Karte Conservation Park

Where is it?: Karte Conservation Park in the Murray Mallee is c. 30km NW of Pinnaroo.

Owner: Department for Environment and Water.

Property summary: Total area 3564 hectares. Hundred of Kingsford – Sections 3, 4, 10 and Hundred of Parilla – Section 135¹.

Landscape Management Region: Murraylands and Riverland

History: Sections 3 and 4 were proclaimed on 4 September 1969 as Karte National Park&². It became Karte Conservation Park on 27 April 1972³. Section 10 was added on 7 December 1972 ⁴ and Section 135 on 17 June 1976⁵.

Habitat: The whole area was considered to have little agricultural value. None of the park area has ever been cleared and it is believed that no grazing took place within the park. The main habitats within the park are:

• Mallee heath and shrubland – Ridge-fruited Mallee (Eucalyptus incrassata) mid mallee woodland over Green Tea-tree (Leptospermum coriaceum) and Twiggy Guinea-flower (Hibbertia virgata).
• Mallee heath and shrubland – Square-fruited Mallee (Eucalyptus calycogona) ssp. mid open mallee woodland over Mallee Honey-myrtle (Melaleuca acuminata) and Austrostipa tussock grasses⁶.

More information: NPWSSA

Total Species Recorded to Date: 88 (non-passerines 29, passerines 59)

Common Species: Common Bronzewing, Grey Butcherbird, Black-backed Fairywren (Splendid Fairywren), Malleefowl, Inland Thornbill, Weebill

Less Common Species: Australian Owlet-nightjar, Southern Scrub Robin, Black-capped Sittella, White-winged Triller, Jacky Winter

References:
 ¹ National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA). sch 3. p. 3  

 ² National Parks Act, 1966: Hundred of Kingsford—Karte National Park Declared. The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 36: 660. (4 September 1969). 

 ³ Protected Areas Information System Property Summary Report (15 March 2019). Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, South Australia. p. 66. 

 ⁴ National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972: Hundred of Kingsford—Karte Conservation Park: Alteration of Boundaries. The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 60: 2538. (7 December 1972). 

 ⁵ National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972—1974: Karte Conservation Park—Alteration of Boundaries. The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 26: 3062. (17 June 1976). 

 ⁶ Reserves of the Billiatt District Supplementary Document to Management Plan 2011. Department of Environment and Resources, Adelaide, South Australia. 

Updated: 16/08/2021