| Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park | |
|---|---|
 Reserve as viewed from Seagull Street,Aldinga Beach | |
  Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park | |
| Location | South Australia,Aldinga Beach[2] |
| Nearest city | Adelaide |
| Coordinates | 35°17′43″S138°27′16″E / 35.295381°S 138.454367°E /-35.295381; 138.454367[2] |
| Area | 2.66 km2 (1.03 sq mi)[3] |
| Established | 7 November 1985[4] |
| Governing body | Department for Environment and Water |
| Website | http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Find_a_Park/Browse_by_region/Fleurieu_Peninsula/Aldinga_Scrub_Conservation_Park |
Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park is aprotected area in the Australian state ofSouth Australia located in the suburb ofAldinga Beach about 46 kilometres (29 miles) south by west of the state capital ofAdelaide.[2]
BeforeBritish colonisation of South Australia, theKaurna people occupied the land from theAdelaide plains and southwards down western side of theFleurieu Peninsula. There was a camp at Aldinga known as Camp Coortandillah, and Kaurna people were present living in the Aldinga Scrub until the 1870s, when BishopAugustus Short sent the remaining people to the mission atPoonindie, thus ending their occupation of the area. After they were removed, some Aboriginal people from theGoolwa area (Ngarrindjeri people) occupied the area. TheKaurna language name of Aldinga was Ngaltingga.[5]
The first European settler, Mr. F. Culley, arrived on thescrubland in 1857. Much effort was made to farm on the land before the World War I, but they all proved futile. TheDistrict Council of Willunga feared that the area may cause erosion and thus 300 hectares (740 acres) were purchased to be supervised by the State Planning Authority as an open space reserve.[6]
The conservation park was proclaimed for the purpose of protecting a parcel of undeveloped land considered to be "a significant remnant of the natural habitat that once occurred all along the southern Adelaide coastline".[7]
The conservation park consists of land in the cadastral unit of theHundred of Willunga consisting of section 821 and land identified as allotments 4, 14, 15 and 100. It came into existence on 7 November 1985 by proclamation under theNational Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in respect to section 821. The remainder of the land holding was proclaimed on 14 March 1991.[4][8] As of 2016, it covered an area of 2.66 hectares (6.6 acres).[3]
It is positioned in the Willunga sub-basin and is characterised by a backdrop ofsand dunes, sand blows and small coastal vegetation. It contains an extensive range of rare plants and is considered as an important region for the conservation offlora and fauna. Some of the rare plants includeLacy coral lichen,nardoo,hairy sedge and various species of orchids.Short-beaked echidnas, lizards, bats and several birds form a part of itsecosystem.[9]
The conservation park is classified as anIUCN Category III protected area.[1]