The Liverpool Range is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

and a

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

-field province in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The eastern peaks of the range were the traditional territory of the

Wonnarua people The Wonnarua people, otherwise written Wanarruwa, are a group of Aboriginal Australian people united by strong ties of kinship, and who survived in family groups or clans scattered along the inland area of what is now known as the Upper Hunter ...

Geography

The Liverpool Range starts from the

volcanic plateau A volcanic plateau is a plateau produced by volcanic activity. There are two main types: lava plateaus and pyroclastic plateaus. Lava plateau Lava plateaus are formed by highly fluid basaltic lava during numerous successive eruptions th ...

known as the Barrington Tops and runs for about westwards, forming the northern boundary of the

Hunter Region The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and ...

. Parts of the Liverpool Range form the watershed between the coastal and inland drainage of New South Wales and thus form a component of the Great Dividing Range. The western end of the Liverpool Range merges into the

Warrumbungle Range The Warrumbungles is a mountain range in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town is Coonabarabran. The area is easiest accessed from the Newell Highway which is the major road link directly between Melbourne, Victo ...

. The Liverpool Range has a reputation as a breeding ground for severe summer thunderstorms. The peaks of the range generally experience several snowfalls each winter.

History

The Liverpool Range was named after Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, who was the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

at the time of its exploration by Europeans. The higher parts of the Liverpool Range reach approximately above sea level, and the range formed a significant barrier to the expansion of settlement in the early period of British settlement in New South Wales. The first route across the range was Pandora's Pass discovered by Allan Cunningham. This is located near the western end of the range, north from the town of

Coolah Coolah is a town in the central western part of New South Wales, Australia in Warrumbungle Shire. At the 2016 census, Coolah had a population of 1,290. Material was copied from this source, which is available under Creative Commons Attribution ...

and within

Coolah Tops National Park Coolah Tops is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, northwest of Sydney, established on 5 July 1996. It is managed by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Its World Conservation Union category is II. It ...

. The crossing used by the

New England Highway New England Highway is an long highway in Australia running from Yarraman, north of Toowoomba, Queensland at its northern end to Hexham at Newcastle, New South Wales at its southern end. It is part of Australia's National Highway system, ...

is Nowlands Gap (otherwise known as Murrurundi Gap), which crosses the range near its east end. The railway from Newcastle to Werris Creek crosses under this pass via Ardglen Tunnel. The southern slopes of the Liverpool Range are drained by the headwaters of the Hunter River and its tributaries, such as the Pages River, which flows through the town of

Murrurundi Murrurundi( ), is a rural town located in the Upper Hunter Shire, in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Murrurundi is situated northwest by road from Newcastle and north from Sydney. At the the town had a population of ...

. The northern slopes are drained by the headwaters of the Peel River and the Mooki River. The Talbragar River and the

Coolaburragundy River Coolaburragundy River, a perennial stream that is part of the Talbragar catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Orana district of New South Wales, Australia. The river rises on the south-western slopes of the Liverpoo ...

also rise on the range and flow south-west, joining near the town of

Dunedoo Dunedoo ( ) is a village of 1,021 inhabitants situated within the Warrumbungle Shire of central western New South Wales, Australia. Dunedoo is well known to Australian travellers due to its distinctive name (''Dunny'' is a colloquial Australian ...

References

{{Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), state=collapsed Volcanoes of New South Wales Extinct volcanoes Biogeography of New South Wales IBRA subregions Great Dividing Range Hunter River (New South Wales)

Geography

History

See also

References