Coorong National Park

This article is about the national park and coastal lagoon in South Australia. For the eutrophic lake and nature reserve in Victoria, see Lake Coorong.

Coorong National Park South Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
The Coorong looking across its midpoint near Salt Creek
A map of the Coorong
Coorong National Park
Nearest town or city	Goolwa
Coordinates	36°02′57″S 139°33′13″E / 36.04917°S 139.55361°E / -36.04917; 139.55361Coordinates: 36°02′57″S 139°33′13″E / 36.04917°S 139.55361°E / -36.04917; 139.55361
Established	1 January 1966 (1966-01-01)^[1]
Area	489.91 km² (189.2 sq mi)^[1]
Managing authorities	Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
Website	Coorong National Park
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

The Coorong National Park is a protected area located in South Australia about 156 kilometres (97 mi) southeast of Adelaide and that pre-dominantly covers a lagoon ecosystem officially known as the Coorong and the Younghusband Peninsula on the Coorong's southern side.

Etymology

Its name is thought to be a corruption of the local Aboriginal people's word kurangh, meaning "long neck"; a reference to the shape of the lagoon system. The name is also thought to be from the Aboriginal word Coorang, "sand dune", a reference to the sand dunes that form the Younghusband Peninsula.

Description

The western end of the Coorong lagoon is at the Murray Mouth near Hindmarsh Island and the Sir Richard Peninsula, and it extends about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast. The park area includes the Coorong itself, and Younghusband Peninsula which separates the Coorong from Encounter Bay in the Southern Ocean. The Coorong has been cut off from Lake Alexandrina by the construction of the Goolwa Barrages (weirs) from Goolwa to Pelican Point during the late 1930s.^[2]

The park was formed in 1966 as a sanctuary for many species of birds, animals and fish. It attracts many migratory species. It provides refuge for these animals during some of Australia's regular droughts. The 467 square kilometres (180 sq mi) also supports coastal dune systems, lagoons and coastal vegetation.^[3]

One of the unique things about the Coorong is the interaction of water along its length, with sea water and Murray River water meeting rainfall and groundwater. The freshwater supports the fauna (animal) of the area while the sea water is the habitat for much of the birdlife.^[4]

The waters of the Coorong are a popular venue for recreational and commercial fishers. The popular 'Coorong mullet' and 'school mulloway' are the main species. The region was the setting of the popular 1977 film Storm Boy.

Birds

The Coorong has been recognised by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. It has supported the chestnut teal, Australian shelduck, sharp-tailed sandpiper, red-necked stint, banded stilt, red-necked avocet, pied oystercatcher and red-capped plover. Australasian bitterns have been recorded. It has also supported significant numbers of orange-bellied parrots, fairy terns and hooded plovers, although their usage of the site has declined from reduced freshwater inflows.^[5]

Notable events

In 1840, the brigantine Maria was shipwrecked near Cape Jaffa after leaving Port Adelaide.^[6] All 25 people aboard were massacred by Aborigines along the Coorong.^[6]

In February 2013, a lifeboat from MS Oliva, that foundered in the south Atlantic, washed up on a beach in the Coorong.^[7] Images of Oliva with the lifeboat rails empty can be seen at the Tristan da Cunha website of the grounding and recovery.

Gallery

Sunset over the northern part of The Coorong, approaching the town of Meningie, South Australia.
The punitive expedition to the Coorong after the massacre of survivors of the wreck of the Maria, August 1840.
Flock of banded stilts on sand flats at the Coorong.
View of the Coorong and Younghusband Peninsula.
Entrance to The Coorong (mid-distance) looking from Hindmarsh Island

References

1 2 "CAPAD 2012 South Australia Summary (see 'DETAIL' tab)". CAPAD 2012. Australian Government – Department of the Environment. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
↑ Map of the Coorong Accessed 3/3/7
↑ Coorong National Park – Things to see and do, Accessed 30/7/9
↑ Coorong National Park – Natural Attractions, Accessed 30/7/9
↑ "IBA: Coorong". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
1 2 "A Famous Wreck". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 5 October 1895. p. 1 Supplement: Evening News Supplement. Retrieved 29 May 2013. This reference quite credibly states the bodies were stuffed down wombat holes, where others coyly refer to "shallow graves". It is also one of the few to touch on the contentious possibility of cannibalism.
↑ Shipwreck lifeboat washes up in Australia, ABC News Online, 6 February 2013

External links

Media related to Coorong National Park at Wikimedia Commons

Protected areas of South Australia

National parks	Belair Canunda Coffin Bay Coorong Flinders Chase Ikara-Flinders Ranges Gawler Ranges Great Australian Bight Marine Innes Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Lake Gairdner Lake Torrens Lincoln Malkumba-Coongie Mount Remarkable Murray River Naracoorte Caves Nullarbor Onkaparinga River Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges Witjira

Conservation parks	Acraman Creek Aldinga Scrub Althorpe Islands Angove Avoid Bay Islands Baird Bay Islands Bakara Baudin Baudin Rocks Beachport Beatrice Islet Beyeria Busby Islet Billiatt Bird Islands Black Hill Breakaways Butchers Gap Cap Island Cape Blanche Cape Gantheaume Cape Willoughby Carpenter Rocks Carribie Chadinga Cleland Clinton Cooltong Cox Scrub Cygnet Estuary Danggali Deep Creek Douglas Point Dudley Eba Island Ediacara Elliot Price Eric Bonython Ewens Ponds Fairview Ferguson Finniss Fort Glanville Fowlers Bay Franklin Harbor Gambier Islands Giles Goose Island Greenly Island Guichen Bay Gum Laqoon Kelly Hill Hacks Lagoon Hale Hallett Cove Hincks Horsnell Gully Ironstone Hill Kaiserstuhl Kellidie Bay Lake Gilles Lake Newland Lashmar Lathami Laura Bay Lesueur Leven Beach Lincoln Lipson Island Little Dip Mamungari Mantung Marino Martindale Hall Minlacowie Moana Sands Montacute Morialta Mount Brown Mount Dutton Bay Mount Magnificent Mount Taylor Munyaroo Nene Valley Nepean Bay Neptune Islands Newland Head Nicolas Baudin Island Ngarkat Nuyts Archipelago Nuyts Reef Olive Island Para Wirra Parndana Peebinga Penguin Island Pelican Lagoon Pigface Island Point Bell Point Davenport Point Labatt Piccaninnie Ponds Pinkawillinie Port Gawler Pualco Range Pullen Island Rocky Island (North) Ramsay Rocky Island (South) Salt Lagoon Islands Sceale Bay Scott Creek Seal Bay Searcy Bay Seddon Simpson Simpson Desert Sinclair Island Sir Joseph Banks Group Sleaford Mere Spring Gully Talisker Tallaringa Telowie Gorge The Dutchmans Stern The Pages Torrens Island Troubridge Island Tumby Island Venus Bay Vivonne Bay Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Wahgunyah Waitpinga Waldegrave Islands Warrenben West Island Whidbey Isles Whyalla Wills Creek Winninowie Wittelbee

Game reserves	Bool Lagoon Bucks Lake Chowilla Currency Creek Lake Robe Loch Luna Moorook Mud Islands Poocher Swamp Tolderol

Recreation parks	Anstey Hill Blackwood Forest Brownhill Creek Caratoola Cobbler Creek Granite Island Greenhill Long Island O'Halloran Hill Onkaparinga River Shepherds Hill Sturt Gorge Totness

Regional Reserves	Chowilla Innamincka Lake Frome Nullarbor Simpson Desert Strzelecki Yellabinna

Conservation reserves	Bernouilli

Wilderness Protection Areas	Billiatt Cape Bouguer Cape Gantheaume Cape Torrens Danggali Hambridge Hincks Investigator Group Memory Cove Nullarbor Nuyts Archipelago Ravine des Casoars Western River Yellabinna

Aquatic reserves	American River Aldinga Reef Bales Beach Barker Inlet Blanche Harbour Coobowie Cowleds Landing Goose Island Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary Point Labatt Port Noarlunga Reef Seal Bay St Kilda – Chapman Creek Troubridge Hill West Island Yatala Harbour

Other protected areas	Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary Arkaroola Protection Area

Limestone Coast, South Australia

Cities

Mount Gambier

Towns and localities

Governance

Federal division	Division of Barker

State electoral districts	Electoral district of MacKillop Electoral district of Mount Gambier

Local Government	City of Mount Gambier District Council of Grant District Council of Robe Kingston District Council Naracoorte Lucindale Council Tatiara District Council Wattle Range Council

Hills, mountains and volcanoes

Caves, sinkholes and freshwater lakes

Islands

Coastal features

Protected areas

National parks	Canunda Coorong Naracoorte Caves

Conservation parks	Aberdour Baudin Rocks Bangham Beachport Belt Hill Big Heath Butchers Gap Calectasia Carpenter Rocks Christmas Rocks Custon Dingley Dell Douglas Point Ewens Ponds Fairview Furner Geegeela Glen Roy Gower Grass Tree Guichen Bay Gum Lagoon Hacks Lagoon Hanson Scrub Jip Jip Kungari Lake Frome Lake Hawdon South Lake St Clair Little Dip Lower Glenelg River Mary Seymour Mount Monster Mount Scott Nene Valley Ngarkat Padthaway Penambol Penguin Island Penola Piccaninnie Ponds Pine Hill Soak Reedy Creek Talapar Tantanoola Caves Telford Scrub Tilley Swamp Vivigani Ardune Woakwine Wolseley Common

Game reserves	Bool Lagoon Bucks Lake Lake Robe Poocher Swamp

Conservation reserves	Desert Camp Bernouilli

Related and uncategorised

Limestone Coast zone (wine)

Ramsar sites in Australia

Australian Capital Territory	Ginini Flats

New South Wales	Blue Lake Central Murray Forests Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps Gwydir Wetlands Hunter Estuary Wetlands Lake Pinaroo Little Llangothlin Lagoon Macquarie Marshes Myall Lakes Narran Wetlands Paroo Wetlands Towra Point

Northern Territory	Cobourg Peninsula Kakadu National Park

Queensland	Bowling Green Bay Currawinya Lakes Great Sandy Strait Moreton Bay Shoalwater Bay

South Australia	Banrock Station Wetland Complex Bool and Hacks Lagoons Coongie Lakes Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland Piccaninnie Ponds Riverland

Tasmania	Apslay Marshes Cape Barren Island east coast lagoons Interlaken Lakeside Reserve Jocks Lagoon Lavinia Nature Reserve Little Waterhouse Lake Logan Lagoon Lower Ringarooma River Moulting Lagoon Pittwater–Orielton Lagoon

Victoria	Barmah Forest Corner Inlet Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Gippsland Lakes Gunbower Forest Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes Kerang Wetlands Lake Albacutya Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula Western District Lakes Western Port Bay

Western Australia	Becher Point Wetlands Eighty Mile Beach Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Lake Gore Lake Warden System Lakes Argyle and Kununurra Muir-Byenup System Ord River Floodplain Peel-Yalgorup System Roebuck Bay Toolibin Lake Vasse-Wonnerup System

External territories	Ashmore Reef Coral Sea Reserves The Dales (Christmas Island) Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Hosnies Spring (Christmas Island) Pulu Keeling

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