Francois Peron National Park Explained

Type:	protected
Francois Peron National Park
State:	wa
Iucn Category:	II
Local Map:	yes
Zoom:	9
Coordinates:	-25.6994°N 113.5519°W
Relief:	yes
Nearest Town Or City:	Geraldton, Western Australia
Area:	525.87
Area Footnotes:	^[1]
Established:	1993
Managing Authorities:	Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Url:	https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/francois-peron-national-park

Francois Peron National Park is a national park on the Peron Peninsula in Western Australia, north of Perth, and located within the boundary of the Shark Bay World Heritage area. The nearest towns to the park are Denham, which is found on the southern edge of the park and Carnarvon which is found about to the north.

There is also an eponymous locality of the Shire of Shark Bay, but the boundaries of the national park and the locality are not identical.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Names and earlier uses

Aboriginal Australians are the initial inhabitants of the area and have been living in it for over 26,000 years. The local peoples, who speak the Malgana language, call the area Wulyibidi.^[5]

It is named after the French naturalist and explorer François Péron who was the zoologist aboard Nicolas Baudin's 1801 and 1803 scientific expeditions to Western Australia, and is situated within the bounds of the earlier pastoral lease of the Peron Station.

Locations from the French exploration era include:

• Guichenault (east coast of the Peron Peninsula)
• Cape Lesueur (west coast of the Peron Peninsula)
• Lake Montbazin

A pearling camp was established on the peninsula at Herald Bight in the 1880s and the remains of shells can still be found along the beach.

Used as a sheep station from the early 1900s onwards the station was sold to the state government in 1990.

It was gazetted on 8 January 1993 as a National Parkthrough the purchase of Peron Station (Pastoral Lease 3114/761) in 1990.^[6]

Location

It is adjacent to and surrounded by the Shark Bay Marine Park to the west, north and east, and by the Denham to Monkey Mia road to the south.

Facilities

Picnic, boat launching and camping areas along the west coast of the Peninsula include:

• Big Lagoon
• Cape Lesueur
• Cattle Well
• South Gregories
• Gregories
• Bottle Bay

See also

• List of protected areas of Western Australia
• Denham, Western Australia
• Monkey Mia

Further reading

• Edward Duyker François Péron: An Impetuous Life: Naturalist and Voyager, Miegunyah/MUP, Melb., 2006, pp. 349, [winner Frank Broeze Maritime History Prize, 2007].

External links

• Francois Peron National Park page at the Department of Parks and Wildlife website
• Francois Peron National Park page at SharkBay.org
• Francois Peron National Park page at the Shire of Shark Bay website

Notes and References

1. 2010 . Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report . Annual Report . 48 . Department of Environment and Conservation . 1835-114X . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110111124319/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ . 11 January 2011 . dmy .
2. Web site: SLIP Map . . maps.slip.wa.gov.au . . 25 September 2024 .
3. Web site: Terrestrial CAPAD 2022 WA summary . . www.dcceew.gov.au/ . . 25 September 2024.
4. Web site: Australian Protected Areas Dashboard . . www.dcceew.gov.au/ . . 25 September 2024.
5. Web site: Francois Peron National Park Brochure. 2007. 29 May 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110128022705/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4228&Itemid=. 28 January 2011. dmy-all.
6. Map 4, and page 7 of Hancock, Sue, Brown, Paul and Stephens, Burke (2000) Shark Bay Terrestrial Reserves Management Plan 2000- 2009 Perth, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management for the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority