In 1967 approximately 9,000 acres (3,642.25 hectares) of Crown land was reserved under the Fauna Protection Act 1948 as Winburndale Nature Reserve. The land, which covered a large portion of the Winburndale Range and part of the Winburndale Rivulet, was dedicated as a Faunal Reserve for the purpose of the protection and care of fauna, the propagation of fauna and the promotion of the study of flora. Today the reserve covers 10,718 hectares.
The reserve contains 12 native vegetation communities and is significant because it is the only area within the Central West, apart from Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area, that contains sub alpine (montane) vegetation associations. The diverse range of vegetation communities in the reserve provides a wide variety of habitats for native animals. A total of 166 species of native animals have been recorded, 11 of which are listed as threatened species.
