# Kangaroo Head

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This article is about the headland in South Australia. For the associated locality, see [Kangaroo Head, South Australia](/source/Kangaroo_Head%2C_South_Australia).

Place in South Australia

Place in South Australia, Australia

Kangaroo Head Kangaroo Head Coordinates: 35°43′6″S 137°54′13″E / 35.71833°S 137.90361°E / -35.71833; 137.90361 Country Australia State South Australia LGA Kangaroo Island Council

**Kangaroo Head** is a headland in the [Australian state](/source/Australia) of [South Australia](/source/South_Australia) located at the north-west tip of [Dudley Peninsula](/source/Dudley_Peninsula) on [Kangaroo Island](/source/Kangaroo_Island). It was named by the British explorer, [Matthew Flinders](/source/Matthew_Flinders), on 23 March 1802.

## Description

Kangaroo Head is the north-west tip of Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island and overlooks [Nepean Bay](/source/Nepean_Bay) to the west, [Investigator Strait](/source/Investigator_Strait) to the north and [Backstairs Passage](/source/Backstairs_Passage) to the east. It is the termination for a pair of coastlines - one extending from [Cape Willoughby](/source/Cape_Willoughby) in the east via Backstairs Passage and the other extending from Strawbridge Point in the south via Nepean Bay.[1] It is described as ‘a bluff, rocky point marked by a conspicuous white cairn’ where the land behind ‘rises steeply to heights of 91 metres (299 feet) to 122 metres (400 feet)’.[2] Since 2002, it has been located within the gazetted locality of [Kangaroo Head](/source/Kangaroo_Head%2C_South_Australia).[3]

## Formation, geology & oceanography

Kangaroo Head was formed when the sea reached its present level 7,500 years ago after sea levels started to rise at the start of the [Holocene](/source/Holocene).[4] The cliff line which includes Kangaroo Head consists of a grey metasandstone belonging to the [Kanmantoo group](/source/Kanmantoo_group) bedrock known as the Tananappa Formation.[5] The water adjoining Kangaroo Head drops to a depth of 13 metres (43 feet) at the base of its cliff face.[6]

## History

### Aboriginal use

As of 1999, the literature had not cited any archaeological discoveries specific to [Aboriginal](/source/Australian_Aboriginal) use of land in the immediate vicinity of Kangaroo Head.[7]

### European discovery

Kangaroo Head was discovered and named by Matthew Flinders on 23 March 1802. This place was where Flinders first sighted [Mount Lofty](/source/Mount_Lofty), the tallest peak in the [Mount Lofty Ranges](/source/Mount_Lofty_Ranges).[8]

## Economic activity

As of 2014, the land adjoining Kangaroo Head is used for [farming](/source/Agriculture). Farming activity at the locality had been underway prior to 1945 when most of the land had been reported as being cleared of native vegetation.[9]

## See also

- [Kangaroo (disambiguation)](/source/Kangaroo_(disambiguation))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Chart12_1-0)** South Australia. Department of Marine and Harbors (1985), *The Waters of South Australia a series of charts, sailing notes and coastal photographs*, Dept. of Marine and Harbors, South Australia, pp. Chart 12, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7243-7603-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7243-7603-2)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pub175_2-0)** [*Sailing Directions (Enroute),*Pub. 175:*North, West, and South Coasts of Australia*](https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?key=16694491/SFH00000/Pub175bk.pdf&type=view) (PDF). *[Sailing Directions](/source/Sailing_Directions)*. [United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency](/source/National_Geospatial-Intelligence_Agency). 2017. p. 215.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PLB_3-0)** ["Search result for "Kangaroo Head (Locality Bounded)" (Record no SA0058060) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and "Place names (gazetteer)""](https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/). [Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure](/source/Department_of_Planning%2C_Transport_and_Infrastructure). Archived from [the original](http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/#) on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BSKIpage26_4-0)** Robinson, A. C.; Armstrong, D. M. (eds.). [*A Biological Survey of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 1989 & 1990*](http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/fb13b9bf-5c8e-445c-9c3c-a1c600c14815/ki-biological-survey-climate-geology-landuse-gen.pdf) (PDF). Adelaide, SA: Heritage and Biodiversity Section, Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia. p. 26. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0 7308 5862 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0_7308_5862_6). Retrieved 1 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MESA47page28_5-0)** Fairclough, Martin C (December 2007). ["KINGSCOTE Special 1:250 000 geological map"](http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/71034/MJ47_kingscote_map.pdf) (PDF). *MESA Journal*. **47**. Government of South Australia, DMITRE: 28–31. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1326-3544](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1326-3544). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160527064406/http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/71034/MJ47_kingscote_map.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Chart13_6-0)** South Australia. Department of Marine and Harbors (1985), *The Waters of South Australia a series of charts, sailing notes and coastal photographs*, Dept. of Marine and Harbors, South Australia, pp. Chart 13, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7243-7603-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7243-7603-2)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Robinson, A. C.; Armstrong, D. M. (eds.). [*A Biological Survey of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 1989 & 1990*](http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/fb13b9bf-5c8e-445c-9c3c-a1c600c14815/ki-biological-survey-climate-geology-landuse-gen.pdf) (PDF). Adelaide, SA: Heritage and Biodiversity Section, Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia. pp. 34–35. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0 7308 5862 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0_7308_5862_6). Retrieved 1 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flinders_8-0)** [Flinders, Matthew](/source/Matthew_Flinders) (1966) [1814]. *A Voyage to Terra Australis: Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of that Vast Country, and Prosecuted in the Years 1801, 1802, and 1803, in His Majesty's Ship the Investigator*. Adelaide: Libraries Board of South Australia. pp. 251–252. [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [66070225](https://lccn.loc.gov/66070225). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [4565366](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/4565366). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [38607138M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL38607138M). [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q133875246](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133875246).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Robinson, A. C.; Armstrong, D. M. (eds.). [*A Biological Survey of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 1989 & 1990*](http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/fb13b9bf-5c8e-445c-9c3c-a1c600c14815/ki-biological-survey-climate-geology-landuse-gen.pdf) (PDF). Adelaide, SA: Heritage and Biodiversity Section, Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia. p. 52. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0 7308 5862 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0_7308_5862_6). Retrieved 1 May 2014.

v t e Kangaroo Island Major townships American River Kingscote Parndana Penneshaw Beaches American Beach Baudin Beach Brown Beach D'Estrees Bay Emu Bay Island Beach Nepean Bay Vivonne Bay Coastal features Western end of island Cape Borda Cape du Couedic Cape Gantheaume D'Estrees Bay Fides Bluff Maupertuis Bay Nepean Bay Pelican Lagoon Point Marsden Ravine des Casoars Stokes Bay Vivonne Bay Dudley Peninsula Cape St Albans Cape Willoughby Kangaroo Head Moncrieff Bay Pink Bay Protected areas National parks Flinders Chase Conservation parks Baudin Beatrice Islet Beyeria Busby Islet Cape Gantheaume Cape Willoughby Cygnet Estuary Dudley Kelly Hill Lashmar Lathami Lesueur Mount Taylor Nepean Bay Parndana Pelican Lagoon Seal Bay Seddon Simpson Vivonne Bay Marine parks Encounter Western Kangaroo Island Southern Kangaroo Island Wilderness Protection Areas Cape Bouguer Cape Gantheaume Cape Torrens Ravine des Casoars Western River Islands adjacent to Kangaroo Island coast Beatrice Islets Busby Islet Casuarina Islets Douglas Rock Nobby Islet Paisley Islet Pelican Lagoon Islets Pelorus Islet Related and uncategorised 2007 Kangaroo Island bushfires County of Carnarvon Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Hundred of Dudley Kangaroo Island Council Kangaroo Island wine region Kingscote Airport Middle River Reservoir Category Commons

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