Clements Gap Conservation Park is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
located in the
Mid North
The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains and south of the Far North and the outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the souther ...
of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
about west of
Redhill, north east of
Port Broughton
Port Broughton is a small South Australian town located at the northern extent of the Yorke Peninsula on the east coast of Spencer Gulf. It is situated about 170 km north-west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie. At the , the to ...
and 42 metres above sea level. The park preserves an area of natural bushland and the built remnants of a small historic agricultural township,
Clements Gap, about east of the
Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe an ...
coast. Maintained by the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), the park is classified as an
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
Category III Natural Monument or Feature.
The park is named for the surrounding farming locality of Clements Gap, a reference to the co-located pass through the
Barunga Range
The Barunga Range is a range of hills in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges#Northern ranges, Mount Lofty Ranges starting near Clements Gap, South Australia, Clements Gap and Merriton, South Australia, Merriton in South Australia's Mid North. At the ...
. The Clements Gap pass in turn is thought to be named after a shepherd in the area prior to 1880, per research by local historian
Rodney Cockburn
Rodney Cockburn (21 October 1877 – 28 September 1932) was a South Australian journalist, author of a popular reference book on South Australian place names.
History
Cockburn was born in Kent Town, South Australia, a son of George (c. 1835 â ...
.
History
In 1963 eight sections (439-442 and 565-568) of the
Hundred of Mundoora (north east corner) were set aside and designated Mundoora Conservation Park. In 1981 the park was renamed to its present designation.
See also
*
Protected areas in South Australia
*
Field Naturalists Society of South Australia
Field may refer to:
Expanses of open ground
* Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes
* Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport
* Battlefield
* Lawn, an area of mowed grass
* Meadow, a grass ...
References
{{Protected areas of South Australia
Conservation parks of South Australia
1963 establishments in Australia