Willandra Lakes Region
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
Part of the Willandra Lakes system:
| |
| Location | Far West, New South Wales, Australia |
| Criteria | Cultural and Natural: (iii)(viii) |
| Reference | 167 |
| Inscription | 1981 (5th Session) |
| Area | 240,000 ha (590,000 acres) |
| Coordinates | 34°S 143°E / 34°S 143°E |
The Willandra Lakes Region is a World Heritage Site in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Willandra Lakes Region is the traditional meeting place of the Muthi Muthi, Ngiyampaa and Paakantyi Aboriginal peoples. The 2,400-square-kilometre (930 sq mi) area was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 5th Session of the World Heritage Committee in 1981.
The Region contains important natural and cultural features including exceptional examples of past human civilization including the world's oldest evidence of cremation. A small section of the region is protected by the Mungo National Park.
The World Heritage status of the region was created and negotiated in 1981. The site was gazetted on the Australian National Heritage List on 21 May 2007 under the Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1), 2003 (Cth). The region is also listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.