| Scorpion Springs Conservation Park | |
|---|---|
  Scorpion Springs Conservation Park | |
| Location | South Australia |
| Nearest city | Pinnaroo[2] |
| Coordinates | 35°32′34″S140°53′14″E / 35.54287°S 140.88724°E /-35.54287; 140.88724[1] |
| Area | 303.43 km2 (117.15 sq mi)[3]: ii |
| Established | 9 July 1970 (1970-07-09)[4] |
| Governing body | Department for Environment and Heritage (2004)[3]: i |
Scorpion Springs Conservation Park (formerly Scorpion Well National Park) was aprotected area in the Australian state ofSouth Australia located in the state’s south-east in the locality ofPinnaroo at the border with the state ofVictoria about 215 kilometres (134 mi) south-east of the state capital ofAdelaide and about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south of the town of Pinnaroo.[2][5]
The conservation park consisted of land in the following cadastral units located at the southern end of the locality of Pinnaroo - section 16 in theHundred of Fisk, sections 9 and 10 in theHundred of Quirke and section 65 in “South Out of Hundreds”.[2][3]: 56 The land first received protected area status as theScorpion Well National Park proclaimed on 9 July 1970 under theNational Parks Act 1966.[4] On 27 April 1972, the national park was reconstituted as theScorpion Springs Conservation Park under theNational Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.[6] The establishment of both it and theMount Shaugh Conservation Park were planned “concurrently with the development of adjacent areas for farming in the late 1960s” in order “to conserve the mallee heath habitat of the90 Mile Desert”.[3]: 6
Its name was derived from “Scorpion Soakage” (also known as “Scorpion Spring”) which is a water source used by the Ngarkat Aboriginal people and which was located within the conservation park’s boundaries.[2][7]
On 27 May 2004, the conservation park and the nearby Mount Rescue andMount Shaugh Conservation Parks were abolished and their land holdings were added to that of the adjoiningNgarkat Conservation Park.[8] As of February 2004, the conservation park covered an area of 303.43 square kilometres (117.15 sq mi).[3]: ii
In 1980, the conservation park was described as follows:[5]
A sand plain with irregular dunes and interdune valleys. The predominant vegetation associations areEucalyptus incrassata /E. foecunda open scrub, withMelaleuca uncinata callitris verrucose andXanthorrhoea australis /Banksia ornata /Casuarina pusilla heath. Areas ofE baxteri low woodland are found in low lying areas and in the lee of large dunes. Indigenous values are known to exist in this area. As yet these have not been identified, documented or assessed for national estate significance by theCommission…
Scorpion Springs is a wilderness area providing habitat for a great diversity of species, including the threatenedred lored whistler andmallee fowl and theTasmanian pygmy possum. The significance of this park is further enhanced by its continuity with Ngarkat Conservation Park and a large park on the Victorian side of the border. These parks combined, form a large wilderness area of National significance…
This park is in near pristine condition having suffered little grazing and possessing limited vehicular access. Scorpion Springs forms part of the largest block of natural scrub in the settled areas of South Australia.
The conservation park was classified in 2002 as being anIUCN Category Ia protected area.[1] In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunctRegister of the National Estate.[5]
This article incorporatestext byCommonwealth of Australia available under theCC BY 3.0 AU licence.