Det er verdens næstældste nationalpark efter [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]] i USA, som blev grundlagt i 1872,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Official guide to the national park of new south wales.|last=Trustees Of The National Park.|date=2012|publisher=Sydney University Press|isbn=978-1920899899|location=Sydney|oclc=940922722}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Royal National Park|url=https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/royal-national-park|access-date=23. februar 2022|website=NSW National Parks|language=en}}</ref> men det var den første, der brugte betegnelsen nationalpark. Den blev officielt grundlagt af [[John Robertson (premierminister)|Sir John Robertson]], fungerende premierminister i New South Wales, 26. april 1879.<ref name="environment.gov.au/ahdb/place_id=105893">{{Cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105893|title=Royal National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area|website=Australian Heritage Database|access-date=21. marts 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Kim Allen Scott, 2011 "Robertson’s Echo The Conservation Ethic in the Establishment of Yellowstone and Royal National Parks" Yellowstone Science 19:3</ref> Det oprindelige navn var bare '''National Park''', men den blev omdøbt i 1955 efter at [[Elizabeth II]], dronning af Australien, kørte forbi i tog under hendes besøg i 1954.<ref name="cultureandrecreation.gov.au/natparks">{{cite web|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/nationalparks/|title=National parks|access-date=8. oktober 2007|date=31. juli 2007|work=Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825184051/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/nationalparks/|archive-date=25. august 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
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