{{short description|Protected area in Cleland, South Australia}} {{about| protected area in South Australia|the associated suburb |Cleland, South Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Cleland National Park | image = Cleland-conservation-park.svg | image_caption = Map of Cleland National Park | image_alt = | iucn_category = II | iucn_ref =<ref name=CAPAD2016SASum>{{cite web|title= Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (refer 'DETAIL' tab ) |url= http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/761994ab-42cc-4f24-952c-c21221861884/files/capad2016sa.xlsx |work=CAPAD 2016|publisher=Australian Government, Department of the Environment (DoE) |access-date=21 February 2018 |date=2016}}</ref> | coordinates = {{coord|34|58|03|S|138|41|45|E|display=inline,title}} | map = South Australia | map_alt = | map_width = 200px | relief = 1 | label = Cleland National Park | label_position = | location = South Australia | established = {{start date|1945|01|01|df=y}}<ref name=ReserveList/> | area_ha = | area_km2 = 11.25 | area_ref =<ref name=ReserveList>{{cite web|title=Protected Areas Information System – reserve list (as of 16 July 2015)|url= http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/park_management/protected-areas-30june2015.pdf |publisher=Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR)|access-date=3 August 2015}}</ref> | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | website = https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/cleland-national-park | nearest_city = Adelaide city centre | nearest_town = | governing_body = }}
'''Cleland National Park''' is a protected area in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, located about {{Convert|22|km}} south-east of Adelaide's city centre. It preserves a substantial expanse of natural bushland along the Adelaide Hills face, encompassing Mount Lofty Summit and Waterfall Gully. Classified as an IUCN Category II protected area, the park was formerly '''Cleland Conservation Park'''. In November 2021, it was merged with the adjoining Eurilla Conservation Park and upgraded to national park status.
Cleland National Park, like all reserves and parks in South Australia, is managed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Wilderness Protection Act 1992, with conservation responsibilities overseen by the Minister under the Crown Land Management Act 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Park management |url=https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/park-management |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622105122/https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/park-management |archive-date=2025-06-22 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=Department for Environment and Water}}</ref><ref name="legislation.sa.gov.au">{{cite web |date=2017-03-15 |title=South Australia National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 |url=https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/NATIONAL%20PARKS%20AND%20WILDLIFE%20ACT%201972/CURRENT/1972.56.AUTH.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114021551/https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/NATIONAL%20PARKS%20AND%20WILDLIFE%20ACT%201972/CURRENT/1972.56.AUTH.PDF |archive-date=2018-01-14 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=South Australian Legislation}}</ref>
==Geography== Cleland National Park is located in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, about 22 kilometres south-east of Adelaide city centre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cleland National Park |url=https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/cleland-national-park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729234346/https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/cleland-national-park |archive-date=2025-07-29 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> It covers {{Convert|1036|ha}}, making it one of the largest areas of native vegetation along the Mount Lofty Ranges hills face. The park includes walking and cycling trails that provide access to wildlife habitats, cultural heritage sites, and views of the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas.<ref name=":0" />
The park's terrain features creeks, steep-sided gullies, eucalypt stringybark forests, and woodlands, which support a variety of habitats. It contains some of the last intact swamps and bogs in the region, providing habitat for endangered and endemic species such as the southern brown bandicoot and king fern. Waterfall Gully and Mount Lofty Summit are located within the park and are linked by a popular walking trail.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Cleland National Park: Management Plan 2022 |url=https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/Cleland-National-Park-management-plan-2022.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711194150/https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/Cleland-National-Park-management-plan-2022.pdf |archive-date=2023-07-11 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=Department for Environment and Water}} 50x50px Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 4.0 Australia (CC BY 4.0 AU) licence.</ref> Most of the park consists of bushland, with woodlands dominating and some open areas where clearing has occurred.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hardy |first=Anne |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/942752 |title=The Nature of Cleland |publisher=State Publishing |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-7243-6542-5 |edition=2nd}}</ref>
== History == On 27 March 1802, Matthew Flinders, sailing off the south coast of South Australia, sighted Mount Lofty. In 1831, Collet Barker and his associates, Kent and Davis, made the first recorded European ascent of the mountain, during which they observed a tree with a girth of nearly {{Convert|15|m}}, highlighting the area's potential for logging. Road construction began in 1839 with the development of Waterfall Gully Road, followed by Greenhill Road in 1858, improving access. In 1856, Arthur Hardy used the land for sheep grazing and built Mount Lofty House, and he was regarded as one of Adelaide's wealthiest residents at the time. In the latter half of the 19th century, Samuel Davenport owned much of what is now Cleland National Park, establishing orchards and gardens in the gullies and experimenting with crops such as tobacco, mulberry trees for silk production, and grapes.<ref name=":0" />
After 1903, several opportunities to purchase land near Waterfall Gully were missed due to concerns over suitability and high prices, including an offer of 970 hectares by Davenport, which the government declined.{{Sfn|Walker|1983|p=29}} By the 1930s, the area had been extensively modified: vegetation was cleared for agriculture and housing, logging had removed much of the timber, and grazing by livestock damaged understorey vegetation and spread weeds. These activities led to soil erosion, flooding, and landscape scarring from timber tracks and a quarry.{{Sfn|Walker|1983|p=22}}
Despite pressure from the Tourist Bureau and various conservation groups, the land that now comprises Cleland Conservation Park was not purchased by the government until 1945.{{Sfn|Walker|1983|p=29}} Established on 1 January 1945,<ref name="legislation.sa.gov.au" /> the park was classified as an IUCN Category II protected area,<ref name="iucn.org">{{cite web |title=Protected Areas Category II |url=http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_quality/gpap_pacategories/gpap_pacategory2/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407225919/http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_quality/gpap_pacategories/gpap_pacategory2/ |archive-date=2014-04-07 |access-date=2025-08-11 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature}}</ref> combining ecosystem protection with recreational use.<ref>{{Cite web |editor-last=Dudley |editor-first=Nigel |title=Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories |url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/PAG-021.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250724212458/https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/PAG-021.pdf |archive-date=2025-07-24 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=International Union for Conservation of Nature |page=14}}</ref><ref name="iucn.org" /> It was named after John Burton Cleland, a naturalist and member of the Royal Society of South Australia. Following Cleland's conservation efforts, the area was declared the Cleland Wildlife Reserve in 1963.<ref name=":0" /> Cleland Conservation Park was proclaimed in 1978.<ref name=":1" />
On 26 November 2021, Cleland Conservation Park was merged with the adjacent Eurilla Conservation Park and designated as Cleland National Park.<ref name="cpc">{{cite web |last=Speirs |first=David |author-link=David Speirs |date=2021-11-26 |title=SA now home to Australia's biggest national park |url=https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/south-australia-now-home-to-australias-biggest-national-park |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219021011/https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/south-australia-now-home-to-australias-biggest-national-park |archive-date=2021-12-19 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=Premier of South Australia}} 50x50px Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.</ref><ref name="gooch2021">{{cite web |last=Gooch |first=Declan |date=2021-11-26 |title=Australia's biggest national park declared in South Australia's far north |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-26/munga-thirri-simpson-desert-biggest-national-park-australia/100654714 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127072915/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-26/munga-thirri-simpson-desert-biggest-national-park-australia/100654714 |archive-date=2022-01-27 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |publisher=}}</ref> This new park includes the Cleland Wildlife Park precinct, which will remain part of the national park but requires separate management due to its high visitor numbers and commercial nature.<ref>{{cite web | title=Share your views on the future of Cleland National Park | website=Department for Environment and Water | date=25 October 2021 | url=https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/news-hub/news/articles/2021/10/Cleland-national-park-draft-management-plan | access-date=20 December 2021}}</ref>
== Flora and fauna == Cleland National Park contains diverse habitats including bogs, heathlands, forests, gullies, woodlands, grasslands, creeks, and waterfalls, supporting numerous rare, endangered, and endemic species. The bogs, among the few remaining in the Mount Lofty Ranges, host rare and threatened plants such as the king fern, coral fern, and naked sun orchid, and provide habitat for the endangered southern brown bandicoot. Heathlands on the ridgetops support the endangered Mount Lofty Ranges chestnut-rumped heathwren, along with bandicoots and other bushland birds. Forested gullies provide habitat for the vulnerable bassian thrush, while the park also supports species such as the yellow-footed antechinus and Cunningham's skink.<ref name=":1" />
Woodlands and grasslands dominated by blue gum, manna gum, stringybark, and kangaroo grass provide habitat for over 90 bird species, including the vulnerable yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Permanent creeks and waterfalls support aquatic species such as the vulnerable mountain galaxias and Brown Toadlet. While vegetation has regenerated since past timber and farming use, threats include weeds, altered fire regimes, grazing pressure, and pest animals such as rabbits, foxes, feral cats, and deer. Some weed-infested areas provide important habitat for native fauna, but weed control is prioritised to protect high-value native vegetation and threatened flora sites.<ref name=":1" />
==Places of interest== Cleland Wildlife Park is part of the shared boundary of the Kaurna and Peramangk people, historically used as a meeting and trading place, with both nations holding dreaming stories connected to the Mount Lofty Ranges. The park includes Cleland Wildlife Park, a tourist attraction since 1967, as well as Waterfall Gully and Mount Lofty Summit.<ref name=":1" />
=== Cleland Wildlife Park === Cleland Wildlife Park has been managed separately from the national park and has operated as a major tourist destination since 1967.<ref name=":1" /> The park allows visitors to get close to native animals in their natural environment.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Our approach |url=https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/about-cleland/our-approach |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708053508/https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/about-cleland/our-approach |archive-date=2025-07-08 |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=Cleland Wildlife Park |language=en-AU}}</ref> Visitors can participate in experiences such as being photographed holding a koala, interacting with reptiles daily, observing keepers at feeding times, meeting short-beaked echidnas, and joining guided day and night walks.<ref>{{cite web |date=17 November 2014 |title=Cleland experiences |url=https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/cleland-experiences |access-date=20 December 2021 |website=Cleland Wildlife Park}}</ref> Some animals in the enclosures can be patted, including red and western grey kangaroos and swamp wallabies. Other species present include Tasmanian devils, southern hairy-nosed wombats, western pygmy possums, bilbies, yellow-footed rock wallabies, dingoes, various native birds, and reptiles such as snakes and goannas.<ref>{{cite web |title=What animals will I see? |url=https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/plan-your-visit/discover-cleland/what-animals-will-i-see |access-date=20 December 2021 |website=Cleland Wildlife Park}}</ref>
As of 2021, Cleland Wildlife Park attracted approximately 100,000 tourists annually. It is a member of the South Australian Tourism Hall of Fame.<ref name="birdjan2021">{{cite news |last=Birdjan |first=Tijana |date=25 November 2021 |title=National Park status for Cleland |work=Adelaide East Herald}}</ref> The park won the "Significant Tourism Attraction" category at the South Australian Tourism Awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009.<ref name=":2" />
===Mount Lofty summit=== {{Further|Mount Lofty}} Mount Lofty summit is {{Convert|727|m}} above sea level. It provides sweeping vistas across the Adelaide Plains and Gulf St Vincent. Flinders Column, a white painted obelisk shaped like a lighthouse, is a landmark which can be seen from far away on a clear day. Car parking facilities are provided: charges are payable. Public bus route 823 serves the summit with three journeys a day (including weekends and most holidays).<ref name="adelaidemetro.com.au">{{cite web |title=Opening hours & getting here |url=https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/clelandwildlife/plan-your-visit/opening-hours-and-getting-here |website=www.environment.sa.gov.au |publisher=Cleland Wildlife Park}}</ref> Other facilities include an information centre/ souvenir shop, a café/restaurant (closed Mondays) and public toilets.
===Waterfall Gully=== {{further|Waterfall Gully}} Waterfall Gully, another popular part of the park, is located on its western edge. It can be accessed via the sealed Waterfall Gully Road. The main attraction is a waterfall, the largest of several in the park. The base is a short walk from the car park and the top can be reached by a formed but steep footpath, which continues to Cleland Wildlife Park and Mount Lofty summit.<ref name="southaustraliantrails.com">{{Cite web |title=Waterfall Gully To Mount Lofty Hike |url=http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/trails.asp?id=13811 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016232730/http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/trails.asp?id=13811 |archive-date=2016-10-16}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/parks_pdfs_cleland_cp_mp.pdf |title=Cleland Conservation Park Management Plan: Mount Lofty Ranges – South Australia |publisher=Department of Environment and Planning |year=1983 |editor-last=Walker |editor-first=Jenny |access-date=2025-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223154703/https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/parks_pdfs_cleland_cp_mp.pdf |archive-date=2022-02-23}}
==Further reading== *{{Citation | author1=Hardy, Anne | title=The nature of Cleland | date=1989 | publisher=State Publishing | edition=2nd | isbn=978-0-7243-6542-5 }}
==External links== *{{official|https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/cleland-national-park|Cleland National Park}} *{{official|https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/|Cleland Wildlife Park}} *[https://www.protectedplanet.net/24317 Protected Planet]
{{Commons category-inline|Cleland Wildlife Park}}
{{Protected areas of South Australia}} {{Zoos of South Australia}}
Category:Protected areas in Adelaide Category:Wildlife sanctuaries of Australia Category:1945 establishments in Australia Category:Protected areas established in 1945 Category:Wildlife parks in Australia Category:2021 establishments in Australia Category:Protected areas established in 2021 Category:National parks of South Australia