Christmas Rocks Conservation Park

Christmas Rocks Conservation Park is a protected area located in the Australian state of South Australia in the locality of Willalooka about 224 kilometres (139 mi) south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 29 kilometres (18 mi) south of the town of Keith.[2]

Christmas Rocks Conservation Park
Willalooka, South Australia
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)[1]
Christmas Rocks Conservation Park
Nearest town or cityKeith [2]
Coordinates36°21′09″S 140°21′19″E[1]
Established30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)[3]
Area19 hectares (47 acres)[4]
Managing authoritiesDepartment for Environment and Water [4]
See alsoProtected areas of South Australia

The conservation park consists of crown land in Section 16 of the cadastral unit of the Hundred of Willalooka. It came into existence on 30 January 2014 by proclamation under the state's National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Its name is presumably derived from the geographical feature called Christmas Rocks which is located within its boundaries. As of 2016, it covered an area of 19 hectares (47 acres).[2][4][3][5]

The conservation park is located on the east side of the Riddoch Highway about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the settlement of Willalooka. A visit to the conservation park is described by the Tatiara District Council as “a pleasant five minute walk” to the top of Christmas Rocks which is a hill composed of granite rocks which was part of an “archipelago” located in the “shallow sea” that covered what is now the Limestone Coast 25 million years before the present, for a view of the surrounding countryside.[2][6]

Land within the conservation park's boundaries is known to be a site for Prostanthera eurybioides (Monarto Mintbush), a species of plant which is listed as endangered both by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[7]

The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (refer 'DETAIL' tab)". CAPAD 2016. Australian Government, Department of the Environment (DoE). 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  2. "Search results for 'Christmas Rocks Conservation Park' with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'NPW and Conservation Properties', 'Hundreds', 'Roads', 'Recreational Trails' and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. "National Parks and Wildlife (Christmas Rocks Conservation Park) Proclamation 2014". South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. 30 January 2014. p. 427. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  4. "Protected Areas Information System Reserve List" (PDF). Government of South Australia. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  5. "Search results for 'Christmas Rocks' with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'NPW and Conservation Properties', and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  6. "Christmas Rocks, Riddoch Highway, Willalooka SA 5267". Tatiara District Council. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  7. Pound, Leanne; Obst, Chris; How, Travis (2010), Recovery plan for Prostanthera eurybioides (Monarto Mintbush) (PDF), Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australian Government, pp. 1 and 8–10, retrieved 22 March 2018
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