Protected Areas and World Heritage Programme

IUCN Management Category No information

Biogeographical Province 6.06.06 (Eastern Sclerophyll)

Geographical Location The park situated in the rugged eastern Australian Highlands, 480km south-west of Sydney, 180km south of Canberra. 35°22'-36°55'S, 148°08'-45'E.

Date and History of Establishment The park was established in 1944 under the Kosciusko State Parks Act and accepted as a Biosphere Reserve in January 1977. It is protected under the N.S.W. National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Area 625,525ha

Land Tenure State government

Altitude 312-2,229m

Physical Features This area of the Snowy Mountains has a long history of geological uplift and erosion, resulting in a rugged topography with many glacial features. Mount Kosciusko 2,229m is the highest peak in Australia. The oldest rocks are marine sediments up to 450 million years old, and there are many outcrops of granite, which is the most common rock in the area. There is an area of limestone karst at Yarrangobilly. Uplift has occured along a number of fault zones, some of which have been eroded by rivers like the Snowy, Thredbo and Swampy Plains rivers to form straight valleys. About 15% of the park is above 1,520m and has winter snow caps. Glacial activity has formed features such as Lake Albina, Blue Lakes and Hedley Tarn, moraines and corries. Parts of the alpine grasslands have soils with high organic contents and in some areas there are swamps and bogs. Temperatures are cool, and much of the rainfall is orographic, up to 2000mm on exposed slopes, but much less in rainshadow areas.

Climate No information

Vegetation The great variation in relief and precipitation leads to a diversity of vegetation, most marked on the western escarpment. Lowland communities are dominated by snow gum Eucalyptus pauciflora and black sally E. stellulata in wetter areas and by red stringybark E. macrorhyncha and scribbly gum E. rossi on dryer stony areas. The mountain slopes are occupied by wet sclerophyll forests. Brown barrel E. fastigata and ribbon gum E. viminalis occur between 450 and 1,000m above sea level, grading into alpine ash E. delegatensis and mountain gum E. dalrympleana which grow up to an altitude of 1,500m. Above this, up to 1,830m, subalpine woodland, mainly snow gum, occurs. In the southern part, the dry, rugged snowy river catchment contains pure and mixed stands of native cypress pines Callitris hugelii and C. endlicheri. The alpine vegetation above 1,830m is characterised by low shrubs and herbs, forming heath, bog, grassland and fen communities.

Fauna A diversity of species due to the varied habitats includes three endemic to the park, the mountain pigmy possum Burramys parvus, corroborce frog Pseudophryne corroboree and Mount Kosciusko wingless stonefly Leptoperla cacuminis (R) which is only known from one small stream in the headwaters of the Snow River. Other rare animals which also occur outside the park are the broad-toothed rat Mastacomys fuscus and Kosciusko grasshopper Kosciuskola sp..

Cultural Heritage Aboriginal people only visited the area in the summer and there is no evidence to suggest their more permanent occupation. In the 1830s Europeans brought sheep and cattle to graze here in summer and there was a short-lived goldrush.

Local Human Population Some people are involved with running the tourist developments.

Visitors and Visitor Facilities Winter sports are well developed and hotels, ski lifts and car parks are operated by concessions. In summer the area is popular for trout fishing and trail riding. There are also campsites and hiking trails.

Scientific Research and Facilities Surveys have been made of many aspects of the flora, fauna and landscape, including a study of the alpine flora (Costin et al., 1979). There are no special facilities for research.

Conservation Value No information

Conservation Management Total

The first management plan was adopted in 1974 but a new one replaced it a few years later, which included detailed proposals for protecting the outstanding natural resources, managing Aboriginal sites, wilderness management and wildlife conservation. A major part deals with the provision of access and visitor facilities, particularly in connection with ski resorts.

A complex system has been devised to safeguard the natural resources while developing tourism as much as possible.

Management Constraints Grazing had considerable impact in the past. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme developed in the 1940s-1970s had a large impact on the park's appearance and ecology. Eastern flowing rivers were diverted westwards for irrigation and power and access roads and power lines were constructed into remote areas. The development of ski centres has put strong pressures on the fragile wilderness areas.

Staff No information

Budget No information

Local Addresses

No information

References

Costin, A.B., Gray, M., Totterdell, C.J. and Wimbush, D.J. (1979). Kosciusko Alpine Flora. CSIRO.

Date Revised 1986