Dingley Dell Conservation Park (formerly known as the Dingley Dell National Pleasure Resort) 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 ...

in the Australian state 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 ...

located in the state's south east in the gazetted locality of Port MacDonnell about north-west of the town centre of Port MacDonnell and about south of the city centre in

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

. The conservation park occupies land in Part Section 138 of the cadastral unit of the Hundred of MacDonnell. The land contains the cottage occupied by the poet,

Adam Lindsay Gordon Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...

from 1864 to 1866. It was purchased by the

Government of South Australia The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state government, state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the h ...

in 1922 at “the request of the Dingley Dell Restoration Committee.” The land originally gained protected status as a national pleasure resort proclaimed under the ''National Pleasure Resorts Act 1914'' and which was managed by the South Australian Tourist Bureau. On 27 April 1972, it was renamed as the Dingley Dell Conservation Park upon the proclamation of the ''

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 Protected areas of South Australia, consisting of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of 2018, South Australia contained 359 separat ...

'' which repealed the former act along with other statutes concerned with

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...

. The conservation park was described in 1994 as follows: #Built development on the property consists of the restored cottage which serves as a museum for “a collection of Gordon memorabilia,“ and a “caretaker residence, workshop, public toilet facilities and picnic facilities.” #An “open woodland of South Australian blue gum” is located on the property along with “isolated” stands of the following species -

blackwood Blackwood may refer to: Botany * African blackwood (''Dalbergia melanoxylon''), a timber tree of Africa * African blackwood ('' Erythrophleum africanum''), (''Peltophorum africanum'') also Rhodesian blackwood, trees from Africa * Australian blac ...

golden wattle ''Acacia pycnantha'', most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of and has phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks) instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late ...

, coastal bearded-heath and native box. #its boundaries are fenced and are adjoined to the north and west by grazing land and by roads to its south and east. In 1980, the conservation park was listed on the former

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...

. Gordon's former home which was listed on the

South Australian Heritage Register The South Australian Heritage Register, also known as the SA Heritage Register, is a statutory register of historic places in South Australia. It extends legal protection regarding demolition and development under the ''Heritage Places Act 1993'' ...

on 24 July 1980 under the name of the Dingley Dell Museum is managed by a commercial operator. As of 1994, visitation was “low” with “the majority of visitors viewing the cottage, and a lesser proportion using the walking track behind the cottage.” As of 2014, the conservation park had not been given 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 ...

protected area category.

References

External links

Dingley Dell Conservation Park Official webpageDingley Dell Cottage webpageFriends of Dingley Dell Conservation Park webpage
{{Protected areas of South Australia, state=collapsed Conservation parks of South Australia Protected areas established in 1922 1922 establishments in Australia South Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate Limestone Coast

See also

References

External links