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 aris ...

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 Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

-field province in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The eastern peaks of the range were the traditional territory of the Wonnarua people.

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 thro ...

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

Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Region, or simply Hunter, spans the region in northern New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its ...

. 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 Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...

. The western end of the Liverpool Range merges into the Warrumbungle Range. 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 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the 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 Pandoras Pass discovered by Allan Cunningham. This is located near the western end of the range, north from the town of Coolah and within Coolah Tops National Park. The crossing used by the

New England Highway New England Highway is an long highway in Australia running from Yarraman, Queensland, Yarraman, north of Toowoomba, Queensland, at its northern end to Hexham, New South Wales, Hexham at Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, New South Wales, ...

is Nowlands Gap (otherwise known as Murrurundi Gap), which crosses the range near its east end. The

Main Northern railway line The Main North Line (also known as the Great Northern Railway) is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia, running from Strathfield railway station, Strathfield in Sydney to Armidale railway station, Armidale. The 1980s saw the line clo ...

from

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

to the Queensland border crosses under this pass via the 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. The northern slopes are drained by the headwaters of the Peel River and the

Mooki River Mooki River, a perennial stream that is part of the Namoi catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia. The river starts at the junction of Omaleah Creek and Phillips ...

. The Talbragar River and the Coolaburragundy River 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

{{Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool Volcanoes of New South Wales Extinct volcanoes Biogeography of New South Wales IBRA subregions Great Dividing Range Hunter River (New South Wales) Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool