Murchison (Western Australia)

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Murchison
Western Australia
IBRA 6.1 Murchison.png
The interim Australian bioregions,
with Murchison in red
Area281,205.54 km2 (108,574.1 sq mi)
Localities around Murchison:
Carnarvon Gascoyne Gascoyne
Yalgoo Murchison Great Victoria Desert
Yalgoo Coolgardie Coolgardie

The Murchison is a loosely defined area of Western Australia located within the interior of the Mid West region. It was the subject of a major gold rush in the 1890s and remains a significant mining district. The Murchison is also included as an interim Australian bioregion. [1] The bioregion is loosely related to the catchment area of the Murchison River and has an area of 281,205 square kilometres (108,574 sq mi). [2]

Contents

Geography

The landscape is characterised by low hills and mesas, separated by colluvium flats and alluvial plains. [3] The western portion of the bioregion is drained by the upper Murchison and Wooramel rivers, which drain westwards towards the coast. [4]

Together with Gascoyne bioregion, it constitutes the Western Australian mulga shrublands ecoregion. [5]

Population is scattered; the largest population centres are Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, and Leonora, with smaller mining and pastoral towns at Yalgoo, Sandstone, Cue, Wiluna, and Leinster.

Subregions

The Murchison bioregion has two subregions:

Political boundaries

Local government areas within the bioregion include the Shire of Yalgoo, the Shire of Mount Magnet, the Shire of Murchison, the Shire of Cue, the Shire of Sandstone, the Shire of Meekatharra, the Shire of Wiluna and the Shire of Leonora. [3]

Climate

The climate is arid, with rainfall predominantly in the winter months. [3]

Flora and fauna

The predominant plant community is low mulga woodlands and shrublands, characterized by mulga (Acacia aneura), with an understory of herbaceous ephemeral plants and bunchgrasses. Other plant communities include saltbush ( Atriplex spp.) shrubland on calcareous soils, low samphire ( Tecticornia spp.) shrubland on saline alluvium, and hummock grassland on red sandplains. [3] [4]

Land use

The Murchison is one of the main pastoral areas in Western Australia, dominated by large pastoral leases on Crown land operated as sheep and cattle stations. Mining (gold, iron and nickel) is the major contributor to the region's economy. There are extensive mining areas, with a large number of abandoned historical mining towns and settlements. [3]

The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder radio telescope is located nearby, and was officially opened in October 2012. [6]

Protected areas

Purchase of pastoral leases by the Western Australian Government increased the area set aside for conservation purposes from about 0.5% of the bioregion in 1998 to 6.7% in 2004. [3] Protected areas include: [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnarvon xeric shrublands</span> Terrestrial ecoregion in Western Australia

The Carnarvon xeric shrublands is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion of Western Australia. The ecoregion is coterminous with the Carnarvon Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) bioregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coolgardie bioregion</span> Bioregion in Western Australia

Coolgardie is an Australian bioregion consisting of an area of low hills and plains of infertile sandy soil in Western Australia. It has an area of 129,122.09 square kilometres (49,854.32 sq mi). It includes much of the Great Western Woodlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gascoyne bioregion</span> Bioregion in Western Australia

Gascoyne is an interim Australian bioregion located in Western Australia. It has an area of 180,752.57 square kilometres (69,788.96 sq mi). Together with Murchison bioregion to the south, it constitutes the Western Australian Mulga shrublands ecoregion, as assessed by the World Wildlife Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton bioregion</span> Bioregion in Western Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Kimberley</span> Bioregion in Western Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yalgoo bioregion</span> Bioregion in Western Australia

Yalgoo is an interim Australian bioregion located in Western Australia. It has an area of 5,087,577 hectares. The bioregion, together with the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains bioregions, is part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion as classified by the World Wildlife Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Australian mulga shrublands</span> Terrestrial ecoregion in Western Australia

The Western Australian Mulga shrublands is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion of inland Western Australia. It is one of Australia's two mulga ecoregions, characterized by dry woodlands of mulga trees interspersed with areas of grassland and scrub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Creek bioregion</span> Region in the Northern Territory, Australia

The Pine Creek biogeographic region, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory, and comprises 2,851,777 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Plains</span> Region in Australia

The Gulf Plains, an interim Australian bioregion (IBRA), is located in the Northern Territory and Queensland, comprising 22,041,825 hectares. It is one of 89 such bioregions defined in Australia, with 419 subregions as of IBRA version 7, compared with the 85 bioregions and 403 subregions described in IBRA6.1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Plain</span> Ecoregion in the Northern Territory, Australia

Burt Plain, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory, and comprises 7,379,719 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields</span> Bioregion in Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Isa Inlier</span> Region in Queensland, Australia

Mount Isa Inlier, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Queensland, and comprises 6,778,263 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Mackay Coast</span> Bioregion in Queensland, Australia

Central Mackay Coast, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in Queensland, and comprises 1,464,208 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobar Peneplain</span> Region in New South Wales, Australia

Cobar Peneplain, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in New South Wales, and comprises 7,385,346 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finke bioregion</span> Bioregion in South Australia and Northern Territory

Finke, an interim Australian bioregion, comprises 7,267,416 hectares, and is part of two state/territories of Australia: the Northern Territory and South Australia. It is part of the Central Ranges xeric scrub ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stony Plains</span> Region in Australia

Stony Plains, an interim Australian bioregion, comprises 13,166,372 hectares, and is part of two state/territories of Australia: the Northern Territory and South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanami bioregion</span> Region in Australia

Tanami is an interim Australian bioregion, comprising 25,997,277 hectares in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is part of the Great Sandy-Tanami desert ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Murchison Ranges</span> Bioregion in the Northern Territory of Australia

Davenport Murchison Ranges is an interim Australian bioregion located in the Northern Territory. It has an area of 5,805,108 hectares. The bioregion is part of the larger Great Sandy-Tanami desert ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gawler bioregion</span> Region in South Australia

Gawler is an interim Australian bioregion located in South Australia. It has an area of 12,002,883 hectares. Gawler bioregion is part of the Tirari–Sturt stony desert ecoregion.

References

  1. ↑ Environment Australia. "Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 – Summary Report" (PDF). Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Australian Government . Retrieved 7 May 2022.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ "Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA7) regions and codes". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Commonwealth of Australia. 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bastin, Gary (2008). Rangelands 2008 – Taking the Pulse: Focus Bioregions – Murchison bioregion (WA) (PDF). Canberra, ACT: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia. pp. 159–168. ISBN   978-0-642-37146-1.
  4. 1 2 Anthony Desmond, Mark Cowan and Alanna Chant (2001). "Murchison 2 (MUR2 – Western Murchison subregion)", in A Biodiversity Audit of Western Australia’s 53 Biogeographical Subregions in 2002. The Department of Conservation and Land Management, Government of Western Australia, November 2001.
  5. ↑ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Western Australian Mulga shrublands". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010.
  6. ↑ "Outback Observatory open for business", ABC News, retrieved 7 October 2012 from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-05/outback-observatory-open-for-business/4298094
  7. ↑ Mark Cowan (2001). "Murchison 1 (MUR2 – Eastern Murchison subregion)", in A Biodiversity Audit of Western Australia’s 53 Biogeographical Subregions in 2002. The Department of Conservation and Land Management, Government of Western Australia, November 2001.

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