Willandra National Park

Willandra National Park forms part of the Willandra Lakes Region, a globally significant World Heritage area in New South Wales that preserves Pleistocene lake systems and important records of human occupation. The region contains geological and archaeological deposits that have contributed to understanding of Australia’s environmental and human history.

The park and the wider lakes region expose ancient dry lakebeds, lunettes and other geomorphological features that record changes in climate and landscape over tens of thousands of years. The area is internationally important for archaeological evidence of past human presence with material and remains dated to roughly 40,000 years ago.

Archaeologists and palaeontologists continue to study the region’s deposits, and interpreted visitor information highlights the scientific and cultural value of the exposed lake systems and archaeological sites.

The Willandra Lakes Region was recognised for its outstanding geological and archaeological record and placed on the World Heritage List in recognition of those values. The deposits and landforms preserved in the park have been the focus of archaeological research since the mid-20th century.

The park lies in the far western part of New South Wales, within the broader Willandra Lakes landscape, and is accessed from remote regional centres in inland Australia.

• Access restrictions: Many of the most sensitive archaeological and palaeoenvironmental deposits are protected and access is managed; some sites are viewable only from designated tracks or with guided visits.