{{Short description|Mountain range in Kimberley region of Western Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}} [[File:Margaret River in Flood.jpg|thumb|[[Margaret River (Kimberley, Western Australia)|Margaret River]] where it cuts through the range]]
The '''Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges''' (between 1879 and 2020 known as the '''King Leopold Ranges''') are a range of hills in the western [[Kimberley region of Western Australia]].
There are two [[conservation park (Australia)|conservation parks]] within the ranges, the '''Wunaamin Conservation Park''' (in [[Wilinggin]] land) and '''Miluwindi Conservation Park''' (in [[Bunuba]] land), both formerly part of the '''King Leopold Ranges Conservation Park'''.
==Name== The European name, King Leopold Ranges, was given to the range on 6 June 1879 by the explorer [[Alexander Forrest]], during an expedition in the Kimberley area, after King [[Leopold II of Belgium]], "for the great interest taken by His Majesty in exploration".<ref>{{cite news | first = Alexander | last = Forrest | title = From the De Grey to Port Darwin: Journal of Exploration | date = 8 Feb 1880 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2982557 | work = [[The West Australian]] | page = 1S | access-date = 19 Aug 2013}}</ref>
There followed several proposals and attempts to rename the range, given its link to [[Leopold II of Belgium]], whose reign over the [[Congo Free State]] beginning in 1885 is claimed to have resulted in the deaths of 10 to 15 million African people.<ref name="blm"/> Leopold had no connection with Western Australia, but a number of geographic features in the [[Pilbara]] and [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] were named after European royalty.<ref name="blm">{{cite news |title=Name of Belgian 'tyrant' king linked to millions of African deaths wiped from WA mountain range |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-12/king-leopold-ranges-renamed-amid-black-lives-matter-protests/12349532 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=12 June 2020 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Renaming was proposed in 2008, and again in 2017.<ref name="klnp">{{cite news |title=National park name move to topple king |url=https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/national-park-name-move-to-topple-king-ng-b88368283z |access-date=13 June 2020 |work=The West Australian |date=29 January 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
However, with the range spanning several different regions and native title claimant areas, negotiations with [[traditional owners]] to decide a name were complicated. In 2020, prompted by the removal of a statue of Leopold II in the city of [[Antwerp]] as part of a [[List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests|reconsideration of various names throughout the world]], Lands Minister [[Ben Wyatt (politician)|Ben Wyatt]] stated that he hoped to establish consensus on a name, with the two main [[native title in Australia|native title]] groups and would then quickly proceed with the name change.<ref name="blm" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/perth/programs/drive/ben-wyatt-announces-name-change-for-king-leopold-range/12351088|title=Ben Wyatt announces King Leopold ranges in the Kimberley to be renamed|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=12 June 2020|access-date=5 July 2020}}<!--Includes audio for Geoff Hutchison, Ben Wyatt interview --></ref> The range was officially renamed as the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges on 1 July 2020 by Wyatt.<ref name="ABC Collins">{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |last2=Parke |first2=Erin |title=WA Government confirms King Leopold Ranges to be renamed the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-03/wa-king-leopold-ranges-renamed-wunaamin-miliwundi-ranges/12416254 |access-date=3 July 2020 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=1 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/07/King-Leopold-Ranges-renamed-to-honour-Aboriginal-culture.aspx|title =King Leopold Ranges renamed to honour Aboriginal culture|website =Government of Western Australia|date =3 July 2020|access-date =3 July 2020|archive-date =3 July 2020|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20200703070302/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/07/King-Leopold-Ranges-renamed-to-honour-Aboriginal-culture.aspx|url-status =dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Western Australia's King Leopold Ranges renamed Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges | website=The Guardian | date=3 July 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/03/western-australias-king-leopold-ranges-renamed-to-honour-aboriginal-heritage | access-date=3 July 2020}}</ref>
==Physiography== The ranges are a distinct physiographic section of the larger Kimberley Block province, which in turn is part of the larger [[Australian Shield|West Australian Shield]] division. The Wunnaamin Miliwundi Range is made up of many smaller ranges including; Lady Forrest Range,<ref>From Geosciences Australia - Latitude: 17°25'34"S [Decimal Degrees -17.42611°] Longitude: 125°52'49.1"E [Decimal Degrees 125.8803°]</ref> Isdell Range,<ref>{{Citation | author1=Australia. Division of National Mapping | title=Isdell | publication-date=1973 | publisher=Canberra Division of National Mapping | edition=Edition 1 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36399118 | access-date=15 March 2015 }}</ref><ref>Latitude: 17°03'13"S [Decimal Degrees -17.05361°]Longitude: 125°21'29.2"E [Decimal Degrees 125.3581°]</ref> Narrie Range,<ref>Latitude: 17°30'35"S [Decimal Degrees -17.50972°] Longitude: 126°25'19.9"E [Decimal Degrees 126.4222°]</ref> Sir John Range,<ref>Latitude: 17°35'22"S [Decimal Degrees -17.58944°] Longitude: 126°10'59.2"E [Decimal Degrees 126.1831°]</ref> Precipice Range<ref>Latitude: 17°16'02"S [Decimal Degrees -17.26722°] Longitude: 125°36'19.1"E [Decimal Degrees 125.6053°]</ref> and '''Durack Range'''<!--redirect target-->.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Mountford, Charles P. (Charles Pearcy) | title=A carved human figure from the Durack Ranges, Northwestern Australia | publication-date=1954 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/192615840 | access-date=15 March 2015 }}</ref><ref>Latitude: 16°47'31"S [Decimal Degrees -16.79194°] Longitude: 127°41'44.2"E [Decimal Degrees 127.6956°]</ref> Nearby features include Mount Hart, Bell Gorge, Silent Grove and [[Lennard River|Lennard Gorge]] as well as the Napier Range and Queen Victoria's Head [[granite]] outcrop. Fitzroy Bluff is formed where the [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy River]] carves through the area. The ranges separate the main Kimberley plateau from the southern [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy]] plains and consist of [[quartz]] [[sandstone]] intruded by [[dolerite]]. The ranges are shaped like a crescent with a length of {{convert|567|km|mi|0}} running from the northern end of the Durack Range in the East to east of Secure Bay in the West Kimberley. The range is estimated to cover a total area of {{convert|30794|km2|sqmi|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&cmd=sp&p=284288&st=&s=King%20Leopold%20Range|title=Bonzle Digital Atlas - Map of King Leopold Ranges|year=2009|access-date=2009-03-11|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224140027/http://maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&cmd=sp&p=284288&st=&s=King%20Leopold%20Range|url-status=dead}}</ref> The area has an average height {{convert|600|m|ft|0}}. The highest point is found at Mount Wells which is {{convert|983|m|ft|0}} above [[mean sea level]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/docvault.nsf/web/MR_LG_King_Leopold_renaming_statement_200807/$FILE/MR_LG_King_Leopold_renaming_statement_200807.pdf |title=Landgate Media Release - Proposal to rename King Leopold Ranges |year=2008 |access-date=2009-03-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924093525/https://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/docvault.nsf/web/MR_LG_King_Leopold_renaming_statement_200807/%24FILE/MR_LG_King_Leopold_renaming_statement_200807.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2009 }}</ref> The next two highest peaks are Mount Ord at {{convert|936|m|ft|0}} and Mount Broome at {{convert|927|m|ft|0}}.
==History== The [[Aboriginal Australian|traditional owners]] of the area are the [[Ngarinjin]], [[Konejandi]] and [[Bunuba]] peoples.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ausanthrop.net/resources/ausanthrop_db/detail.php?id_search=464|title=AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database|year=2005|access-date=2009-03-11}}</ref>
Cattle were first [[overlanding|overlanded]] across the range in 1903. Leaving from Fitzroy Crossing and used to stock [[Mount Barnett Station]], the trip took over six weeks to complete.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83764190 |title=Veteran Is Survivor of Historic Overland Drive. |newspaper=[[Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] |location=Perth, Western Australia |date=8 February 1949 |access-date=29 November 2014 |page=7|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==Management== Crossed by the [[Gibb River Road]] about {{convert|134|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} east of [[Derby, Western Australia|Derby]], part of the ranges are covered by the {{convert|3921|km2|sqmi|0|adj=on|abbr=on}} Miluwindi Conservation Park and the Wunaamin Conservation Park (both formerly part of King Leopold Range Conservation Park),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Barnett/2017/01/New-national-park-for-the-north-Kimberley.aspx|title=New national park for the north Kimberley|first=Albert|last=Jacob|publisher=[[Government of Western Australia]]|date=30 January 2017|access-date=9 November 2020|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111130207/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Barnett/2017/01/New-national-park-for-the-north-Kimberley.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> managed by the [[Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)|Department of Parks and Wildlife]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/wunaamin|title=Wunaamin Conservation Park|website=[[Government of Western Australia]]. [[Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)|Department of Parks and Wildlife]]| access-date=9 November 2020}}</ref>
Camping is permitted at [[Mount Hart Station]], Bell Creek or at Silent Grove.
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}}
{{coord|17|30|S|125|45|E|region:AU_type:mountain|display=title}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Western Australia]] [[Category:National parks of Western Australia]] [[Category:Physiographic sections]] [[Category:Kimberley (Western Australia)]] [[Category:Name changes due to the George Floyd protests]] [[Category:Kimberley tropical savanna]]