Mount Rescue Conservation Park
Mount Rescue Conservation Park was a protected area in southern South Australia, located in Ngarkat about 190 kilometres southeast of Adelaide and 18 kilometres east of Tintinara. It covered about 283 square kilometres and was established on 20 August 1953 to protect land that was mostly too hilly or sandy for development. The park was named after Mount Rescue, a nearby hill about 129 metres high.
In 2004, Mount Rescue Conservation Park, along with Mount Shaugh and Scorpion Springs Conservation Parks, was abolished and its land became part of Ngarkat Conservation Park.
Ecology and landscape: The area features vegetated sand plains and dunes with a moderate annual rainfall of roughly 425–450 millimetres. Much of the park was open heath dominated by plants such as Xanthorrhoea australis, Banksia ornata and Casuarina pusilla, with mallee scrub and tall shrubland in other areas. There were also small areas of Eucalyptus fasciculosa and E. baxteri. The landscape held significant Indigenous values, and authorities were consulting with Indigenous communities about public records.
Biodiversity: The park supported at least five plant species rare in South Australia and more than seventy bird species, including the uncommon mallee fowl and red-lored whistler. Dark Island Heath in the southern part of the area was a notable site for ecological studies.
Protection status: In 2002 the area was classified as IUCN Category Ia (strict nature reserve). It was also listed in the now-defunct Register of the National Estate in 1980.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:42 (CET).