Friends of Newland Head Conservation Park

Situated at the bottom of the Fleurieu Peninsula our group has been involved in the preservation and conservation of this beautiful part of South Australia since 1988. Why not join us in our our ongoing conservation and rehabilitation projects! New members are always welcome.

Early projects the Group undertook included educational sessions for members, stabilisation of sand dunes, erection of an electric fence to exclude kangaroos and plantings around the campground. A fenced direct seeding project assisted by Greening Australia and two projects involving natural landscaping of carpark areas on Waitpinga Headland have proven very successful. A further project to alleviate severe erosion on the headland was commenced in 1999 and has been an amazing success in that the original project boundaries cannot be distinguished from the adjacent natural scrub.

Several projects were developed over the years to re-establish specific habitat types and improve the width and health of the coastal reserve. These include revegation to provide habitat for the endangered Western Pygmy Possum and Chestnut-rumped Heathwren.

The Park comprises predominately of a mallee heath vegetation, not represented elsewhere on the Fleurieu Peninsula. 500 native plant species have been recorded in the Park and include endangered species such as the Silver Daisy Bush, Butterfly Spyridium and Osborn's Eyebright.

Seven indigenous mammal species have been recorded in the Park - the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot, Western Pygmy Possum, Yellow Footed Antechinus, Western Grey Kangaroo, Bush Rat, Swamp Rat and the Short-beaked Echidna. 100 native bird species have been recorded, amongst those are the Musk Duck, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, Wedge-tailed Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Hooded Plover and Beautiful Firetail. The Park is also home for a number of reptile species including the Marble Gecko, White's Skink, Four-toed Earless Skink, Eastern Bearded Dragon, Sleepy Lizard, Red Belly Black Snake, Cunningham Skink and Eastern Brown Snake. 

The group has received awards for 2 of its projects in 2003 and in 2002 was awarded the State Coastcare Award for "Saving the Waitpinga Cliffline". In 2018 it was awarded the McLaren Shield for wildlife protection recovery.

Currently the Group meets every friday morning and the morning of the second saturday of the month. Please contact us to join a working bee!