid areas of southern Australia. The vegetation is dominated by mallee eucalypts which are rarely over 6 metres high...
supporting a suite of threatened mallee bird species, including the Malleefowl
Malleefowl
The Malleefowl is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken...
, Black-eared Miner
Black-eared Miner
The Black-eared Miner, Manorina melanotis, is an endangered honeyeater endemic to mallee woodland in south-eastern Australia. It is closely related to the much more widely distributed Yellow-throated Miner M. flavigula and the taxonomic status of the Black-eared Miner is the subject of some...
and Mallee Emu-wren
Mallee Emu-wren
The Mallee Emu-wren is a bird species in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Taxonomy:...
.
Attractions
The park is attractive to bushwalkers as the nearest semi-arid region to Melbourne. Walks include circuits of Lake Crosbie and Lake Kenyon, and the three day Sunset walking track. Groundwater is scarce, and hikers generally rely on water tanks maintained by rangers.The Pink Lakes are medium sized salt lakes. In late summer a red pigment, carotene, is secreted from the alga Dunaliella salina and gives a distinct pink colour to the lakes.