Thirlmere Lakes National Park
Encyclopedia
Thirlmere Lakes is a national park in New South Wales
(Australia
), 70 km southwest of Sydney, and lying just to the west of Thirlmere, New South Wales
. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area
World Heritage Site
. Covering an area of 629 hectares, it was gazetted in 1972 as Thirlmere Lakes State Park, before being subsequently reclassified as a National Park.
The main feature of the park are the lakes, thought to have formed around 15 million years ago by geological activity, the land lifting and largely cutting them off from the local river system. Their outflow is reduced to the small Blue Gum Creek, which flows west into the Little River in the adjacent Nattai National Park
to the west.
The lakes and their environs contain an unusual and diverse array of flora and fauna. It contains the rare freshwater sponge Radiospongilla sceptroides
, and is notable for an absence of freshwater snails. The lakes contain the rare watershield (Brasenia schreberi) and are lined with rare species such as the grey sedge (Lepironia articulata) and the wooly frogsmouth lily (Philydrum lanuginosum). The habitat provides a home for the otherwise scarce Australasian Bittern
(Botaurus poiciloptilus), and migratory Latham's Snipe
Gallinago hardwickii.
The habitat around the lakes is open sclerophyll
forest, the dominant trees being rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda
) nearby and sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita
) and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera
) on elevated areas. The understory
species include many familiar sydney sandstone flora such as members of the genera Banksia
, Acacia
, pea flowers, and the New South Wales waratah (Telopea speciosissima
)
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(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...
), 70 km southwest of Sydney, and lying just to the west of Thirlmere, New South Wales
Thirlmere, New South Wales
Thirlmere is a small semi-rural town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. Popularly known for its railway origins, the town is located 89 km south west of Sydney , one third of the distance from Sydney to Canberra...
. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area
Greater Blue Mountains Area
The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 24th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairns from 27 November to 2 December 2000...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Covering an area of 629 hectares, it was gazetted in 1972 as Thirlmere Lakes State Park, before being subsequently reclassified as a National Park.
The main feature of the park are the lakes, thought to have formed around 15 million years ago by geological activity, the land lifting and largely cutting them off from the local river system. Their outflow is reduced to the small Blue Gum Creek, which flows west into the Little River in the adjacent Nattai National Park
Nattai National Park
Nattai is a national park in New South Wales , 150 km southwest of Sydney. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, and primarily encompasses the valley of the Nattai River, which is surrounded by spectacular sandstone cliffs. The park is covered in dry sclerophyll forest...
to the west.
The lakes and their environs contain an unusual and diverse array of flora and fauna. It contains the rare freshwater sponge Radiospongilla sceptroides
Radiospongilla sceptroides
Radiospongilla sceptroides is a species of freshwater sponge in the family Spongillidae. It was described as Spongilla sceptroides by Scottish-born Australian zoologist William A. Haswell in 1883, who discovered it growing on submerged wood in a pond in the vicinity of Brisbane...
, and is notable for an absence of freshwater snails. The lakes contain the rare watershield (Brasenia schreberi) and are lined with rare species such as the grey sedge (Lepironia articulata) and the wooly frogsmouth lily (Philydrum lanuginosum). The habitat provides a home for the otherwise scarce Australasian Bittern
Australasian Bittern
The Australasian Bittern , also known as the Brown Bittern, is found in south-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Ouvea. Populations in Australia and New Zealand have declined in the 20th century.It is a large bittern, patterned and streaked brown, buff...
(Botaurus poiciloptilus), and migratory Latham's Snipe
Latham's Snipe
Latham's Snipe, Gallinago hardwickii, also known as Japanese Snipe, is a medium-sized , long-billed, migratory wader.-Identification:...
Gallinago hardwickii.
The habitat around the lakes is open sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest, the dominant trees being rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda
Angophora floribunda
Angophora floribunda is a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia and is known by a variety of names including Rough-barked apple, Apple box, Rusty gum, and Boondah....
) nearby and sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus piperita, commonly known as Sydney Peppermint and Urn-fruited Peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
) and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera
Corymbia gummifera
Corymbia gummifera, commonly known as Red Bloodwood, is a hardwood tree native to eastern Australia.-Description:It usually grows as a tree, but may take the form of a mallee in very poor soils. As a tree it typically grows to a height of 20 to 34 metres and a trunk diameter of one metre dbh....
) on elevated areas. The understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
species include many familiar sydney sandstone flora such as members of the genera Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
, Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, pea flowers, and the New South Wales waratah (Telopea speciosissima
Telopea speciosissima
Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as the New South Wales waratah or simply waratah, is a large shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales in Australia and is the floral emblem of that state...
)