Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park

Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park South Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
Nearest town or city	Hawker
Coordinates	31°25′20″S 138°42′18″E / 31.42222°S 138.70500°E / -31.42222; 138.70500Coordinates: 31°25′20″S 138°42′18″E / 31.42222°S 138.70500°E / -31.42222; 138.70500
Established	1 January 1945 (1945-01-01)^[1]
Area	933.97 km² (360.6 sq mi)^[1]
Managing authorities	Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
Website	Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

The Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park^[2] is situated approximately 400 km north of Adelaide in the northern central part of South Australia's largest mountain range, the Flinders Ranges. The park covers an area of 912 km², northeast of the small town of Hawker. The Heysen Trail and Mawson Trails pass through the park.

The park's most characteristic landmark is Wilpena Pound, a large, sickle-shaped, natural amphitheatre covering nearly 80 km², containing the range's highest peak, St Mary Peak (1,170 metres).^[3] On 12 February 2016 the park was renamed to include the Adnyamathanha word, Ikara, "meeting place", referring to the traditional name for Wilpena Pound.^[2]

The park centre at Wilpena Pound is accessible by sealed road from Hawker. Other areas in the park can be reached by un-sealed roads, which are mostly accessible by two-wheel drive vehicles except in bad weather or after heavy rain. There are many lookouts, scenic vistas, small canyons and unusual rock formations located in the park. These include Wilpena Pound, Wilkawillina Gorge, Hucks Lookout, Brachina Gorge, Bunyeroo Gorge and Arkaroo Rock. The park has some stone ruins from early European settlement and Aboriginal rock art sites. A rock formation called the Great Wall of China is located just outside the park. Camping is permitted at many locations in the park.^[3]

Geology

The Flinders Ranges are largely composed of folded and faulted sediments of the Adelaide Geosyncline. This very thick sequence of sediments were deposited in a large basin during the Neoproterozoic on the passive margin of the ancient continent of Rodinia. During the Cambrian, approximately 540 million years ago, the area underwent the Delamerian orogeny where the geosynclinal sequence was folded and faulted into a large mountain range. Since this time the area has undergone erosion resulting in the relatively low ranges today.

Most of the high ground and ridgetops in the Flinders are sequences of quartzites that outcrop along strike. The high walls of Wilpena Pound are formed by the outcropping beds of the eponymous Pound Quartzite in a synclinal structure. The same formation forms many of the other high parts of the Flinders, including the high plateau of the Gammon Ranges and the Heysen Range. Cuesta forms are also very common in the Flinders.

Flora and fauna

The flora of the Flinders Ranges is composed largely of species adapted to a semi-arid environment such as cypress-pine, mallee, and black oak. Moister areas near Wilpena Pound support grevilleas, Guinea flowers, lilies and ferns. Reeds and sedges grow near permanent water sources such as springs and waterholes.

Since the eradication of dingos and the establishment of permanent waterholes for stock, the numbers of red kangaroos, western grey kangaroos and euros in the Flinders Ranges have increased. The yellow-footed rock-wallaby, which neared extinction after the arrival of Europeans due to hunting and predation by foxes, has now stabilized. Other endemic marsupials include dunnarts, planigales. Echidnas are the sole monotreme species in the park. Insectivorous bats make up significant proportion of mammals in the area. Reptiles include goannas, snakes, dragon lizards, skinks and geckos. The streambank froglet is an endemic amphibian.^[3]

Birds

There are a large number of bird species including various parrots, emus, the wedge-tailed eagles and small numbers of waterbirds. The land within the national park has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it contains an apparently sustainable population of the range-restricted short-tailed grasswren.^[4]

Heritage listings

There are a number of heritage-listed sites within the national park:

Eddie Pumpa Outstation ^[5]
Hayward Homestead Ruins ^[6]
Impact Ejecta Horizon Late Precambrian Shales Geological Site ^[7]
Enorama Mail Station and Rubbish Dump ^[8]
Oraparinna Diapir ^[9]
Wilpena Homestead Complex ^[10]
Wilpena Pound (geological landform) ^[11]
Stromatolites in the Precambrian Trezona Formation, Enorama Creek ^[12]
Wills Homestead Complex Ruins ^[13]
Appealinna Mine Ruins and Miners Hut ^[14]
Wilkawillina Archaeocyathae Geological Site ^[15]
Dingley Dell Homestead Ruins ^[16]
Hill's Cottage, Wilpena Pound ^[17]
Enorama Diapir ^[18]
Oraparinna Station Blacksmith's Shop ^[19]

The Flinders Ranges as seen from the Sturt Highway.
Flinders Ranges from space.

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.
1 2 Flinders Ranges to be renamed in recognition of traditional Aboriginal owners ABC News, 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
1 2 3 Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Sydney, NSW: Reader's Digest. 1993. p. 526. ISBN 0-86438-399-1.
↑ "IBA: Flinders Ranges". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
↑ "Eddie Pumpa Outstation including Outbuilding, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Hayward Homestead (Ruin), Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Impact Ejecta Horizon Late Precambrian Shales Geological Site, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Mail Station & Rubbish Dump, Enorama Site (Ruin), Aroona Station, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Oraparinna Diapir Locality (designated place of geological significance), Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=62". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016. External link in |title= (help)
↑ "Wilpena Pound Geological Landform, Flinders Ranges National Park (designated place of geological significance)". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Stromatolites in the Precambrian Trezona Formation, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Wills Homestead Complex (Ruins), Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Appealinna Mine Ruins & Miner's Hut, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Wilkawillina Archaeocyathae Geological Site, partly located within Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Dingley Dell Homestead (Ruin) (including Stable/Pen, Retaining Wall, Lime Kilns, Meat and Smoke House), Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=42". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016. External link in |title= (help)
↑ "Enorama Diapir Locality - Diapir Reef Complex (designated place of geological significance) Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
↑ "Former Blacksmith's Shop, Oraparinna Station, Flinders Ranges National Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

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

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