East from Perth, over the escarpment hills of the Darling Range and past the Western Australian Wheatbelt lies a remarkable place—the Great Western Woodlands.
Looking east from the famous Rabbit Proof Fence is16 million ha of relatively intact bush.
This rich tapestry of woodlands, mallees and shrublands connects Australia’s south-west corner to its inland deserts. It is a land of granite rock islands, of shrubby plains, of mallee and red dirt, and of woodlands that are so vast that ancient hydrological patterns still operate and clouds still gather in response to the vegetation beneath.
Nowhere else do large trees of such variety grow where water is so scarce and the soil so depleted of nutrients.
The Great Western Woodlands - 16 million ha of relatively intact bush
The Great Western Woodlands is the largest remaining intact temperate woodland in the world.
It is also one of the very few large, intact landscapes remaining in temperate Australia.
The southern portion of the Woodlands is part of the south-western Australia biodiversity hotspot, one of only 34 such hotspots recognised scientifically.
At Risk
Despite its size, the Great Western Woodlands is at risk, from changing fire patterns, from weeds, from feral animals, and habitat fragmentation from poorly planned infrastructure development. We must act now if we want to preserve this unique region for future generations.
The Great Western Woodlands has played an important role in Australia’s human history as well.
This is the land of several Aboriginal nations, and traditional ties to the land remain.
It is also the outback that met the eyes of thousands of 19th-century gold prospectors who came to seek their fortunes in the goldfields surrounding Kalgoorlie.
Land tenure in the Great Western Woodlands
| Land tenure | Hectares | GWW land Area |
|---|---|---|
| ‘A’ Class reserves | 570 830 | 3.6% |
| 'B' Class reserves | 784 407 | 4.9% |
| 'C' Class reserves | 717 320 | 4.5% |
| Unallocated Crown Land | 9 769 361 | 61.1% |
| Pastoral Leases (including Indigenous-held leases) | 3 265 976 | 20.4% |
| UCL Ex Pastoral managed by DEC | 317 673 | 2.0% |
| Other crown reserves | 385 352 | 2.4% |
| Private land | Data not obtained | ~ 1% |
Photos in order from the top;
The Rabbit Proof fence east of Hyden. Photo: Alexander Watson
Lake Johnston and a massive Salt Gum. Photo: Barbara Madden
A natural salt lake bordered by Eucalyptus woodland. Photo: Barbara Madden
Ngadju representatives overlooking lake Johnston. Photo: Joanna Jones
