{{Short description|Mountain range in Western Australia's Kimberley region}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} [[File:A197, Geikie Gorge National Park, Western Australia, Fitzroy River, 2007.JPG|thumb|Danggu (Geikie) Gorge in the Napier Range, 2007]] [[Image:Windjana Gorge.jpg|thumb|right|Windjana Gorge in the Napier Range]] The '''Napier Ranges''' are located in the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] region of [[Western Australia]]. The range is south of and runs parallel to the [[Wunaamin-Miliwundi Ranges]] (formerly King Leopold Ranges).<ref name=austime>{{cite web|url=http://austhrutime.com/napier_range.htm|title=Napier Range, Western Australia|date=30 September 2011|accessdate=28 November 2015|author=M. H. Monroe|publisher=Austhrutime}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New name confirmed for Western Australia's King Leopold Ranges |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-03/wa-king-leopold-ranges-renamed-wunaamin-miliwundi-ranges/12416254?sf235663603 |accessdate=3 July 2020 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=3 July 2020 |language=en-AU}}</ref>
The majority of the Kimberley is composed of [[sandstone]] but the Napier Range is mostly made from heavily eroded [[limestone]], or [[karst]], with the ridges composed of an ancient [[Devonian]] reef system.<ref name=exp/>
They feature the impressive [[Windjana Gorge]] and [[Tunnel Creek]] and Geikie Gorge that were formed over 350 million years ago as part of the same limestone reef.
The [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy River]] cuts through the range at [[Geikie Gorge]], while the [[Lennard River]] is responsible for the formation of Windjana Gorge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.derbytourism.com.au/pages.asp?code=54|title=Derby Tourism Bureau - Windjana Gorge|year=2009|accessdate=12 March 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410002656/http://www.derbytourism.com.au/pages.asp?code=54|archivedate=10 April 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[Barker River]] also carved Barker gorge through the range.<ref name=austime/>
The highest point in the Napier Range is Mount Behm that is {{convert|325|m|ft|0}} above sea level.
The ranges were made famous by [[Jandamarra]], who was the subject of a massive police hunt and caused the construction of the [[Lillimilura]] police outpost which is on the southern side of the ranges approximately four kilometres from Windjana.
Some small deposits of [[copper]] and [[lead]] have been discovered in the Range but no active mine sites exist within the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/2b69a0f02f44c730ca2569de001f1083!OpenDocument|title=The Geology of Australia|year=2008|accessdate=12 March 2009|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> A major expedition was carried out through the Range in 1988 by the [[Royal Geographical Society]] and the [[Linnaean Society]] involving 30 scientists. The scientists were studying the [[biology]] and [[geomorphology]] of the Range.<ref name=exp>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101986671 |title=Research on a geological last frontier. |newspaper=[[Canberra Times]] |location=Canberra |date=4 June 1988 |accessdate=28 November 2015 |page=20 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.ozoutback.com.au/postcards/postcards_forms/wa_kimberley/index.htm Jandamarra]
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[[Category:Mountain ranges of Western Australia]] [[Category:Kimberley (Western Australia)]]