| Christmas Rocks Conservation Park | |
|---|---|
  Christmas Rocks Conservation Park | |
| Location | South Australia,Willalooka |
| Nearest city | Keith[2] |
| Coordinates | 36°21′09″S140°21′19″E / 36.352443336°S 140.355153529°E /-36.352443336; 140.355153529[1] |
| Area | 19 ha (47 acres)[3] |
| Established | 30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)[4] |
| Governing body | Department for Environment and Water[3] |
Christmas Rocks Conservation Park is aprotected area located in the Australian state ofSouth Australia in the locality ofWillalooka about 224 kilometres (139 mi) south-east of the state capital ofAdelaide and about 29 kilometres (18 mi) south of the town ofKeith.[2]
The conservation park consists of crown land in Section 16 of the cadastral unit of theHundred of Willalooka. It came into existence on 30 January 2014 by proclamation under the state'sNational Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Its name is presumably derived from the geographical feature calledChristmas Rocks which is located within its boundaries. As of 2016, it covered an area of 19 hectares (47 acres).[2][3][4][5]
The conservation park is located on the east side of theRiddoch Highway about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the settlement of Willalooka. A visit to the conservation park is described by theTatiara District Council as “a pleasant five minute walk” to the top ofChristmas 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 theLimestone 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 forProstanthera eurybioides (Monarto Mintbush), a species of plant which is listed asendangered both by theNational Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the CommonwealthEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[7]
The conservation park is classified as anIUCN Category III protected area.[1]