Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges National Park

Proclaimed a national park on 26 November 2021, the area comprises the former Telowie Gorge Conservation Park, Wirrabara Range Conservation Park, Spaniards Gully Conservation Park and a separate portion of Mount Remarkable National Park known as the Napperby Block.{{cite web | title=SA now home to Australia's biggest national park | website=Premier of South Australia |first=David| last=Speirs| author-link=David Speirs| date=26 November 2021 | url=https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/south-australia-now-home-to-australias-biggest-national-park | access-date=21 December 2021}} 50px Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under an [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/ Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU)] licence.

The Napperby Block, formerly within Mount Remarkable Conservation Park, is a parcel of land of {{convert|16.72|km2|abbr=on}}, located immediately east of the town of Napperby, about {{convert|4|km|abbr=on}} south of the Telowie Gorge Conservation Park and about {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} north-east of the city of Port Pirie. Added in 1993, it is not contiguous with the rest of the Mount Remarkable Park, which is north of Telowie Gorge. It covers {{cvt|1,672|ha|abbr=on}}, and includes the ridge and steep western slopes of the Southern Flinders Ranges.{{cite book|title= Mount Remarkable National Park Management Plan |url= https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/mt_remarkable_np_mp.pdf|publisher= Department for Environment and Heritage |date=2006|isbn= 1-921238-24-0 |access-date=22 December 2021}}

Spaniards Gully Conservation Park was proclaimed on 5 December 2017, made up of two allotments in the Hundred of Darling, County of Frome, under section 30(1) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.{{cite web | title=National Parks and Wildlife (Spaniards Gully Conservation Park) Proclamation 2017| website=South Australian Legislation | date=5 December 2017 | url=https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz?path=/v/p/2017/national%20parks%20and%20wildlife%20(spaniards%20gully%20conservation%20park)%20proclamation%202017_5.12.2017%20p%204842 | access-date=22 December 2021}} [https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/__legislation/lz/v/p/2017/national%20parks%20and%20wildlife%20(spaniards%20gully%20conservation%20park)%20proclamation%202017_5.12.2017%20p%204842/5.12.2017%20p%204842.un.pdf PDF] Its area was (and is) physically separate from the other former conservation parks, lying to the south of Wirrabara.{{cite web| url=https://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/311202/Mid_North_Forests_Future_Land_Use.pdf| format=Map| date=19 January 2018| publisher= Primary Industries and Regions SA| title=Mid North Forests Land Uses |access-date=22 December 2021}} Map shows borders of Spaniards Gully, Wirrabara and Terowie Gorge Conservation Parks, and the Napperby Block portion of Mount Remarkable Conservation Park.

Telowie Gorge Conservation Park was proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 1972 in respect to an area of land already under statutory protection since 1970 as the Telowie Gorge National Park.{{cite web|last1=Shard|first1=A.J.|title=National Parks Act, 1966: Hundred Of Telowie—Telowie Gorge National Park| url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/1970/39/1014.pdf|website=The South Australian Government Gazette| publisher=South Australian Government|access-date=22 December 2021 |page=1014|date=3 September 1970| via=Austlii}}{{cite web|title=Protected Areas Information System - reserve list (as of 16 July 2015)|url= http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/park_management/protected-areas-30june2015.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160403115238/http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/park_management/protected-areas-30june2015.pdf| publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources| archive-date= 3 April 2016}} Its extent lies adjacent to Wirrabara, to the west.

Wirrabara Conservation Park was originally created as a native forest reserve in 1950, but was proclaimed a conservation park on 5 December 2017.{{Citation | title = Forestry (Forest Reserve—Northern Forest District) Variation Proclamation 2017| journal = The South Australian Government Gazette | page = 4840 | date=5 December 2017 | url = http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/proc/frfdvp2017780/|via= Austlii |access-date=22 December 2021}} It lay east of Telowie Gorge, with its south-western corner close to Mount Remarkable Conservation Park's north-eastern corner.

The Remarkable Southern Flinders Project, created in 2020 as part of the South Australian Government's Parks 2025 strategy, funded by the federal and SA governments, was designed to create an adventure tourism destination for the regions, by investing $10 million in new mountain bike and hiking trails and other tourist facilities in the Southern Flinders Ranges. The schedule extends into 2022.{{cite web | title=Southern Flinders Precinct| website=National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia| date=2021 | url=https://engagementhub.parks.sa.gov.au/southern-flinders-precinct | access-date=22 December 2021}}

The project was part of the planning for a new national park, and involved the traditional owners, the Nukunu Nation, who would also co-manage the Telowie Gorge Conservation Park within the precinct.

The park is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia, which is part of the Department for Environment and Water,{{cite web| url=https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/wirrabara-forest| title=Wirrabara Forest (part of Wapma Thura – Southern Flinders Ranges National Park)| website=National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia|access-date=22 December 2021}} in collaboration with Nukunu traditional custodians.

Wapma Thura, the local Aboriginal people's co-name for the new park, means "Snake People". The Wapma (snake) is an important totem for the Nukunu people and shows their significant connection to each other and the Dreamtime serpent.{{cite web | last=Gooch | first=Declan | title=Australia's biggest national park declared in South Australia's far north|website= ABC News|publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=26 November 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-26/munga-thirri-simpson-desert-biggest-national-park-australia/100654714 | access-date=21 December 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official|https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/wirrabara-forest|Wirrabara Forest (part of Wapma Thura – Southern Flinders Ranges National Park)}}
• {{official|https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/telowie-gorge-conservation-park|Telowie Gorge Conservation Park (part of Wapma Thura – Southern Flinders Ranges National Park)}}

{{Protected areas of South Australia|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wapma Thura-Southern Flinders Ranges National Park}}

Category:National parks of South Australia

Category:2021 establishments in Australia

Category:Protected areas established in 2021

Category:Far North (South Australia)