Marino Conservation Park
Encyclopedia
Marino Conservation Park is a 30 ha park located in the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

 suburb of Marino
Marino, South Australia
Marino is a suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia. It sits on coastal hills overlooking Gulf St Vincent, within the City of Marion Local Government Area. It neighbours Seacliff, Hallett Cove and Kingston Park....

 with views across Adelaide and the coastline.

Once part of the lands of the Aboriginal Kaurna people, the Marino Conservation Park and surrounding areas are part of the Tjilbruke
Tjilbruke
Tjilbruke is an important Creation Ancestor folklore / law of the Kaurna people of the now known since 1836, Adelaide Plains Aboriginal creation story. The lore tells of a time when all the people lived in accord with peaceful trading Laws which governed all the peoples lives...

 dreamtime.

Proclaimed in 1989 as a conservation park, it aims to protect flora such as the ground cover Desert Saw Sedge Gahnia lanigera and Twiggy Daisy Bush Olearia ramulosa
Olearia
Olearia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae. There are about 130 different species within the genus found mostly in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand...

. Native grass species such as Danthonia species and Stipa
Stipa
This article is about a type of grass.For Speech Transmission Index for Public Address Systems, see Speech transmission index.For the Italian aircraft designer, see Luigi Stipa...

 species as well as groundcovers dominate the central and eastern portions of the park. The Elegant Wattle Acacia victoriae can also be seen in the park.

The steep west-facing hillside above the railway line contains a very significant remnant area of coastal heath vegetation, including rare plants such as lemon beauty heads Calocephalus citreus
Calocephalus
Calocephalus is a genus of annuals, perennial herbs and shrubs, in the family Asteraceae. The genus, which is endemic to Australia, was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1817.There are 14 species, including:...

, shiny ground berry Acrotiche patula and native apricot Pittosporum phylliraecoides
Pittosporum
Pittosporum is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. Citriobatus is usually included here, but might be a distinct genus...

.

Past land-use practices severely depleted the habitat available for native wildlife. Twenty-nine species of bird including owls, falcons, honeyeaters and rosellas frequent the park. The Eastern brown snake
Eastern brown snake
The eastern brown snake , often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of genus Pseudonaja. This snake is considered the second most venomous land snake based on its value in mice. It is native to Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.-Description:Adult eastern brown snakes are highly...

 and insects also find sanctuary in the remnant vegetation and open space area.

A 1.5 km self-guided botanical trail starts from the car park with two gentle hills to climb. The path is not suitable for wheelchairs. There are also designated dog trails. There are no picnic, toilet or other facilities in the park. Camping is prohibited.

The park has an active Friends of Marino Conservation Park group, mostly locals, who regularly weed and look after the area.

The park is accessible via the Marino Rocks railway station, which is nearby.

Marino Rocks Lighthouse

The Marino Rocks Lighthouse, or Marino Lighthouse as it is otherwise known, is situated within the Park.

The 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....

 is a white, square concrete tower with semicircular lantern. This operational lighthouse was established in 1962.

It is managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...


External links

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