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are exceptionally high for species richness and endemism for many mammal, reptile and frog species. These high biodiversity values areas are found together with rugged topography, diverse geology and the highest annual rainfalls in northwest Australia. The endemism, and to a lesser extent the richness, of plants and animals associated with the rocky coast, largely overlap in range. ANHAT analyses (2009) identified that the north from Walcott Inlet to the Mitchell Plateau, across to Drysdale River National Park and the Kimberley islands are nationally significant cluster points for richness and endemism values for a range of different organisms. Many of these rank at the highest or near highest value for the nation, these will be discussed below. The very nature of this rocky landscape is proving to be an important refuge, protecting many species that were previously found more extensively across northern Australia (ANRA 2007a, b, c; Graham 2001b). Over millennia the sandstones have provided indestructable shelter habitat for many species, broken up fires and stored water that is released in seepages and creeks throughout the dry season (A Burbidge pers. comm. Dec 2009). This landscape also offers greater protection from human induced changes; evident, for example, with the absence, or near absence, of cats, foxes, feral dogs, rabbits, goats, camels and livestock (Burbidge et al. 1991; Woinarski et al. 2007). Examples of species that persist here, but are rare or absent elsewhere, include the golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus), golden-backed tree rat (Mesembriomys macrurus) and the Kimberley rock rat (Zyzomys woodwardi). The persistence of native mammal species on the Kimberley islands and the nearby mainland rocky coast is in stark contrast to their absence in more inland areas; indicating the extent of the impact of changed fire regimes, feral animals and livestock (Abbott and Burbidge 1995; Johnson and Kerle 1991). Research into fire ecology has begun to examine the effects of increased fire frequency, and the timing of fires, on species such as the seed eating Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) which has undergone alarming range reductions in recent years (Legge et al. 2008; Murphy et al. 2005; Radford & Fairman 2008). Seed eating savanna birds and rodents such as the golden-backed tree rat (Mesembriomys macrurus) are now scarce on the mainland, with more frequent fires probably removing key food plants that no longer have sufficient time between fires to set seed (Bowman and Panton 1993). The Kimberley Plateau, particularly the Mitchell Plateau, (see description for regional definitions) is notable for the highest ANHAT plant richness and endemism scores in the Kimberley. The highest (or close to highest) endemism values for the nation were returned for the families Zygophyllaceae, Tiliaceae, Combretaceae and Amaryllidaceae. The highest endemism score for Grevillea outside southwest Western Australia occurs in the Kimberley Plateau. Annual plant families Lentibulariaceae (bladderworts) and Stylidiaceae (triggerplants) showed high richness and endemism values for this region and for the Prince Regent Nature Reserve. These families are likely to be indicative of other small ephemeral plants (not indexed in ANHAT) that undergo population explosions on sandstone and laterite pavements. The ephemerals are dispersed during the wet season, then drop their seed before dying in the lead up to the next wet season. These pavements play an important seasonal refugial role, sustaining these vulnerable, highly specialised plants (Kevin Kenneally pers. comm. March 2009). The endemism and richness scores for these pavement plant families are only matched by Kakadu and west Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. 84
The second highest endemism score in Australia for reptiles occurs in the area surrounding the Mitchell River. Rodentia (rodents) (top 0.3 per cent in the country) and Muridae (rats and mice) (top 0.3 per cent) show significant species richness scores. Rodents showing high values nationally in the Kimberley, coastal north Queensland, the MacDonnell ranges in central Australia and Kakadu/Arnhem Land. ANHAT analysis also showed strong results for endemism; nationally significant scores were found for Rodentia (rodents) (top 0.2 per cent) and Phalangeridae (possums) (top 0.3 per cent). Possums showed the second highest endemism score nationally, after the well recognised Queensland Wet Tropics hotspot. High endemism values for mammals where further supported by a comparison of IBRA bioregions, which showed the North Kimberley bioregion, which is dominated by the Kimberley Plateau, as having close to the highest index scores nationally (ANRA 2007c). Areas that contain new endemic species (i.e. species that have undergone major range contractions) are often important refugia for threatened species. ANHAT analysis has shown the Kimberley Plateau has a rich reptile, frog and bat fauna. Nationally significant species richness and endemism scores were found for both the Diporiphora (dragons) and Gekkonidae (geckoes). These scores largely reflect the presence of the highly restricted dragons Diporiphora convergens and D. superba, the cave geckoes Pseudothecadactylus cavaticus and P. lindneri and Oedura gracilis, a velvet gecko only found on the Kimberley Plateau. The highest national endemism score for Boidea (pythons) occurs in the Kimberley Plateau, resulting from the presence of the rough-scaled python (Morelia carinata), only known from the Kimberley Plateau. The distinct high rainfall zone of the northwest Kimberley is a centre of species richness for frogs, in fact it is the only region in Australia that contains high richness values for both of the endemic Australian frog families, Hylidae (tree frogs) and Myobatrachidae (Southern frogs). ANHAT endemism scores were found for Hylidae with the presence of Litoria splendida, L. cavernicola and Cyclorana vagita, which are restricted to the Kimberley. High Kimberley Hylidae endemism values were supported by phylogenetic analysis, which has confirmed there is a high genetic diversity among restricted species of the Kimberley Hylidae (Rosauer, D., pers. comm., June 2008). Myobatrachidae show a very high endemism score due to the presence of a number of restricted species, including Uperoleia marmorata, U. micra and Crinia fimbriata (Cogger 1992; Tyler et al. 2009). Nationally high endemism scores are also recorded for microbats of the Hipposideridae and Vespertilionidae families, reflecting the presence of restricted species such as the Yellow-lipped Cave Bat (Vespadelus douglasorum), the Northern Long-nosed Bat (Hipposideros stenotis) and the Northern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus westralis). Despite a wide range of bird species, ANHAT analyses showed no nationally significant scores for birds for the west Kimberley region. Maluridae returned high, but not nationally high, endemism scores due to the presence of what a single restricted species, the Black Grasswren (Amytornis housei). Further bird collection and observation over time may provide a higher level of significance for bird richness and endemism. The importance of mangroves as seasonal refuges for birds is discussed below in mangrove refugia. The Kimberley Plateau is important for land snail richness and endemism. These species are typically, but not exclusively, found in the vine thickets of the Kimberley. 85
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WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT DESCRIP
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In contrast to ontological views of
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These painted images have attracted
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But Geikie Gorge is much more than
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Jirrbal (May to June): At this time
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GEOLOGICAL HISTORY Geologists expla
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(Playford et al. 2009). The feature
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In the absence of any major mountai
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A NATURAL AND CULTURAL REFUGE For t
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Punamii-unpuu is a very important p
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Researchers have found that a numbe
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frogs - a richer assemblage of frog
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The sheer number of islands along t
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Central Kimberley Stretching east f
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striata), above a layer of ribbon g
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visit the bay each year. The Roebuc
Page 33 and 34: traditional country is located abov
Page 35 and 36: of Important Wetlands of Australia
Page 37 and 38: Indonesian fisherman brought tamari
Page 39 and 40: inland from the coast today. Accord
Page 41 and 42: Sydney; the Mermaid was barely soun
Page 43 and 44: EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT OF THE KIMBERLE
Page 45 and 46: colonies to import indentured labou
Page 47 and 48: feared that the policy might lead p
Page 49 and 50: The Broome community reflected the
Page 51 and 52: and wealth to the west, the governm
Page 53 and 54: Hicks wrote: 'We found ourselves ne
Page 55 and 56: The drove began near Goulburn in 18
Page 57 and 58: pioneered by already-established Ki
Page 59 and 60: esponses to Aboriginal resistance.
Page 61 and 62: south-east around Lake Gregory (Par
Page 63 and 64: The church's exterior is in the int
Page 65 and 66: Bungarun Bungarun (the Derby Lepros
Page 67 and 68: eating snails and weeds. Their one
Page 69 and 70: From 1943 to 1944, Noonkanbah was u
Page 71 and 72: In 1965, award wages were granted t
Page 73 and 74: in May 1978, led directly to the fo
Page 75 and 76: part of absorbing these cultures' (
Page 77 and 78: Hann. The remains of the old Gibb R
Page 79 and 80: CRITERION (a) - The place has outst
Page 81 and 82: ECOLOGY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION
Page 83: of note. More tetrapod species are
Page 87 and 88: new genera (see more detail under v
Page 89 and 90: ainforests, including the golden ba
Page 91 and 92: considered to provide insights into
Page 93 and 94: number of endemic freshwater fish i
Page 95 and 96: southwest of the State (DEH 2001).
Page 97 and 98: A series of scattered freshwater we
Page 99 and 100: Kimberley has three plant families
Page 101 and 102: the southwest of Western Australia
Page 103 and 104: The earliest evidence for the appli
Page 105 and 106: Ethnographic evidence shows that bo
Page 107 and 108: analysis of the west Kimberley agai
Page 109 and 110: Station NT - a feat which became kn
Page 111 and 112: The industry developed into the cul
Page 113 and 114: work in the sugar industry, while n
Page 115 and 116: century, their interest was commerc
Page 117 and 118: Historic shipwrecks A total of 237
Page 119 and 120: The resistance campaign was unprece
Page 121 and 122: Woorunmurra are all recorded as tak
Page 123 and 124: Affairs Department was set up and i
Page 125 and 126: medical examination before being se
Page 127 and 128: 2003; River Junction Research 2006)
Page 129 and 130: The Kimberley Land Council (2010) s
Page 131 and 132: struggle noted, the local maparn, a
Page 133 and 134: practices in relation to consultati
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military and population centres wer
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could have stood as tall as 5.4-5.6
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younger and smaller than the Lake G
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Evidence for uninterrupted occupati
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century hydrographers and in partic
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The Devonian reef outcrops of the L
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eef, utilised the massive tides to
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phased out' (Morwood 2002, 162). Bu
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people whose lives were so closely
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Karrakatta Bay Karrakatta Bay is a
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complete what Matthew Flinders had
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and the remains of a forge was cite
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as well. Taking a longer perspectiv
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coastal regions which may exhibit s
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The Devonian carbonate complexes of
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Antarctic feeding grounds and breed
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Additional to international visitor
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In summary, within the context of t
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people); Paakantyi, Darling River l
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knowledgeable about 'magic' (which
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(Mowaljarlai and Malnic 1993). Othe
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* * * * '[I]t was the feeling of ex
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were removed from a preliminary lis
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King Leopold Ranges Conservation Pa
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flickering light and was joined by
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Aboriginal rock art paintings in th
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There is also a high degree of vari
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Ingenuity, resourcefulness and coop
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Built in a remote location from loc
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The manufacture of the double log r
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Shinju Matsuri Festival which conti
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In summary, evidence for the identi
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life and works of Phillip Parker Ki
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to catch up with him, Jandamarra wa
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his capture. His tracks were often
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using European weapons against the
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CRITERION (i) - The place has outst
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12). This is the same Wanjina, Nama
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References Abbott, I and A A Burbid
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Akerman, K and J Stanton (1994). Ri
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ongitude_1dir%3DE%3Blongitude_2dir%
Page 217 and 218:
Berson, J (2004). Protecting dugong
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Braithwaite, R W, G R Friend and J
Page 221 and 222:
Choo, C (2001). Mission girls: Abor
Page 223 and 224:
Crawford, I M (2009). 'Macassan' vo
Page 225 and 226:
DEWHA (2007). Mt William Stone Hatc
Page 227 and 228:
Durack, M (1969). The rock and the
Page 229 and 230:
Graham, G (2001a). Dampierland 2 (D
Page 231 and 232:
Hocking, I, E Shepherd and J Meggit
Page 233 and 234:
Johnstone R E and A H Burbidge (199
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Köhler, F (2010). Three new specie
Page 237 and 238:
Long, J (2006). Swimming in Stone:
Page 239 and 240:
McConnell, K and S O'Connor (1999).
Page 241 and 242:
Morse, K (1993a). Coastwatch: Pleis
Page 243 and 244:
North Australian Indigenous Land an
Page 245 and 246:
Paterson A, G Nicholas Gill and M K
Page 247 and 248:
Price, O F (2004). Indirect evidenc
Page 249 and 250:
Rogers, D I and Pearson G B (2003).
Page 251 and 252:
Sharples, C, R E Mount, T K Pederse
Page 253 and 254:
Stannage, C T (ed.) (1981). Convict
Page 255 and 256:
Trigger, D (1987). Inland, coast an
Page 257 and 258:
Watson, P (1983). This precious fol
Page 259 and 260:
Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corpor
Page 261 and 262:
years of reef deposition and shows
Page 263 and 264:
Aboriginal trade in pearl shell Kim
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B The place has outstanding heritag
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C The place has outstanding heritag
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D The place has outstanding heritag
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E The place has outstanding heritag
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F The place has outstanding heritag
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H The place has outstanding heritag
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