TheNapier Ranges are located in theKimberley region ofWestern Australia. The range is south of and runs parallel to theWunaamin-Miliwundi Ranges (formerly King Leopold Ranges).[1][2]
The majority of the Kimberley is composed ofsandstone but the Napier Range is mostly made from heavily erodedlimestone, orkarst, with the ridges composed of an ancientDevonian reef system.[3]
They feature the impressiveWindjana Gorge andTunnel Creek and Geikie Gorge that were formed over 350 million years ago as part of the same limestone reef.
TheFitzroy River cuts through the range atGeikie Gorge, while theLennard River is responsible for the formation of Windjana Gorge.[4] TheBarker River also carved Barker gorge through the range.[1]
The highest point in the Napier Range is Mount Behm that is 325 metres (1,066 ft) above sea level.
The ranges were made famous byJandamarra, who was the subject of a massive police hunt and caused the construction of theLillimilura police outpost which is on the southern side of the ranges approximately four kilometres from Windjana.
Some small deposits ofcopper andlead have been discovered in the Range but no active mine sites exist within the area.[5]
A major expedition was carried out through the Range in 1988 by theRoyal Geographical Society and theLinnaean Society involving 30 scientists. The scientists were studying thebiology andgeomorphology of the Range.[3]