Innes National Park
Encyclopedia
Innes is a national park on the southwest tip of Yorke Peninsula
in South Australia
(Australia
), 160 km west of Adelaide.
, identified as such by BirdLife International
because it supports populations of Malleefowl
as well as of other threatened bird species.
people occupied the Yorke Peninsula for thousands of years. They consisted of four clans, the Kurnara of the north, the Windera of the east, the Wari of the West and the Dilpa of the south.
European colonisation of the area began in 1846 with sheep grazing near Cape Spencer. Crops were grown on a small scale in the 19th and early 20th century. Innes National Park was named after William Innes, who discovered commercial quantities of gypsum
in the early 1900s and founded the mining town of Inneston in 1913, which had a population of around 500 at its peak. Gypsum was mined until 1930 when the great depression made it uneconomical, and in 1970 the town and surrounding land was sold to the South Australian government, creating Innes National Park. Some gypsum mining still continues at nearby Marion Bay
.
Some of the buildings at Inneston have been restored and are available as basic hire accommodation. A number of gypsum lakes are with the area of the park, but excluded so they can still be mined for gypsum if required. The park also contains a spectacular rugged coastline which contains the sites of several historic shipwreck
s and two lighthouse
s. The sailing barque
Ethel, which ran aground on 2 January 1904, was well-preserved on the beach for many years but little now remains.
Innes National Park was first proclaimed in 1970 when the first Ranger in Charge, Mr Bruce Macreth was assigned to manage the park. Since that time a number of rangers have served the area well including Mr Peter Tomlin (1973-77), Mr Pearce Dougherty (1977-89), Ms Katherine Stephens, Mr Ross Allen, Mr Colin Waters, Mr Bryn Troath, Ms Caroline Paterson and more recently Mr Aaron Smith, also Justin Holmes.
The park headquarters are located in Stenhouse Bay and visitors can obtain information on the park and obtain entry and camping permits at this location.
Casuarina Campground is a quiet, tranquil campground ideal for families. Eight sites located behind a locked gate require bookings and collection of the gate key from the visitor centre. Access to the beach.
Surfers Campground has ten sites located close to the Pondalowie boardwalk providing access to the popular surf beach and viewing platform.
Shell Beach Campground has eight sites in this shady campground. The lovely Shell Beach is only a short walk from this campsite.
Browns Beach Campground has ten sites nestled amongst natural vegetation and bordered by a steep sand dune. This site is popular with people who come to fish for Australian Salmon at nearby Browns Beach.
Gym Beach Campground, accessed from the Corny Point road, this campground at the northernmost boundary of the park has four sites offering solitude and beach access.
Jollys Beach Campground is a small coastal camping area with approximately four sites. There are no facilities provided.
Stenhouse Bay Campground has twenty-five sites in close proximity to the beach, visitor centre, Innes Trading Post.
Cable Bay Campground has eight sites with easy access to the beach and great views of the offshore islands.
A second smaller right hand reef break known as 'Richards Reef' is located 250 metres further north along the beach. It was named in honour of Mr Richard Thomas a long time local surfer and resident of the area.
Not far from Stenhouse Bay is a break known as 'Chinamans'. This is a powerful and hollow left hand reef break which breaks in shallow water and washes over a rock shelf. It is a high quality wave that is suitable only for skilled surfers and caution should be used when surfing here.
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 160 km west of Adelaide.
Environment
Innes is the largest area of native vegetation remaining on the Yorke Peninsula, providing habitat for 115 species of conservation significance. The park forms part of the Southern Yorke Peninsula Important Bird AreaSouthern Yorke Peninsula Important Bird Area
The Southern Yorke Peninsula Important Bird Area is a 348 km2 tract of land consisting of most of the south-western tip of the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, some 300 km west of Adelaide.-Description:...
, identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because it supports populations of Malleefowl
Malleefowl
The Malleefowl is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken...
as well as of other threatened bird species.
History
The NarunggaNarungga
The Narungga are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands are located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The boundary of their traditional lands runs roughly between the towns of Port Broughton and Port Wakefield....
people occupied the Yorke Peninsula for thousands of years. They consisted of four clans, the Kurnara of the north, the Windera of the east, the Wari of the West and the Dilpa of the south.
European colonisation of the area began in 1846 with sheep grazing near Cape Spencer. Crops were grown on a small scale in the 19th and early 20th century. Innes National Park was named after William Innes, who discovered commercial quantities of gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
in the early 1900s and founded the mining town of Inneston in 1913, which had a population of around 500 at its peak. Gypsum was mined until 1930 when the great depression made it uneconomical, and in 1970 the town and surrounding land was sold to the South Australian government, creating Innes National Park. Some gypsum mining still continues at nearby Marion Bay
Marion Bay, South Australia
Marion Bay is a small township at the southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, Australia. At the 2006 census, Marion Bay had a population of 138.It is surrounded by beaches and is the gateway to the Innes National Park...
.
Some of the buildings at Inneston have been restored and are available as basic hire accommodation. A number of gypsum lakes are with the area of the park, but excluded so they can still be mined for gypsum if required. The park also contains a spectacular rugged coastline which contains the sites of several historic shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s and two lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s. The sailing barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Ethel, which ran aground on 2 January 1904, was well-preserved on the beach for many years but little now remains.
Innes National Park was first proclaimed in 1970 when the first Ranger in Charge, Mr Bruce Macreth was assigned to manage the park. Since that time a number of rangers have served the area well including Mr Peter Tomlin (1973-77), Mr Pearce Dougherty (1977-89), Ms Katherine Stephens, Mr Ross Allen, Mr Colin Waters, Mr Bryn Troath, Ms Caroline Paterson and more recently Mr Aaron Smith, also Justin Holmes.
The park headquarters are located in Stenhouse Bay and visitors can obtain information on the park and obtain entry and camping permits at this location.
Camping
Innes National Park has 9 camping ground in the park. Pondalowie Campground is the main campground and has fifty sites situated in coastal mallee and sheoak vegetation. Caravans and generators are permitted in the western end of the campground.Casuarina Campground is a quiet, tranquil campground ideal for families. Eight sites located behind a locked gate require bookings and collection of the gate key from the visitor centre. Access to the beach.
Surfers Campground has ten sites located close to the Pondalowie boardwalk providing access to the popular surf beach and viewing platform.
Shell Beach Campground has eight sites in this shady campground. The lovely Shell Beach is only a short walk from this campsite.
Browns Beach Campground has ten sites nestled amongst natural vegetation and bordered by a steep sand dune. This site is popular with people who come to fish for Australian Salmon at nearby Browns Beach.
Gym Beach Campground, accessed from the Corny Point road, this campground at the northernmost boundary of the park has four sites offering solitude and beach access.
Jollys Beach Campground is a small coastal camping area with approximately four sites. There are no facilities provided.
Stenhouse Bay Campground has twenty-five sites in close proximity to the beach, visitor centre, Innes Trading Post.
Cable Bay Campground has eight sites with easy access to the beach and great views of the offshore islands.
Indoors accommodation
Heritage accommodation is available at the historic lodges at Inneston. In addition, the Stenhouse Bay Hall is available for group bookings (up to 30) and Shepherds Hut at Shell Beach accommodates four people.Surfing
The main surf break at Pondalowie is a popular quality wave. It consists of a combination left and right peak that breaks over a reef and snad bottom. The left is good up to about 4'. The right starts to become good from between 3' to 8' plus.A second smaller right hand reef break known as 'Richards Reef' is located 250 metres further north along the beach. It was named in honour of Mr Richard Thomas a long time local surfer and resident of the area.
Not far from Stenhouse Bay is a break known as 'Chinamans'. This is a powerful and hollow left hand reef break which breaks in shallow water and washes over a rock shelf. It is a high quality wave that is suitable only for skilled surfers and caution should be used when surfing here.