Geological heritage sites in South Australia

Abstract

Beginning in 1966, research by the Geological Heritage Subcommittee of the South Australian Division of the Geological Society of Australia has identified over 450 geologically significant areas in the State, including those important or teaching and research. This work was partly funded from the National Estate Grants Program. In March 2008, Geological Monuments in South Australia, Parts 1–9 was published as a DVD in a joint project of the Geological Heritage Subcommittee and Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (now Department of State Development). Selection of sites for designation as places with geological heritage status was initially focussed on the settled areas of the State where threats from residential and other development were greatest. An objective assessment system was devised for Part 9 of this record to identify sites which best illustrated the geological features displayed in the remote and vast area of the South Australian portion of the Lake Eyre Drainage Basin. An initial review identified 96 sites with heritage potential. These were then assessed in terms of the presence or otherwise of seven criteria considered to be essential attributes for heritage status. Each of these potential sites was then ranked on a merit scale of the quality of each of the attributes present. A score of the percentage of the maximum points available at each site was calculated. Of the 96 potential sites assessed, 24 recorded a score of 67% or more, and the remainder scored well below this figure.