| Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park | |
|---|---|
  Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park | |
| Location | South Australia |
| Nearest city | Adelaide[2] |
| Coordinates | 34°58′S138°47′E / 34.96°S 138.79°E /-34.96; 138.79[1] |
| Area | 2.44 km2 (0.94 sq mi)[3] |
| Established | 13 December 1990 (1990-12-13)[4] |
| Governing body | Department for Environment and Water |
| Website | Official website |
Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park is aprotected area in the Australian state ofSouth Australia consisting of five parcels of land located in the gazetted localities ofBalhannah,Basket Range,Carey Gully,Forest Range andMount George about 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of the state capital ofAdelaide.[2] With a total combined size of 253 ha, the park is an excellent example of the eucalyptus woodland that once dominated the high-rainfall regions of theSouthern Mount Lofty Ranges.[5]
The park conserves open forest and open woodland formations of stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua andEucalyptus baxteri) with candlebark (Eucalyptus dalrympleana) and manna or white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) on the lower slopes. Due to changes in land usage since European settlement, and the subsequent clearance of high-rainfall land in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges, many of the species found in the park are now considered locally rare or uncommon. Examples of these remnant high-rainfall species are the pink boroniaBoronia edwardsii and the velvet wormMantonipatus persiculus.[5][6]
The conservation park was constituted under theNational Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 on 13 December 1990 in respect to several parcels of land in thecadastral unit of theHundred of Onkaparinga.[4][2]
It was named afterKenneth Stirling who was “a major donor to the preservation of native vegetation in South Australia”.[2][7]
As of 2002[update], access to the conservation park for the purpose of mining exploration under theMining Act 1971 was not permitted.[8]
The conservation park is classified as anIUCN Category III protected area.[1] It was listed on the now-defunctRegister of the National Estate after late 1994.[9]