Cape Hillsborough National Park
National park in Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cape Hillsborough is a national park in Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.[1]
| Cape Hillsborough National Park | |
|---|---|
 View across the beach front and bay at Cape Hillsborough National Park | |
  Cape Hillsborough National Park | |
| Location | Queensland |
| Nearest city | Mackay |
| Coordinates | 20°53′56″S 148°59′37″E |
| Area | 10.22 km2 (3.95 sq mi) |
| Established | 1985 |
| Governing body | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Website | http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/cape-hillsborough/index.html |
Geography
The park is 837 km northwest of Brisbane. The park is a peninsula of volcanic origin, covered largely by rainforest; the maximum elevation is 267 m. The cape at the tip of the peninsula was named by Lieutenant James Cook during his first voyage to the Pacific in 1770; the name is in honour of Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough who was President of the Board of Trade and Plantations from 1763 to 1765 and from 1768 to 1772.[2] The nearest major town is Mackay, about 40 km to the southeast.
The park is located within the O'Connell River water catchment area and the Central Mackay Coast bioregion.[3]
On National Parks Day 2010 (Sunday, 28 March 2010) the Queensland State Government announced the addition of 204 hectares to the park.
Annual precipitation is 1106 mm.[4]
Animals
Many species have been identified in the national park: including approximately 140 birds, 22 mammals, 25 reptiles and 8 amphibians.[5]
Sand bubbler crabs leave their drawings on the sand during low tide, and many creatures hide in the tidal rocky pools.[6]
