Spicers Gap Road Conservation Park
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = protected
| name = Spicers Gap Road Conservation Park
| state = qld
| iucn_category = III
| image = Moss's Well.jpg
| caption = Moss's Well is a natural spring
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| relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coord|28|04|35|S|152|23|26|E|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_label_position = top
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| nearest_town_or_city = {{QLDcity|Killarney}}
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| established = 1998
| established_footnotes = {{cite web|url=http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/managing/plans-strategies/statements/main-range.html|title=Main Range National Park and Spicers Gap Road Regional Park Management Statement 2013|work=Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing|publisher=Government of Queensland|date=11 November 2013|accessdate=7 September 2014}}
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| managing_authorities = Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
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The Spicers Gap Road Conservation Park is a protected conservation park located within the Main Range National Park in south east Queensland, Australia. The park is part of the Main Range group World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/gondwana/index.html |title=Gondwana Rainforests of Australia |accessdate=7 September 2014|date= |work=Department of the Environment|publisher=Australian Government }} and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105135|title=Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Lismore, NSW, Australia|work=Australian Heritage Database: Department of the Environment|date=2014|accessdate=7 September 2014|publisher=Australian Government}}
The park draws its name from Spicers Gap, located near {{QLDcity|Killarney}}.
History
The Spicers Gap Road is the original route that links the Darling Downs with Brisbane. It was used by Cobb and Co Coaches and was later replaced by the Cunninghams Gap Road named after explorer Allan Cunningham who established the route. The road was constructed by convicts during the 19th century and was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1999.{{cite QHR|16472|Spicers Gap Road Conservation Park|601732|accessdate=1 August 2014}}
Until the late 1990s, Spicers Gap Road was a popular diversion from the Cunningham Highway for adventurous off-roaders. It was at times a challenging and rough route, usable only by 4WDs and made more difficult by the muddy clay soil that is common to the region. As a result of this increasing popularity, and the carelessness of some users, {{convert|1.6|km}} of the road was closed to vehicles by Queensland National Parks and gazetted as a conservation park. This is the section at the crest of the gap and was done in order to preserve some of the road's unique 19th century engineering features.
See also
{{stack|{{portal|Queensland|environment}}}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Conservation Parks of Queensland |state=autocollapse}}
Category:Conservation parks of Queensland
Category:Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Category:South East Queensland
Category:Main Range National Park
{{SouthernDowns-geo-stub}}