Whiteman Park
Published 2023-06-26
Whiteman Park is a 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre; 15 sq mi) bushland area located 22 km (14 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia. The park is in the suburb of Whiteman, in the Swan Valley in the upper reaches of the Swan River.[1]
It encompasses the source of Bennett Brook - an important place of the Nyoongar people, and a source of mythology of the Wagyl and stories about Aboriginal occupancy of the area.[2]
Whiteman Park is known for its biodiversity, including more than 450 endemic plants and more than 120 vertebrate animals (some of which are rare and endangered). More than 17% of Western Australian bird species occur in Whiteman Park, including migratory birds attracted to the habitat provided by Bennett Brook and associated wetlands including Grogan's Swamp, a Conservation Category Wetland.
The state government purchased the land from a number of private owners in 1978 to protect the underlying aquifer as a drinking water source for Perth. The major owner was Lew Whiteman (1903–1994), after whom the park is named.[3]