__NOTOC__ Marino Conservation Park 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

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 ...

suburb of Marino, overlooking both parts of the Adelaide metropolitan area and the coastline with

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...

. Situated on the lands of the Aboriginal

Kaurna The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurn ...

people, the Marino Conservation Park and surrounding areas are part of the

Tjilbruke Tjilbruke (also Tjirbruki, Tjilbruki, Tjirbruke, Tjirbuk or Tjirbuki,) is an important creation ancestor for the Kaurna of the Adelaide plains in the Australian state of South Australia. Tjilbruke was a Kaurna man, who appeared in Kaurna Drea ...

dreamtime. Proclaimed in 1989 as a conservation park, it aims to protect flora such as the ground cover desert saw sedge ('' Gahnia lanigera'') and twiggy daisy bush (''

Olearia ramulosa ''Olearia ramulosa'', commonly known as twiggy daisy-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic, linear or narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and pale bl ...

'') and native grass species of genera such as ''

Danthonia ''Danthonia'' is a genus of Eurasian, North African, and American plants in the grass family. Members of this genus are sometimes referred to as oatgrass, but that common name is not restricted to this genus. Other common names include heathgra ...

'' and ''

Stipa ''Stipa'' is a genus of around 300 large perennial hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, which also contains many species form ...

'', and groundcovers that dominate the central and eastern portions of the conservation park. The elegant wattle (''

Acacia victoriae ''Acacia victoriae'', commonly known as gundabluie or bardi bush, is a shrub-like tree native to Australia. Subspecies: ''A. victoriae'' subsp. ''arida'' Pedley Distribution and ecology Found in arid and semi-arid areas, the ''Acacia victoria ...

'') can also be seen in the conservation park. The steep west-facing hillside above the railway line contains a very significant remnant area of coastal heath vegetation, including rare plants such as lemon beauty heads Calocephalus citreus, shiny ground berry ('' Acrotiche patula'') and native apricot ('' Pittosporum phylliraecoides''). Past land-use practices and introduced exotic plants severely depleted the habitat available for native wildlife. Twenty-nine species of bird including owls, falcons, honeyeaters and rosellas frequent the conservation park. The

eastern brown snake The eastern brown snake (''Pseudonaja textilis''), often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was ...

and insects also find sanctuary in the remnant vegetation and open space area. It is accessible via the Marino Rocks railway station, which is nearby. A 1.5 km self-guided botanical trail starts from the car park with two gentle hills to climb. The trail from the car park to the Heath viewing area is suitable for wheelchairs. There are no picnic, toilet or other facilities in the conservation park. Camping is prohibited. The conservation park has an active

Friends of Parks Friends of Parks South Australia, registered as Friends of Parks Inc., (FoPInc), is an independent umbrella organisation established to serve and represent the interests of volunteer community groups helping to protect flora, fauna, heritage ...

group, mostly locals, who meet regularly on the first and third Thursdays and the last Sunday of each month. The conservation park 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 III protected area. After the creation of the

Glenthorne National Park–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Glenthorne National Park–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta is a national park in the southern Adelaide suburb of O'Halloran Hill, south of the city centre. The park opened to the public in November 2020, and O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park is in the ...

in 2020, Marino Park Conservation Park became part of the Glenthorne Precinct, along with

Hallett Cove Conservation Park Hallett Cove Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the suburb of Hallett Cove on the coast of Gulf St Vincent about south of the centre of the state capital of Adelaide. Hallett Cove is one ...

, areas of the

Field River The Field River is an urban watercourse located in the southern suburbs of Adelaide in the Australian state of South Australia. Course and features Part of the Onkaparinga River catchment that drains the western slopes of the Mount Lofty Range ...

valley and

Happy Valley Reservoir The Happy Valley Reservoir is a water reservoir located in the southern Adelaide suburb of Happy Valley, South Australia. Constructed when the total population of Adelaide numbered 315,200 (1893 census), the Happy Valley Reservoir now supplies o ...

Marino Rocks Lighthouse

The Marino Rocks Lighthouse, or Marino Lighthouse as it is otherwise known, is situated within the conservation park. It is a white, square concrete tower with semicircular lantern. This operational lighthouse was established in 1962 and in 2005 the two reflectors and 1000W lamps were replaced by a low voltage system. It is managed by the

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. The authority ...

Bushfires

A bushfire in November 2011 blackened a large part of the park. More, recently on the night of 4 December 2020, a fire started in the conservation park, which ended up taking 75

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

s to bring it under control within an hour and several hours to extinguish completely. The

Seaford railway line The Seaford railway line is a suburban commuter line in Adelaide, South Australia. History Before the extension of the line to Noarlunga Centre in 1978, the Willunga line ran from Hallett Cove station on a different route through Reynella, ...

, which runs next to the park, had to be closed for a short while. A significant part of the park was damaged, and an investigation into the cause of the fire followed. Many of the plants affected by the fire have already started to regrow.

References

External links

Marino Conservation Park official webpageFriends of Marino webpage on Friends of the Parks websiteentry for Marino Conservation Park on protected planet
{{Protected areas of South Australia, state=collapsed Conservation parks of South Australia Protected areas in Adelaide Protected areas established in 1989 1989 establishments in Australia

Marino Rocks Lighthouse

Bushfires

See also

References

External links