Midgegooroo

Midgegooroo National Park is a 9,218-hectare protected area in the Darling Range southeast of Perth, protecting jarrah-marri forest in the upper Canning and Southern River catchments. The park is named after Midgegooroo, a senior Whadjuk Noongar man who was a significant leader during the early European contact period. The park forms part of the southeastern arc of Perth Hills national parks protecting the Darling Scarp and Plateau forest system. It is managed by DBCA.

Midgegooroo supports jarrah forest fauna including the critically endangered western ringtail possum, Carnaby's black-cockatoo, and forest red-tailed black-cockatoo. Short-beaked echidnas, brush wallabies, western grey kangaroos, and quendas are resident. Tiger snakes and dugites inhabit damp valleys. The park provides important habitat connectivity between the Darling Range and the southern metropolitan area.

Jarrah (E. marginata) and marri (C. calophylla) dominate, with sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana), numerous hakeas, grevilleas, banksias, and spring-flowering wildflowers. The park is within the Southwest Australian Floristic Region. Riparian zones support paperbarks and sedges. Spring orchid diversity is high.

The Darling Plateau — deeply weathered Archaean granite-gneiss with laterite profiles. Streams draining into the Southern River system have incised valleys. The Darling Scarp borders the western edge of the park.

Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Annual rainfall 700–900 mm. Summer fire risk is significant. The forest moderates local microclimate.

The park is named in honour of Midgegooroo, a Whadjuk Noongar man who resisted European encroachment on Noongar country in the early settlement period. Midgegooroo was captured and executed by British authorities in 1833. His son Yagan, also a celebrated Noongar leader, continued resistance before also being killed. Naming the park after Midgegooroo acknowledges Whadjuk Noongar history and sovereignty.

Midgegooroo National Park was proclaimed in 2007 to protect forested Darling Range country and acknowledge the historical significance of the Whadjuk Noongar people's connections to this country. The park is one of several Perth Hills national parks forming a connected conservation network.

Bushwalking through jarrah-marri forest. Spring wildflower observation. Wildlife spotting at dawn and dusk. The Munda Biddi Trail and other regional trails connect through the Perth Hills park network.

Located southeast of Perth, accessed via Armadale and the Darling Range road network. The park has walking trail access points. The adjacent suburbs of southeastern Perth provide services. DBCA park fees may apply.

Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback affects the jarrah forest understorey. The western ringtail possum requires hollow-bearing marri trees for shelter. Fox predation and habitat fragmentation are ongoing pressures. Prescribed burning manages fire risk across the jarrah forest landscape.