Witjira National Park
| Witjira National Park South Australia | |
|---|---|
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)[1] | |
 Dalhousie Springs in Witjira National Park | |
  Witjira National Park | |
| Nearest town or city | Finke |
| Coordinates | 26°20′20″S 135°40′30″E / 26.3388494009999°S 135.675051581°E[1] |
| Established | 21 November 1985[2] |
| Area | 7,726.73 km2 (2,983.3 sq mi)[3] |
| Visitation | 15,000 (in 2009)[4] |
| Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Water Witjira Co-management Board |
| Website | Witjira National Park |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Witjira National Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia about 987 kilometres (613 miles) north of the state capital of Adelaide.[4]
History
The national park was proclaimed on 21 November 1985 to "protect Australia’s largest array of artesian springs: the nationally significant Dalhousie Mound Springs complex".[2][4] In 2007, it became the first protected area in South Australia to have formal joint management arrangements between its traditional owners and the Government of South Australia.[4]
The extent of land occupied by the national park was gazetted as a locality in April 2013 under the name "Witjira".[5]
On 26 November 2021, the government changed the conditions of the park, to forever exclude mining in the Dalhousie Springs National Heritage Area.[6]
Description
As of 2018, it covered an area of 7,726.73 square kilometres (2,983.31 sq mi).[3]
The national park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area.[1] It was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate during or after 1998.[7]
The historic Dalhousie Homestead Ruins, from the former Dalhousie Station, lie within the national park and are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[8]
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