Rising gently from the surrounding plains Nyingarn (Mount Singleton) is named after the echidna and lends its character and name to the Ninghan Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) – dedicated in 2006.
Sitting at the junction of several habitats including remnant woodlands, mulga plains, rolling hills, sand plains and salt lakes, Ninghan has one of the highest recorded levels of biodiversity in Western Australia. One of the IPA’s significant cultural sites, Warrdagga Rock, is a huge granite dome featuring rock pools with semi-permanent water, and plants that flourish in the Rock’s run-off.
The Ninghan area served as a traditional meeting place for the Badimaya, Nyoongar, Yamatji and Wongai peoples, with the locals trading balga gum for spearheads and ochre from outlying country. Three generations of the local Bell family care for Ninghan, promoting the regeneration of native plants and minimising erosion by reducing sheep numbers and trapping feral goats.