Willandra Lakes Region

The region contains a system of Pleistocene lakes, formed greater than the last two million years. These lakes are now sober. Most are fringed just very more or less the eastern shore by a crescent-shaped dune, referred to as a lunette, that was formed by the prevailing winds.

Today, the lake beds are flat plains vegetated by salt pleasurable to pro low bushes and grasses. Part of the World Heritage property is gazetted as the Mungo National Park, which covers approximately two-thirds of Lake Mungo and includes the spectacular parts of the Walls of China lunette. The surviving place comprises pastoral leasehold properties. Joulni Station at the southern cease of the Mungo lunette is of cultural significance to the three Traditional Tribal Groups.

There are five large, interconnected, abstemious lake basins and 14 smaller basins varying in place from 6 to 350 km 2. The indigenous source for the lakes was a creek flowing from the Eastern Highlands to the Murray River. When the Willandra Billabong Creek ceased to replenish the lakes, they dried in series from south to north on summit of a period of several thousand years, each becoming progressively more saline.

The ancient shorelines are stratified into three major layers of sediments that were deposited at swap stages in the lakes' chronicles.

The lakes were full of deep, relatively lighthearted water for a era of 30,000 years that came to an cease 19,000 years ago. The archaic sediments are on depth of 50,000 years antique and are tawny-red in colour. Above are clays, tidy quartz sand and soil that were deposited along the lakes' edges once the lakes were full. The peak mount happening is composed largely of wind-blown clay particles heaped taking place in financial version to the order of the lunettes during periods of fluctuating water levels, in the by now the lakes finally dried in the character.

Indigenous people have lived in the Willandra Lakes Region for at least 50,000 years. Excavations in 1968 outside the cremated remains of Mungo Lady in the dunes of Lake Mungo. At 40,000 years archaic, this is believed to be the oldest site of ritual cremation in the world. In 1974, the ochred burial of a male Aborigine was found easy to operate to. The skeleton, known as Mungo Man, is believed to be 40,000 years primeval.

In 2003, coarsely 460 fossilised human footprints were discovered, the largest gathering of its simple in the world. The prints were made by children, adolescents and adults 19,000 to 23,000 years ago in damp clay. The clay, containing calcium carbonate, hardened as well as authentic, and a buildup of clay and sand protected the prints.

During the last Ice Age, in the midst of than the lakes were full, the Mungo people camped along the lake shore, taking advantage of a broad range of food including freshwater mussels, yabbies, golden land and Murray cod, large emus and a variety of marsupials, which probably included the now extinct giant kangaroos. They plus exploited forest resources, particularly as well as the lakes began to dry and food was less abundant.

The human records of the region is not restricted just to an ancient episode. Evidence so in the make standoffish points to an fabulous continuity of charity once long periods of era. In the summit layers of sediments there is abundant evidence of bureau more than the last 10,000 years.

The vegetation in the region, sparse even if it is, is typical of the semi-arid zone. It plays an important role in stabilising the landscape and therefore maintaining its sediment strata and many species of indigenous fauna.

Small scrubby multi-stemmed mallee eucalypts are found almost the subject of the dunes, subsequent to an understorey of herbs and grasses. Rosewood-belah woodland is common a propos the sand plains. In the lake beds, several species of saltbush are practiced to be copious in the saline conditions.

The remains of a large number of animals have been found in the Willandra Lakes Region. More than 55 species have been identified, 40 of which are no longer found in the region, and 11 of which are extinct.

Twenty-two species of mammals are currently recorded. Bats are the most diverse bureau, and there are some 40 species of reptiles and amphibians.

The bird liveliness of the Willandra Lakes Region is same to that in many tallying semiarid areas of Australia. Parrots, cockatoos and finches are the most conspicuous of the 137 recorded species.

Policy coordination and funding are joint responsibilities of the State and Commonwealth gone than advice from the Community Management Council, the Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee and the Elders Council. Day-to-hours of hours of daylight giving out is the answerability of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and the New South Wales Department of Lands. The Elders Council advises in description to Indigenous cultural matters.