Hambidge Wilderness Protection Area is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

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 ...

located in the gazetted locality of Hambidge about north of

Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a town on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf. It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located a ...

and north east of

Lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

. The wilderness protection area was proclaimed under the ''Wilderness Protection Act 1992'' on 30 September 2004 on land previously 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 ...

'' as the Hambidge Conservation Park. It was, with Hincks Wilderness Protection Area, among the first reserves on mainland South Australia, being declared Flora and Fauna Reserves in 1941. Pressure from primary producers resulted in the selling of substantial areas: from Hambidge in 1954–1955 and from Hincks in 1960. Pressure for further excisions was resisted by Government. The following qualities have been identified by the government agency managing the wilderness protection area:

This area comprises an extensive system of parallel dunes with ridges (6 to 12 metres in height) running north west to south east. Clay pans are scattered throughout the inter-dunal area. Vegetation comprises a low mallee scrub association dominated by ''Eucalyptus dumosa'', ''E socialis'', ''E oleosa'', ''E incrassata'', ''E calycogona'', ''Melaleuca uncinata'', ''M lanceolata'' with an understory comprising ''Santalum acuminatum'', ''Triodia'', ''Hibbertia'', ''Baeckia'', ''Boronia'' and ''Dodonaea'' species. The area is home to a wide variety of mallee birds, including the endangered malleefowl, and vulnerable species such as blue-breasted wren, blue-winged parrot, chestnut quail-thrush, yellow-plumed honeyeater and yellow-tailed pardalote. Visitors occasionally enter the reserve to visit Prominent Hill.

Its name is derived from the Hambidge Conservation Park, then the Hambidge National Park and ultimately from the cadastal unit of the Hundred of Hambidge which was named after Clive M. Hambidge who was the

Surveyor General of South Australia The Surveyor General of South Australia (also stylised Surveyor-General) is a position originally created for the Surveyor General for the colony of South Australia. The post is held by an official responsible for government surveying Survey ...

from 1937 to 1950. It is classified as an

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Category Ib protected area.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hambidge Wilderness Protection Area Wilderness areas of South Australia Protected areas established in 2004 2004 establishments in Australia Eyre Peninsula Eyre Yorke Block