The Sturt National Park is a protected national park that is located in the arid far north-western corner of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately northwest of Sydney and the nearest town is , away.
Established in 1972, the park is named in honour of Charles Sturt, a colonial explorer. The park features typical outback scenery of flat, reddish-brown landscapes. After good rain the harsh landscape is transformed by the growth of wildflowers including Sturt's desert pea.
Fauna
Mammals
At least 31 species of mammal have been recorded in the park. The most obvious to visitors include the red kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo and Euro. little broad-nosed bat, yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat, inland forest bat and little pied bat. The park's second camping site called Dead Horse Gully camping ground is located here.
In the far west of the national park, the gibber plains are replaced by sandhills of the Strzelecki Desert. Cameron Corner is a remote but popular tourist destination where the states of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meet. Also in this part of the park is Fort Grey—the fourth camp ground and a heritage site. The holding yards visible here and a remnant from the explorer Charles Sturt.
Heritage listings
The Mount Wood Station is a heritage-listed former cattle station in the national park.
Conservation projects
Wild Deserts program
thumb|A Crest-tailed Mulgara, re-discovered in Sturt NP in 2017 during wildlife surveys undertaken as part of the Wild Deserts program |alt=
The Wild Deserts program is an ongoing program aiming to reintroduce 7 locally extinct mammals back into Sturt National Park. A partnership between the University of New South Wales and Ecological Horizons, in collaboration with the Office of Environment and Heritage and Taronga Conservation Society, the project is using large fenced exclosures to assist with the reintroduction. The species being reintroduced include the crest-tailed mulgara, greater bilby, western barred bandicoot, burrowing bettong, greater stick-nest rat, golden bandicoot and western quoll.
See also
- Protected areas of New South Wales
- Mount Wood Station