Naracoorte Caves National Park

Naracoorte Caves National Park
Joanna & Mount Light[1], South Australia
Skeleton of a marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) in the Victoria Fossil Cave
Naracoorte Caves National Park is located in South Australia
Naracoorte Caves National Park
Naracoorte Caves National Park
Nearest town or cityNaracoorte
Coordinates37°2′10″S 140°47′51.5″E / 37.03611°S 140.797639°E / -37.03611; 140.797639
EstablishedConservation Park 27 April 1972 (1972-04-27)
National Park 18 January 2001 (2001-01-18)[3][4]
Area6.60 km2 (2.5 sq mi)[5]
Visitation90,812 (in 2022)[6]
Managing authoritiesDepartment of Environment and Water
WebsiteNaracoorte Caves National Park
Footnotes
Part ofAustralian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)
CriteriaNatural: viii, ix
Reference698-002
Inscription1994 (18th Session)
Area300 ha
See alsoProtected areas of South Australia

Naracoorte Caves National Park is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia (Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List, along with Riversleigh. The park preserves 6 km2 of remnant vegetation, with 26 caves contained within the 3.05 km2 World Heritage Area.[7] Out of the 28 known caves in the park, only four are open to the public. Other caves are kept away from the public eye as they are important for scientific research and also for the protection of the caves and their contents. Many of the caves contain spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.[8]

  1. ^ "Search results for "Naracoorte caves National Park" with the following datasets selected – "NPW and Conservation Properties", "Suburbs and Localities", "Local Government Areas", "SA Government Regions" and "Gazetteer"". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (refer 'DETAIL' tab )". CAPAD 2016. Australian Government, Department of the Environment (DoE). 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  3. ^ "No. 56 of 1972 (National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972)". The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia: 660 & 702. 27 April 1972. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  4. ^ Brindal, Mark (18 January 2001). "NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE ACT 1972 SECTIONS 29(3) AND 28(1): ABOLITION OF NARACOORTE CAVES CONSERVATION PARK AND CONSTITUTION OF NARACOORTE CAVES NATIONAL PARK" (PDF). South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 70. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Protected Areas Information System - reserve list (as of 25 November 2014)" (PDF). Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ^ Australia, Premier of South (14 March 2023). "Visitor numbers to some of South Australia's most iconic national parks have skyrocketed". Premier of South Australia. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  8. ^ "About Naracoorte Caves". National Parks South Australia.