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Cromer Conservation Park is a
protected area located in the Australian state of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
in the locality of
Cromer
Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline.
The local government authorities are Nor ...
in the
Adelaide Hills state government region about north-east of the state capital of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and about north of the town centre in
Birdwood.
The conservation park consists of land in section 9 in the cadastral unit of the Hundred of Talunga
The Hundred of Talunga is a cadastral hundred of the County of Adelaide, South Australia, spanning the Torrens Valley in the Adelaide Hills. . It was proclaimed under the ''National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972
Protected areas of South Australia consists of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of March 2018, South Australia contains 359 sepa ...
'' on 22 January 1976. As of 2016, it covered an area of .
In 1980, it was described as follows:One of few areas of natural vegetation in the Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and ...
which have not been disturbed by a history of grazing or other deleterious land use. As such it is a highly significant remnant of the wetter Mount Lofty Range vegetation. Though a small reserve, it contains a wide diversity of plant and bird species. A small Park of gentle relief, exhibiting vegetation dominated by ''Eucalyptus leucoxylon
''Eucalyptus leucoxylon'', commonly known as yellow gum, blue gum or white ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth yellowish bark with some rough bark near the bas ...
'' / '' E fasciculosa'' open forest with '' E. obliqua'', '' E. goniocalyx'' and '' E. camaldulensis''. The understorey consists of a dense shrub heath in which species of '' Acacia'', ''Hakea
''Hakea'' ( ) is a genus of about 150 species of plants in the Family ''Proteaceae'', endemic to Australia. They are shrubs or small trees with leaves that are sometimes flat, otherwise circular in cross section in which case they are sometimes d ...
'', ''Banksia
''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and fruiting "cones" and heads. ''Banksias'' range ...
'' and ''Xanthorrhoea
''Xanthorrhoea'' () is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants endemic to Australia. Species are known by the name grass tree.
Description
All are perennials and have a secondary thickening meristem in the stem. Many, but not all, ...
'' are the dominant constituents. Approximately seventy bird species have been recorded in the park. The park is in pristine condition having never been grazed by stock, however its limited size means it is susceptible to outside disturbance. This area is bounded on two sides by pine plantations.
In 2016, the conservation park was reported as being one of three sites in South Australia where the blue star sun-orchid (''Thelymitra hygrophila
''Thelymitra hygrophila'', commonly known as the blue star sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to a small area of South Australia. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to five pale blue to ...
'') has been found. The orchid species was listed on 5 May 2016 as being ''Critically Endangered'' under the Australian ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cult ...
''.
The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.[ In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.]
See also
*Protected areas of South Australia
Protected areas of South Australia consists of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of March 2018, South Australia contains 359 sepa ...
References
*
External links
Cromer Conservation Park webpage on the Protected Planet website
Cromer Conservation Park webpage on the BirdsSA website
{{Protected areas of South Australia, state=collapsed
Conservation parks of South Australia
Protected areas established in 1976
1976 establishments in Australia
Adelaide Hills
South Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate