Coalseam Conservation Park is a conservation park in the

Shire of Mingenew The Shire of Mingenew is a local government area in the Mid West region of Western Australia, about southeast of the city of Geraldton and about north of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is t ...

, in the Wheatbelt region of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, approximately inland from

Geraldton Geraldton (Wajarri language, Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu language, Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West (Western Australia), Mid West region of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. As of the , Geraldt ...

. The park is an important refuge for the threatened fauna and flora of the Wheatbelt region. It is renowned for its spectacular spring wildflowers. The park is also the site of the discovery of Western Australia's first coal deposits in 1846 and a rare example of coal being visible on the surface.

Geology

Coalseam Conservation Park is one of the few places on Earth where coal can be seen on the surface. The

Irwin River The Irwin River is a river in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It was named on 9 April 1839 by the explorer George Grey, while on his second disastrous exploration expedition along the Western Australian coast. Grey named the river aft ...

, which flows through the park, exposes a cross section of the local rock, with the Holmwood Shale at the bottom (280 million years old), the High Cliff sandstone (269 million years old) above, the Irwin River Coal Measures (265 million years old) next and the Victoria Plateau Sandstone (50 million years old) and the Laterite (40 million years old) on top.

History

The area of what is now Coalseam Conservation Park holds strong traditional value for the

Aboriginal people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

as a source for food and medicine, and artefacts from the time of indigenous occupation can be found in the park. European occupation of the area began from 1839, when the

Colony of Western Australia The human history of Western Australia commenced "over 50,000 years ago and possibly as much as 70,000 years ago" with the arrival of Aboriginal Australians on the northwest coast. The first inhabitants expanded across the east and south of the ...

commenced a search for coal to support industrial development. In 1846, surveyor

Augustus Charles Gregory Sir Augustus Charles Gregory (1 August 1819 – 25 June 1905) was an English-born Australian explorer and surveyor. Between 1846 and 1858 he undertook four major expeditions. He was the first Surveyor-General of Queensland. He was appointed a ...

, together with his brothers Francis Thomas and Henry Churcham, explored the area and found Western Australia's first coal seam at the banks of the Irwin River. Following this, the area was declared a reserve for mining purposes and it became the site of the colony's first coal mine. The coal in the area was, however, of poor quality and uneconomic to mine, and mining was soon abandoned, with one remaining mine shaft still visible, the Johnson mine shaft. The area around the park was instead taken up by farmers, forcibly displacing the local Aboriginal people. The area of what is now the Coalseam Conservation Park was unsuitable for both wheat and sheep farming and its value as a retreat for native flora and fauna was eventually recognised. It became a nature reserve, administrated by the

, in 1978 and a conservation park in 1994.

Flora and fauna

Coalseam Conservation Park is considered to be one of the most spectacular wildflower areas of the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, which grow predominantly in winter, with flowers appearing in early spring before dying in late spring, avoiding the harsh summer conditions. The park has a range of birds that are easily observable during the day, while the park's mammals are predominantly nocturnal and the reptiles are more difficult to spot.

Recreation

The park has two unpowered camping facilities, the Miners campground and the Breakaway overflow campground. Recreation areas are located at the Riverbend and Fossil recreation sites. The Irwin lookout offers views over the Irwin River while the Plateau Loop Trail, starting at the Miners campground, leads up to the park's plateau ridge.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Parks and Wildlife Service
Coalseam Conservation Park
Parks in Western Australia Mingenew, Western Australia 1994 establishments in Australia