Kelly Hill Conservation Park

Where is it?: Kelly Hill Conservation Park is 85km SW of Kingscote off South Coast Road. It includes the Kelly Hills Caves.

Owner: Department for Environment and Water.

Property summary: Total area 2173 hectares. Hundred of Ritchie – Sections 10 and 37, Allotments 151 and 152 (Deposited Plan 38341). Allotments 151-152 were created from Section 9 when part of the area (now Allotment 150) was excised for the Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area on 15 October 1993.

Landscape Management Region: Kangaroo Island

History: Sections 9 and 10 were first proclaimed as a National Pleasure Resort Reserve on 9 November 1950. Section 5, Hundred of Ritchie was proclaimed as Kelly Hill National Park on 21 January 1971. On 27 April 1972 Sections 5, 9 and 10 were renamed as Kelly Hill Conservation Park. Allotment 152 was added on 25 October 1973 and Section 37 on 12 May 1988.

Habitat: The following habitats can be found within the park

• Open forest forest – Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) and Tate’s Grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea semiplana ssp. tateana)
• Low / Tall open shrubland – Stalked Oak-bush (Allocasuarina striata), Tate’s Grass-tree and Smooth Heath-myrtle (Calytrix glaberrima) 
• Open shrubland – Dryland Tea-tree  (Melaleuca lanceolata), Tate’s Grass-tree and Smooth Heath-myrtle
• Open shrubland – Coast Bear-heath (Leucopogon parviflorus)
• Broombush (M. uncinata), Cup Gum (E. cosmophylla) and Coastal White Mallee (E. diversifolia)
• Open mallee – Kangaroo Island Mallee-ash (E. rugosa)
• Open mallee – Coastal White Mallee, Kangaroo Island Mallee-ash (E. rugosa) and Dryland Tea-tree
• Very open sedge land – Knobby Club-rush (Ficinia nodosa)

More information: DEW DEW 

Total Species Recorded to Date: 83 (non-passerines 49, passerines 34)

Common Species: New Holland Honeyeater, Recd Wattlebird, Superb Fairywren, White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill, Australian Magpie

Less Common Species: Cape Barren Goose, Australasian Shoveler, Latham’s Snipe, Bush Stone-curlew, Bassian Thrush, Beautiful Firetail

Updated: 25/07/2021