Friends of Sturt Gorge Recreation Park

A passion for grey box grassy woodlands, stunning orchid displays, walking and cycling trails, majestic river red gums, waterfalls and abundant bird life bring the Friends of Sturt Gorge together to care for the Park. Why not join us and become a volunteer.

The Friends of Sturt Gorge Recreation Park formed as a Friends of Parks Group in 1999, following on from many years of work by the Flagstaff Hill Scouts under the same banner. We currently have about 90 members, half of whom are out working in the Park several days a week, or at one of our four larger monthly working bees. Our vision is ‘That all people will develop and respect an appreciation of their natural environment and will support, in spirit or in active engagement, best practice efforts to improve and protect the biodiversity of our parks.’

The Park is 13 km south of Adelaide and common entry points are Bedford Park (Edgar St), Flagstaff Hill (Bonneyview, York or Broadmeadow Dr, Renwick St), Craigburn Farm (Waterhouse Crt) and Bellevue Heights (Bushland or Mountbatten Dr, The Boulevard). With Warriparinga just downstream, this area remains significant for the Kaurna people. The Park was gazetted in 1973, having been in care of the de Rose family for many decades. With significant parcels of land added since, the Park now stands at over 250 hectares, with a high class network of walking and mountain biking trails developed at the eastern end to link in with existing trails. Protected within the Park’s boundary are 56 plant species of conservation significance (9 at state level), as well as large areas of nationally threatened grey box grassy woodland. Sturt Gorge is also geologically significant for its deposits of Sturt Tillite, evidence of glaciation 800 million years ago.

Recent major projects for the Friends of Sturt Gorge include:

• 2015 ‘Bridal creeper control to protect high biodiversity areas’
• 2015 Flinders University/Friends of Sturt Gorge archaeological dig at Magpie Creek Ruin
• 2011-2013 Caring for Our Country project ‘Protecting threatened plant species in grey box grassy woodland, Flagstaff Hill’
• Ongoing restoration of riparian vegetation along Renwick Street Creek and Spring Creek
• 2012 Construction of the Adam’s Orchard trail.