Mamungari Conservation Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mamungari Conservation ParkSouth Australia |
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IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
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Serpentine Lakes
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 Mamungari Conservation Park
Location in South Australia
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| Nearest town or city | Eucla |
| Established | 7 May 1970 |
| Area | 21,289.45 km2 (8,219.9 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | DEW Maralinga Tjarutja Community |
| Website | Mamungari Conservation Park |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
The Mamungari Conservation Park is a special protected area in South Australia. It's like a giant nature reserve, keeping important plants and animals safe. This park is found in the southern part of the Great Victoria Desert and the northern part of the Nullarbor Plain.
It's located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Maralinga and 450 kilometers (280 miles) northwest of Ceduna. If you were in Adelaide, it would be about 1000 kilometers (621 miles) to the northwest. The park also touches the border of Western Australia.
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History of Mamungari Conservation Park
The Mamungari Conservation Park has had a few different names over the years! It was first created in 1970 as a national park. The main goal was to protect the unique environments of the Great Victoria Desert and keep the area wild.
When it was first set up, it didn't even have a name! Later, it was officially called the Unnamed Conservation Park. It finally got its current name, Mamungari Conservation Park, on November 30, 2006.
Land Handback to Traditional Owners
In May 2004, a very important event happened for the park. The Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, kept a promise he made years earlier. He gave back the ownership of a huge area of land, about 21,000 square kilometers (8,108 square miles), to the Maralinga Tjarutja and Pila Nguru people.
This land included the Mamungari Conservation Park and the Serpentine Lakes. This was a big moment for Native Title in South Australia. It was the largest land return since 1984.
Protecting Nature: Conservation Status
Mamungari Conservation Park is recognized internationally for its importance. It is one of only fourteen United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Biosphere Reserves in Australia. It received this special status in 1977. At that time, it was known as the Unnamed Biosphere Reserve.
The park is also classified by the IUCN as a Category Ia protected area. This means it is a very strict nature reserve, set aside mainly for scientific research and environmental monitoring. It helps keep the area as untouched as possible.
Visiting Mamungari Conservation Park
The Mamungari Conservation Park is managed together by its traditional owners, the Maralinga Tjarutja and Pila Nguru people, and the Department for Environment and Water (DEW). This shared management helps protect the land using both traditional knowledge and modern science.
Visiting the park is not easy, and that's on purpose! To enter, you need to show that you understand how to visit without harming the environment. You also need to get special permits, which can take 4 to 6 weeks to arrange. The only main road that goes through the park is the Anne Beadell Highway.
