39-633: The Hummocks or Hummock Range is a range of hills in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges extending north from the eastern edge of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia . It is traversed by the Copper Coast Highway immediately west of where it passes around the northern end of Gulf St Vincent . The Augusta Highway passes to the east of the Hummocks. The Hummock Range includes the settlements of South Hummocks and Kulpara . Towards
78-733: A range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide . The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and defines the eastern border of the Adelaide Plains . The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over 300 kilometres (190 mi) before petering out north of Peterborough . In
117-697: A government farm on which sick horses and bullocks from government departments could be agisted. In 1881, a proposal was put forward for small agricultural holdings and also, the national park was dedicated, making it the first National Park in South Australia. Many exotic and non-indigenous plants were introduced and are now found in the park as weeds. Numerous native plants, such as Cootamundra wattle , have become environmental weeds after being introduced into areas outside their natural range. The Belair National Park has suffered major disturbance to its natural ecosystems and natural vegetation communities through
156-532: A number of endemic orchids. Similar habitats can be found on the offshore Kangaroo Island which is included by the World Wildlife Fund in the Mount Lofty woodlands ecoregion . The mountains are home to a number of marsupials such as the koala , western gray kangaroo , southern brown bandicoot along with the egg laying echidna . Birds include the southern emu-wren which is endemic to
195-575: A seven-pitch soccer field for the Sturt Lions Football Club , but this proposal met with backlash from the local community during the public consultation period, with more than 8,000 people signing a petition opposing the development. The day after the consultation period ended, Environment Minister David Speirs announced that the plan would not go ahead, and in October 2021, the government announced that high-impact development in
234-410: A single railway crosses the ranges: the major Adelaide to Melbourne railway line , which was first constructed in the 1870s and has had only minor realignments since (the most significant of which was the boring of a new tunnel at Sleeps Hill). Passenger services used to run from the city to Bridgewater in the heart of the hills and ranges, but now stop at Belair in the foothills. A railway approached
273-514: A threat to habitats and wildlife. Protected areas tend to be small and fragmented. Belair National Park Belair National Park (formerly known as the National Park and as Belair Recreation Park) is a protected area in Belair, South Australia , 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) southeast of Adelaide city centre ; it covers an area of 835 hectares (2,060 acres). It was proclaimed in 1891 and
312-476: A valuable source for the production of superphosphate fertilisers vital for the postwar development of the State's outlying agricultural areas. The runoff from the mine unfortunately proved quite toxic for the local environment, and efforts have been underway since to alleviate the damage. A small short-lived silver and lead mine in the foothills of the ranges at Glen Osmond was first opened just two years after
351-445: A wide variety of land usage, including significant residential development, particularly concentrated in the foothills, suburbs of Stirling and Bridgewater , and the towns Mount Barker and Victor Harbor in particular. Several pine plantation forests exist, most significantly around Mount Crawford and Cudlee Creek in the north and Kuitpo Forest and Second Valley in the south. Several protected areas exist near Adelaide where
390-552: Is also home to the only conservation park in the northern ranges, Spring Gully . The northern end of the ranges are home to two curiosities: a tiny township by the name of Yongala , familiar to South Australians for commonly being the coldest place in the state (being a hundred kilometres inland, and on a somewhat elevated plateau as with much of the Mid North). The other curiosity is a locality near Orroroo called "Magnetic Hill". The name stems from an optical illusion that creates
429-540: The Murray River . The ranges form part of the water supply for Adelaide, and there is an extensive infrastructure of reservoirs, weirs, and pipelines, on the Torrens , Onkaparinga , Little Para and Gawler River catchments. Mount Bold , South Para , Kangaroo Creek , and Millbrook reservoirs are the largest. The northern ranges, often confused with the southern Flinders Ranges , and sometimes referred to as
SECTION 10
#1732771821222468-846: The Royal Society of South Australia led to a parliamentary decision that the Government Farm be established as a public park, and after some delays the National Park Act received the Governor's assent in January 1892. Another person given partial credit was William Henry Selway of the Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society . A nine-hole golf course was constructed in the southwest corner of
507-554: The Skilly Hills . Mining, although totally absent today, was once a major industry in the northern ranges. The copper mine at Kapunda, just north of the Barossa, operated from 1842 to 1877 and was a major boost to the infant State's economy, but was soon overshadowed by the large workings at Burra , further north. The mine here operated from 1845 to 1877 with a few minor interruptions, and was superseded by even larger workings on
546-519: The Yorke Peninsula . As testament to the volume of copper at Burra, however, the mine re-opened as an open-cut in 1971, before closing again ten years later. The Clare Valley lies in a shallow fold of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges just southwest of Burra. It is yet another world-class wine-producing area, and is a very popular weekend tourist destination for people living in Adelaide . It
585-623: The "Mid-North ranges" or "central hill country", stretch from hills near Kapunda in the south to arid ranges beyond Peterborough in the northeast. The highest peak in this section (and in all the Mount Lofty Ranges – despite the name) is Mount Bryan (936 m or 3,071 ft). Other significant peaks include New Campbell Hill (714 m or 2,343 ft) and Stein Hill (605 m or 1,985 ft), which overlooks Burra . The northern ranges include Belvidere Range , Tothill Range and
624-547: The 'National Park'. Between the years 1972 and 1991 it was known as the 'Belair Recreation Park'. In 1991, the Belair Recreation Park was abolished and the land that it occupied was constituted as a national park and given the name “Belair National Park”. Belair was originally inhabited by the Kaurna Aboriginal people. The area was called Pradli, which means “baldness”, because the appearance of
663-523: The Adelaide region, trending northeast to southwest defining these blocks: All the fault zones are still active today, along with the rest of the ranges, and minor earthquakes are relatively common. Larger quakes in the southern ranges are fairly rare: the last to hit a major centre was the 1954 Adelaide earthquake that occurred on 1 March. It measured 5.5 on the Richter scale . A significant aspect of
702-929: The Fleurieu Peninsula. There are a number of reptiles including the endangered Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink . Biodiversity losses have been severe in the ranges due to the clearance of temperate woodlands. The hillsides have largely been cleared of woodland for fruit growing and other agriculture and the urban growth of Adelaide particularly on the lower slopes, leading to loss of habitat and local extinction of wildlife species including all species of bettong and quoll marsupials and birds including regent honeyeater ( Xanthomyza phrygia ), swift parrot ( Lathamus discolor ), king quail ( Coturnix chinensis ), brown quail ( C. ypsilophora ), and azure kingfisher ( Alcedo azurea ). Clearance and agriculture are ongoing and livestock grazing continues to cause damage to habitats while introduced cats, foxes and rabbits are
741-618: The accidental invasion of non-indigenous plants as well as the deliberate introduction of exotic and non-indigenous plants to certain zones within the park. In spite of these problems, several remnant stands of rare native plant species endemic to the Mt Lofty Ranges can be found there in season, mostly along tracks in less visited areas of the park's walking trail system. Both Donkey Orchids and Spider Orchids are among several diminutive flowers usually seen late winter each year. A volunteer organisation named Friends of Belair National Park
780-466: The area when looking south from the Adelaide Plains was “bald like the moon.” The first Europeans to set foot in the area were crewmen from the Coromandel in 1837. The first European to settle in the area was a squatter, E. Nicholas Foott, who in 1839 dug a well and built a stone cottage, spending £500 despite not holding a title to the land. In 1840, South Australian governor George Gawler set
819-440: The depression of 1841–1842 a dozen or so unemployed men and their families were allowed to settle there temporarily. In June 1844, four sections at the western end (874, 875, 878 and 882) totalling about 400 acres (160 ha) were sold. In 1848 a cottage, long since demolished, was erected alongside the creek as a residence for the farm manager, and for occasional use by the Governor. In 1858 a residence, complete with swimming pool,
SECTION 20
#1732771821222858-751: The farm's history for the South Australian Archives. His predecessor was Ebenezer Jarvis (c. 1829–1897), who left to take a post as manager of Government House, Adelaide . Two great bushfires occurred during their time; in 1866/1867 and 1877, when many old trees were destroyed. Proposals in 1881 to sell off parts of small portions of the land were opposed by Walter Gooch, James Page and the Australian Natives Association , which led in 1883 to an Act of Parliament prohibiting its sale. In 1888 further agitation by Gooch, Arthur Falconer Robin (1867–1906) and Samuel Dixon of
897-550: The few remaining areas of relatively undisturbed native vegetation in the Adelaide Hills. A short circuit around Playford Lake. A 3 km circuit walk from the main car park to the Adventure Playground. A 3 km circuit walk to Long Gully. A 4 km circuit departing from near Playford Lake. A 6.5 km circuit that visits the park's waterfalls and travels to the higher areas away from
936-628: The former golf course would be banned and that parts of the land would be re-vegetated and returned to the rest of the park. In 1985, the Belair National Park was declared as a state heritage area under the South Australian Heritage Act 1978-1980 . In 1987, the nearby National Park railway station was closed. The first European people traversed the Belair area in 1837. In 1840, Governor Gawler raised
975-534: The founding of the State in 1836: it is significant for being not only the first metal mine in the history of the State, but the first in all Australia. South Australia never experienced a nineteenth-century gold rush like those interstate, but gold was mined near both Echunga and Williamstown (in the Barossa). Other mines in the southern ranges include a nineteenth-century silver-lead mine at Talisker near Cape Jervis, which features many remaining old buildings, and
1014-452: The geology of the Adelaide area is a number of Tertiary marine sands deposits, many of which have been extensively quarried. One of these deposits is around the outer-northern suburb of Golden Grove ; another area is around McLaren Vale . The natural habitat of the mountainsides is woodland of eucalyptus trees mixed with golden wattle acacia trees on the lower slopes, all with an undergrowth of shrubs and herbs. The flowers include
1053-494: The hills face the city in order to preserve highly sought-after residential land: Black Hill Conservation Park , Cleland National Park and Belair National Park are the largest. The other significant parks in the southern ranges are Deep Creek National Park , on the rugged southern shores of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and Para Wirra Conservation Park at the southern edge of the Barossa Valley. There are many wineries in
1092-543: The impression that a car rolls uphill. The ranges are part of the Adelaide Rift Complex . The southern ranges and slopes of Mount Lofty overlooking the Adelaide Plains have been block-faulted to form a half- graben structure. The ranges when viewed from the beach or city have a "stepped" appearance, reflected in an early name for the ranges, "The Tiers". There are several major normal faults in
1131-611: The land aside for a government farm, forcing Foott to leave the land, though he was paid £300 for his improvements to the land (he later became a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly ). Governor Grey arrived in May 1841, with a remit to cut Government expenditure and raise revenue, and announced in the Gazette of 15 July of the intended sale by auction of the land. This, however, did not take place, and in
1170-465: The limestone mine at Rapid Bay , which ceased operations much more recently. Copper was mined at Kapunda , Truro and Kanmantoo and may be again [1] and a zinc (and lead, silver and gold) mine is proposed near Strathalbyn [2] . Quarries dot the ranges, the most spectacular and massive of which are in the Adelaide foothills; they supplied much of the quartzite which is to be seen in the enduring "sandstone architecture" of early Adelaide. Today, only
1209-608: The northern ranges (400 millimetres (16 in)). The part of the ranges south of and including the Barossa Valley are commonly known as the South Mount Lofty Ranges, and the highest part of this section is the summit of Mount Lofty (710 m or 2,330 ft). The part of the ranges nearest Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and, further north, the Barossa Range . The ranges encompass
Hummock Range - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-478: The park in 1934 in an attempt by the state government to raise money for the park's maintenance during the Great Depression. The course was expanded to 18 holes in 1941, redeveloped in the 1970's, and sold to a private operator in 1982. The Belair Park Country Club ran the course until it went into administration in January 2018. The state government proposed to repurpose part of the golf course and build
1287-607: The range's northern end it continues as the Barunga Range north of Barunga Gap , approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south west of Snowtown . The Hummocks is a primary source of catchment for Lake Bumbunga near Lochiel . The Hummocks and Barunga ranges are host to the Snowtown wind farm . This South Australia geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mount Lofty Ranges#Northern ranges The Mount Lofty Ranges are
1326-418: The ranges at Willunga (although it was closed and removed in the 1960s and has since been replaced by a cycling trail). The Victor Harbor railway line (now used only for recreational purposes) largely skirts the eastern edge of the ranges. North of Adelaide, there was a railway to Angaston in the east of the Barossa Valley, and former railways to Truro and across the ranges near Eudunda to Morgan on
1365-477: The ranges. Two wine regions in particular are world-renowned: the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale . Grapes are also grown in the Adelaide Hills and the Onkaparinga Valley. Although no major mines operate in the southern ranges today, there are several large disused ones, and a myriad of small ones. An iron sulfide mine at Brukunga , northeast of Mount Barker, operated from 1955 to 1972, proving
1404-572: The vicinity of Adelaide, they separate the Adelaide Plains from the extensive plains that surround the Murray River and stretch eastwards to Victoria. The Heysen Trail traverses almost the entire length of the ranges, crossing westwards to the Flinders Ranges near Hallett . The mountains have a Mediterranean climate with moderate rainfall brought by south-westerly winds, hot summers and cool winters. The southern ranges are wetter (with 900 millimetres (35 in) of rain per year) than
1443-512: Was built as a "summer house" for the Governor, Sir Richard MacDonnell (served 1855–1862), and used by his successors Sir Anthony Musgrave (1873–1877), and Sir William Jervois (1877–1883), until the more imposing edifice at Marble Hill was completed in 1880. Now known as Old Government House , the building is heritage-listed. From 1874 to 1884 the Government Farm was managed by William Cook (1815–1897), father of Edith Agnes Cook . His eldest daughter Katherine wrote an article on that period of
1482-406: Was formed in 1985, aiming to reduce the effect of invasive weeds within the park. The group meets regularly to manually or chemically remove accessible weeds, and also hosts nature walks and other events to increase community engagement with land management. Belair National Park is situated 13 km south east of Adelaide city centre in South Australia , in the suburb of Belair , and is one of
1521-673: Was the first national park in South Australia, second in Australia (after Sydney's Royal National Park which was proclaimed in 1879) and the tenth in the world. The national park lies within the Adelaide Hills and Mitcham council area, and forms part of a chain of protected areas located along the Adelaide Hills Face Zone . The national park is administered by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources . For most of its existence, it has been known as
#221778