Newhaven Reserve
Encyclopedia
Newhaven Reserve lies 363 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs at the junction of three distinct bioregions
: the Great Sandy Desert
, MacDonnell Ranges
and Burt Plain in the Northern Territory
of Australia
.
It was established when Newhaven Station, a pastoral cattle-grazing property in the arid zone of the Northern Territory was purchased by Birds Australia
in December 2000 in order to conserve its outstanding natural values. At 2,622 square kilometres in area, Newhaven is five times the size of Birds Australia's other reserve, Gluepot
, in South Australia
.
Newhaven's landforms include parallel dunes, salt lakes, claypan
s, plains and rocky hills. Vegetation includes grassland
s, woodland
s and shrubland
s, which can be subdivided into ten distinct vegetation communities, with over 100 species of plants recorded.
Several threatened species
of birds and other animals have been recorded on Newhaven. These include the Grey Falcon
, Night Parrot
, Princess Parrot
, Striated Grasswren
, Grey Honeyeater
, Mulgara
, Black-flanked Rock-wallaby
, Greater Bilby
, Marsupial Mole
and Great Desert Skink
.
Newhaven is surrounded by Aboriginal
lands. People from the Warlpiri
, Luritja
and Anmatyerre
language groups have a traditional association with the area. Aboriginal sacred sites have been identified on the property.
In December 2005 Birds Australia
signed an agreement with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
(AWC) that saw AWC assume ownership and day-to-day financial responsibility for Newhaven, while allowing for Birds Australia to have long-term involvement in the management of the reserve, Birds Australia members to have access, and ensuring the conservation of the flora and fauna.
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
: the Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is a desert located in the North West of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of...
, MacDonnell Ranges
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs...
and Burt Plain in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of 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...
.
It was established when Newhaven Station, a pastoral cattle-grazing property in the arid zone of the Northern Territory was purchased by Birds Australia
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
in December 2000 in order to conserve its outstanding natural values. At 2,622 square kilometres in area, Newhaven is five times the size of Birds Australia's other reserve, Gluepot
Gluepot Reserve
Gluepot Reserve is a 540 km2 nature reserve established by Birds Australia in 1997 by the purchase, through a public appeal, of Gluepot Station, a pastoral lease in the semi-arid mallee region of South Australia...
, in 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...
.
Newhaven's landforms include parallel dunes, salt lakes, claypan
Claypan
In geology, a claypan is a dense, compact, slowly permeable layer in the subsoil having a much higher clay content than the overlying material, from which it is separated by a sharply defined boundary. Claypans are usually hard when dry, and plastic and sticky when wet. They limit or slow the...
s, plains and rocky hills. Vegetation includes grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s and shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
s, which can be subdivided into ten distinct vegetation communities, with over 100 species of plants recorded.
Several threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
of birds and other animals have been recorded on Newhaven. These include the Grey Falcon
Grey Falcon
The Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos, is a rare medium-sized falcon, one of the enigmatic ‘mystery’ birds of Australia, neither easily nor predictably seen.-Description:...
, Night Parrot
Night Parrot
The Night Parrot is a small broad-tailed parrot endemic to the continent of Australia. The species was originally placed within its own genus , but most authors now prefer to place it within the genus Pezoporus together with the two ground parrots.No known sightings of the bird were made between...
, Princess Parrot
Princess Parrot
The colourful Princess Parrot, Polytelis alexandrae, is an Australian bird of the parrot family. Its name was given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who later married the Prince of Wales Edward VII and eventually became the Queen of England...
, Striated Grasswren
Striated Grasswren
The Striated Grasswren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2006. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Grey Honeyeater
Grey Honeyeater
The Grey Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Mulgara
Mulgara
Mulgaras are the two species in the genus Dasycercus. They are marsupial carnivores, closely related to the Tasmanian Devil and the quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex bush of central Australia. They are 12.5–22 cm long with a 7–13 cm tail. They are nocturnal but occasionally...
, Black-flanked Rock-wallaby
Black-flanked Rock-wallaby
The Black-flanked Rock-wallaby , also known as the Black-footed Rock-wallaby or Warru, is a kind of wallaby, one of several rock-wallabies in the genus Petrogale.-Description:...
, Greater Bilby
Greater Bilby
The Bilby, Macrotis lagotis, is an Australian species of nocturnal omnivorous animal in the Peramelemorphia order. The common name Bilby usually refers to this species, but is distinguished from Macrotis leucura that became extinct in the 1950s by the name Greater Bilby. It is also referred to as...
, Marsupial Mole
Marsupial mole
Marsupial moles is a family of marsupials of the order Notoryctemorphia, consisting of only two extant species:* Notoryctes typhlops * Notoryctes caurinus ...
and Great Desert Skink
Great Desert Skink
The Great Desert Skink is a species of skink in the genus Egernia native to the western half of Australia . They are burrowing lizards and extremely social.- Description :...
.
Newhaven is surrounded by Aboriginal
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....
lands. People from the Warlpiri
Warlpiri
The Warlpiri are a group of Indigenous Australians, many of whom speak the Warlpiri language. There are 5,000–6,000 Warlpiri, living mostly in a few towns and settlements scattered through their traditional land in Australia's Northern Territory, north and west of Alice Springs...
, Luritja
Luritja
Luritja is a name used to refer to several dialects of the Indigenous Australian Western Desert Language, and thereby also to the people who speak these varieties, and their traditional lands.-Origin and meaning of Luritja:...
and Anmatyerre
Anmatyerre
Anmatyerr, are an Indigenous Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. They are from an area near Arnka , Arwerlt Atwaty Anmatyerr, are an Indigenous Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. They are from an area near Arnka (Mount Leichhardt),...
language groups have a traditional association with the area. Aboriginal sacred sites have been identified on the property.
In December 2005 Birds Australia
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
signed an agreement with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy is an Australian independent, non-profit organisation, working to conserve threatened wildlife and ecosystems in Australia, principally through the acquisition of extensive areas of land on which to establish conservation reserves . These sanctuaries are...
(AWC) that saw AWC assume ownership and day-to-day financial responsibility for Newhaven, while allowing for Birds Australia to have long-term involvement in the management of the reserve, Birds Australia members to have access, and ensuring the conservation of the flora and fauna.