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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Erosion at Wharton Beach, east of Esperance in Western Australia, has exposed peat and tree stumps from a wetland landscape that researchers date to around 7,600–7,400 years ago. The original discovery was documented in 2021 and studied in a 2023 paper; winter weather exposed the remains again in 2025. The site is both a rare record of past coastal change and part of the culturally connected landscapes of Kepa Kurl.
What erosion exposed at Wharton Beach
The exposed remains are tree stumps embedded in peat in the beach’s intertidal zone. Peat is partly decomposed plant material that accumulated in waterlogged ground. Together, the peat and stumps preserve evidence of a wetland where the shoreline now meets the sea.
Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC) rangers first documented the stumps in 2021. Researchers carried out a short-term study while the remains were exposed; the 2023 paper says sand later naturally reburied the stumps and peat. Winter erosion brought the material into view again in 2025. Contemporary reporting also described Aboriginal crafting material embedded in the exposed area, but that does not mean every reported object has been independently identified or dated.
What the dates tell us—and which samples they refer to
The 2023 peer-reviewed study reports a calibrated age range of 7,608–7,429 years before present (BP) for sampled peat. A separate radiocarbon result indicates that one sampled tree lived for about 200 years and grew into peat sediments sometime before roughly 7,340 calibrated years BP. These figures describe particular samples, not every stump at the beach.
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The same study reports an optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) date of about 3,550 years for younger sand beneath the exposed seaward edge of the peat. OSL estimates when mineral grains were last exposed to light, so it is a different kind of date from the radiocarbon results on organic material.
Later news reports describe other results, which should not be combined into a single age range:
| Report | Material and reported age | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 peer-reviewed study | Peat: 7,608–7,429 calibrated years BP; one sampled tree grew into peat sediments before roughly 7,340 calibrated years BP. | Published results for specified samples and methods; not a date for every stump. |
| ABC News Rural, 22 September 2024 | Two peat samples: 6,870 and 7,060 years; a tree trunk: 7,120 years. | A news account of researchers’ sampling and interviews; keep these figures attributed to that report. |
| PerthNow, 15 October 2025 | One exposed stump: about 7,000 years. | A news account quoting Doc Reynolds, not a replacement for the study’s sample-specific results. |
The differences in reported figures reflect separate samples and accounts. They are not grounds to assign one age to every visible stump.
What the remains reveal about the former environment
The researchers interpret the peat and stumps as evidence of a former wetland within a landscape later inundated as the coast changed. ABC News Rural described the researchers’ interpretation in accessible terms as a freshwater swamp. The 2023 study discusses marine transgression—the advance of the sea over land—as a likely cause of the sampled tree’s death.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The evidence is a record of environmental change, not proof that the erosion reported in 2025 caused the original inundation. Nor is the tree species settled: the study says available wood-anatomy references for south-west Australian trees were insufficient for confident identification.
Why the site matters beyond its age
The study places the remains within the inundated cultural landscapes of Kepa Kurl and describes Wudjari cultural values and connections to wetlands and coastal landforms. Its collaborative work brought Elders, rangers, heritage specialists and scientists together. The peat’s sediment sequence and the knowledge associated with the place contribute to understanding an earlier coastal landscape; the significance is not limited to a date or a collection of stumps.
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In October 2025, Doc Reynolds, a Wudjari Nyungar Mirning Ngadju Elder and ETNTAC cultural advisor, told ABC News: “We can’t hold nature, but we can try and minimise the effects and also protect what’s already there.” Reporting that month described ranger patrols and discussions between ETNTAC and the Shire about protection, including the possibility of temporary covering. The sources cited here do not establish what measures were ultimately adopted.
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October 2025 reports said erosion and exposed stumps obstructed four-wheel-drive access and could create hazards. PerthNow reported advice to stay on designated tracks and avoid stump-ridden areas; ABC News reported ranger monitoring. Those reports describe conditions and guidance at that time, not a confirmed current access status.
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- Check current advice from the Shire of Esperance and ETNTAC before travelling.
- Follow signs and designated tracks; do not drive through damaged areas.
- Leave stumps, peat and any cultural material undisturbed. Do not collect, move or climb on exposed remains.
These precautions support safety and care for a culturally significant place; erosion can reveal material that has been buried for millennia.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Ward, Ingrid; Tjaltjraak Healthy Country Program Team; David Guilfoyle; Alison O’Donnell; Chae Byrne; Michael Macphail; and Stephen D. Hopper, “Remnant peat deposit provides clues to the inundated cultural landscapes of Kepa Kurl, southwestern Australia,” The Holocene, first published online 16 March 2023: https://doi.org/10.1177/09596836231158067.
- University of Western Australia Research Repository record for the study: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/remnant-peat-deposit-provides-clues-to-the-inundated-cultural-lan/.
- ABC News Rural, 22 September 2024: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-09-22/ancient-tree-stumps-wharton-beach-esperance-erosion/104378354.
- PerthNow, 15 October 2025: https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/ancient-tree-stumps-exposed-at-wharton-beach-as-erosion-hits-esperance-coast-c-20335929.
- ABC News, 26 October 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-26/ancient-tree-stumps-erosion-wharton-beach-esperance/105928894.
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