Toorale National Park

Toorale National Park New South Wales
IUCN category II (national park)
Toorale National Park
Nearest town or city	Bourke
Coordinates	30°15′54″S 145°24′04″E / 30.26500°S 145.40111°E / -30.26500; 145.40111
Established	26 November 2010 (2010-11-26)[1]
Area	308.66 km2 (119.2 sq mi)[1]
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Kurnu-Baakandji people
Website	Toorale National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Toorale National Park is a

The Toorale National Park consists of land that was previously part of Toorale Station, used for irrigated cropping and grazing.^[3] Toorale has a broadly flat landscape with extensive floodplains, and smaller areas of low ridges, riparian strips, and two notable peaks.^[3] Small ephemeral lakes (gilgais) occur in depressions and swamps, whilst historic water management practices have created a vast wetland ecosystem on the park.^[3]

Flora

Toorale has diverse vegetation with 27 vegetation communities described and mapped. Of these, inland floodplain shrublands are the dominant community, consisting of

The banks and internal river bends of the Darling River are lined by a tall open forest of river red gum.^[3] Outer bends of the Darling and Warrego rivers and tributaries are lined by coolibah open woodland, which extends onto the surrounding alluvial floodplains.^[3] Floodplain woodlands also include those characterised by black box.^[3]

Areas associated with semi-permanent water support shallow freshwater sedgelands.^[3] Bimble box grows in periodically flooded depressions on sandplains and alluvial plains.^[3] On dryland areas there are extensive woodlands of belah, black oak, western rosewood and leopardwood.^[3] A relatively large expanse of Whitewood–Western Rosewood low woodland occurs on the stony tablelands.^[3] There are small patches of supplejack dominated woodland and Western Peneplain woodlands dominated by coolibah and beefwood or ironwood.^[3] Gidgee and occasionally Whitewood tall shrublands, mulga (Acacia spp.) communities and Aeolian dunefields comprising patches of gum coolibah woodland also occur.^[3]

Fauna

Mammals

Within the combined area of national park and the

Several introduced pest species occur, including the European fox, European rabbit, brown hare, feral cat, feral goat, feral pig, European cow and House mouse.^[4][2]

Reptiles and amphibians

At least 57 species of reptile have been recorded within the combined area of national park and the Toorale State Conservation Area.^[2] These include the Murray River turtle, Interior blind snake, leopard Ctenotus, ringed brown snake,^[2] sand goanna, Bynoe's gecko and Central bearded dragon.^[4]

Seventeen species of amphibian have also been recorded including the

• 
  Toorale National Park sign on Bourke–Milparinka Road (2021).
• 
  Toorale National Park entrance, Toorale Road (2021).
• 
  Toorale National Park stock fence (2021).

See also

• Protected areas of New South Wales

References

• "Toorale National Park and Toorale State Conservation Area: Statement of management intent" (PDF).
  ISBN 978-1-74359-546-6
  .