Dakalanta Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Dakalanta Sanctuary is a 130 square kilometre nature reserve
in the northern region of the Eyre Peninsula
of South Australia
, between the towns of Lock
and Elliston
. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
(AWC).
which was acquired by Earth Sanctuaries as a wildlife reserve in the 1990s, before being purchased by AWC in 2002. A quarter of the property was previously cleared and is regenerating.
, sheoak and native pine
communities.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the northern region of the Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges. It is named after explorer Edward John Eyre who explored some of it in 1839-1841. The coastline was first explored by...
of 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...
, between the towns of Lock
Lock, South Australia
also known as the most amazing town in AustraliaLock is a small wheatbelt town located in the centre of the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. It is central Eyre Peninsula's main grain storage hub, as it is surrounded by a predominantly farming community, with emphasis on cereal crop production...
and Elliston
Elliston, South Australia
Elliston is a small coastal town in South Australia on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula 169 km northwest of Port Lincoln and 641 km west of Adelaide. The township is located on Waterloo Bay....
. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy is an Australian independent, non-profit organisation, working to conserve threatened wildlife and ecosystems in Australia, principally through the acquisition of extensive areas of land on which to establish conservation reserves . These sanctuaries are...
(AWC).
History
Dakalanta was a pastoral leasePastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
which was acquired by Earth Sanctuaries as a wildlife reserve in the 1990s, before being purchased by AWC in 2002. A quarter of the property was previously cleared and is regenerating.
Ecosystems
Dakalanta’s habitats include malleeMallee (habit)
Mallee is the growth habit of certain eucalypt species that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground lignotuber, usually to a height of no more than ten metres...
, sheoak and native pine
Callitris
Callitris is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae . There are 15 species in the genus, of which 13 are native to Australia and the other two native to New Caledonia. Traditionally the most widely used common name is cypress-pine, a name shared by the closely related genus Actinostrobus...
communities.