Mount Dutton Bay Conservation Park is a protected area 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 on the west coast of

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named af ...

on islands located on waters in the sector between the north west to the east of the town of

Coffin Bay Coffin Bay, originally Coffin's Bay, is a town at the southern extremity of the Eyre Peninsula, a wheat growing area of South Australia. At the 2016 census, Coffin Bay had a population of 611. Material was copied from this source, which is avai ...

. The conservation park consists of a number of islands located in the following bays subsidiary to

- Port Douglas, Mount Dutton Bay and Kellidie Bay. Three of the islands are located in Port Douglas, being The Brothers and an unnamed group immediately west of Horse Peninsula and Rabbit Island immediately west of Coffin Bay township. Another island is located at the north end of Mount Dutton Bay, while Goat Island immediately north of Coffin Bay township in the channel connecting Port Douglas to Kellidie Bay. The land in the conservation park first received protection as ''fauna conservation reserves'' under the ''Crown Lands Act 1929'' on 16 March 1967. On 27 April 1972, the land under protection was reconstituted as the ''Mount Dutton Bay Conservation Park'' upon the proclamation of 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 4 November 1993, additional land consisting of two unnamed islands located west of Horse Peninsula were added to the conservation park. As of 2018, it covered an area of . In 1980, the conservation park was described as follows:

These islands were declared a reserve because of their significance as breeding grounds for seabirds, including the uncommon reef heron, sooty oyster catcher, crested and caspian terns, fairy penguins, pacific and silver gulls. All five species of cormorant utilize the islands including large roosting colonies of black-faced and large pied cormorants. Rock parrots, silvereyes and the little grass bird are also known to nest here... Several small, low-lying, limestone and sand islands in Coffin Bay. Natural vegetation has largely been replaced by introduced grasses and shrubs... With the exception of the unnamed island at the mouth of Dutton Bay, which is linked to the Mainland at low tide, the islands, in the absence of introduced predators offer secure breeding and roosting sites.

The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category Ia protected area. In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.

References

External links

Mount Dutton Bay Conservation Park webpage on protected planet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Dutton Bay Conservation Park Conservation parks of South Australia Protected areas established in 1967 1967 establishments in Australia Eyre Peninsula South Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate