Swan Reach Conservation Park

Where is it?: Swan Reach Conservation Park is located about 10 kilometres west of the town of Swan Reach It is situated off the Swan Reach to Sedan Road .

Owner: Department for Environment and Water.

Property summary: Total area 2017 hectares – Hundred of Fisher, Sections 38-43, 55-60, and 212 ¹.

Landscape Management Region: Murraylands and Riverland

History: An area of 874 hectares (Sections 38, 39, 55, 56, 59 and 60) was proclaimed on 28 May 1970 as Swan Reach National Park ². It was re-proclaimed on 27 April 1972 as a Conservation Park ³. Another 1021 hectares (Sections 40-43, 57 and 58) was added on 16 May 1974 ⁴. A further small area of 122 hectares (Section 212) was added on 25 January 1979 ⁵.

Habitat: Two major vegetation formations are found on Swan Reach Conservation Park. The majority of the area is an open area of scrub of mallee box (Eucalyptus porosa), red mallee (E. oleosa) and yorrell (E. gracilis). The remaining area comprises low woodland with false sandalwood (Myoporum platycarpum) and bullock bush (Heterodendrum oleaefolium) over an understorey of spear-grass (Austrostipa spp.) and ephemeral herbs. Most of the mallee scrub in this region has been cut over for firewood and the present vegetation is mostly regrowth. Some areas were completely cleared and now exist as grassland. The park lacks the numbers of large, mature mallees which originally occurred in the area and provided nesting hollows for birds ⁶.

More information: NPWSSA

Total Species Recorded to Date: 111 (non-passerines 39, passerines 72)

Common Species: Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Australian Magpie, Grey Shrikethrush, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface

Less Common Species: Little Eagle, Malleefowl, Crested Pigeon, Inland Thornbill

References

 ¹ Department for Environment and Water. (2019). Protected Areas Information System. Property Summary Report. 30 March 2019. p. 40.  

 ² Government of South Australia (1970). National Parks Act, 1966-1967: Hundred of Fisher—Swan Reach National Park The South Australian Government Gazette 24:1953. (28 May 1970)

 ³ National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. (SA) sch 4 p. 3. 

 ⁴ Government of South Australia (1974). National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972: Hundred of Fisher—Swan Reach Conservation Park—Alteration of BoundariesThe South Australian Government Gazette 28:1974, 1975. (16 May 1974) 

 ⁵ Government of South Australia (1979). National Parks And Wildlife Act, 1972-1978: Swan Reach Conservation Park—Alteration of Boundaries The South Australian Government Gazette 4:186. (25 January 1979) 

⁶ Department of Environment and Planning, Adelaide (1983). Conservation Parks of the Murraylands (Western Plains) Management Plans.

Updated: 28/07/2021