Cleland National Park is a protected area in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, located about south-east of Adelaide's city centre. It preserves a substantial expanse of natural bushland along the Adelaide Hills face, encompassing Mount Lofty Summit and Waterfall Gully. Classified as an IUCN Category II protected area, the park was formerly Cleland Conservation Park. In November 2021, it was merged with the adjoining Eurilla Conservation Park and upgraded to national park status.

Cleland National Park, like all reserves and parks in South Australia, is managed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Wilderness Protection Act 1992, with conservation responsibilities overseen by the Minister under the Crown Land Management Act 2009.

Geography

Cleland National Park is located in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, about 22 kilometres south-east of Adelaide city centre. It covers , making it one of the largest areas of native vegetation along the Mount Lofty Ranges hills face. The park includes walking and cycling trails that provide access to wildlife habitats, cultural heritage sites, and views of the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas. Most of the park consists of bushland, with woodlands dominating and some open areas where clearing has occurred.

History

On 27 March 1802, Matthew Flinders, sailing off the south coast of South Australia, sighted Mount Lofty. In 1831, Collet Barker and his associates, Kent and Davis, made the first recorded European ascent of the mountain, during which they observed a tree with a girth of nearly , highlighting the area's potential for logging. Road construction began in 1839 with the development of Waterfall Gully Road, followed by Greenhill Road in 1858, improving access. In 1856, Arthur Hardy used the land for sheep grazing and built Mount Lofty House, and he was regarded as one of Adelaide's wealthiest residents at the time. In the latter half of the 19th century, Samuel Davenport owned much of what is now Cleland National Park, establishing orchards and gardens in the gullies and experimenting with crops such as tobacco, mulberry trees for silk production, and grapes. combining ecosystem protection with recreational use. This new park includes the Cleland Wildlife Park precinct, which will remain part of the national park but requires separate management due to its high visitor numbers and commercial nature.

Flora and fauna

Cleland National Park contains diverse habitats including bogs, heathlands, forests, gullies, woodlands, grasslands, creeks, and waterfalls, supporting numerous rare, endangered, and endemic species. The bogs, among the few remaining in the Mount Lofty Ranges, host rare and threatened plants such as the king fern, coral fern, and naked sun orchid, and provide habitat for the endangered southern brown bandicoot. Heathlands on the ridgetops support the endangered Mount Lofty Ranges chestnut-rumped heathwren, along with bandicoots and other bushland birds. Forested gullies provide habitat for the vulnerable bassian thrush, while the park also supports species such as the yellow-footed antechinus and Cunningham's skink. Visitors can participate in experiences such as being photographed holding a koala, interacting with reptiles daily, observing keepers at feeding times, meeting short-beaked echidnas, and joining guided day and night walks. Some animals in the enclosures can be patted, including red and western grey kangaroos and swamp wallabies. Other species present include Tasmanian devils, southern hairy-nosed wombats, western pygmy possums, bilbies, yellow-footed rock wallabies, dingoes, various native birds, and reptiles such as snakes and goannas.

As of 2021, Cleland Wildlife Park attracted approximately 100,000 tourists annually. It is a member of the South Australian Tourism Hall of Fame. The park won the "Significant Tourism Attraction" category at the South Australian Tourism Awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Other facilities include an information centre/ souvenir shop, a café/restaurant (closed Mondays) and public toilets.

Waterfall Gully

Waterfall Gully, another popular part of the park, is located on its western edge. It can be accessed via the sealed Waterfall Gully Road. The main attraction is a waterfall, the largest of several in the park. The base is a short walk from the car park and the top can be reached by a formed but steep footpath, which continues to Cleland Wildlife Park and Mount Lofty summit.

References

Further reading

  • Protected Planet