Murray River National Park

Murray River National Park
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Murray River, Murray River National Park, March 2010
Murray River National Park is located in South Australia
Murray River National Park
Murray River National Park
Location within South Australia
LocationSouth Australia
Nearest cityBerri
Coordinates34°23′13″S 140°32′23″E / 34.38694°S 140.53972°E / -34.38694; 140.53972
Area148.79 km2 (57.45 sq mi)
Established20 June 1991 (1991-06-20)
Governing bodyDepartment for Environment and Water
WebsiteOfficial website

Murray River National Park is a protected area in South Australia located around 239.81 km (149.01 mi) north east of the Adelaide city centre, lying along the Murray River. The national park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area. The national park comprises more than 14,879 ha (36,770 acres), and includes a vast network of Murray River wetlands and floodplains.

History

The Murray River National Park was proclaimed as a national park on 20 June 1991 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, "to conserve a significant proportion of South Australia’s floodplain environments which are not represented widely in other reserve systems".

The national park originally consisted of three sections: Katarapko, Lyrup Flats, and Bulyong. Three more were added later.

Description

Murray River National Park is located around 239.81 km (149.01 mi) north east of the Adelaide city centre, along the Murray River. As of 2026 the national park comprises more than 14,879 ha (36,770 acres), and includes a vast network of Murray River wetlands and floodplains. The park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area.

The park consists of six sections, all of which adjoin the Murray River, extending from near Loxton in the south west to near Renmark in the north-east:

Katarapko derives its name from Katarapko Creek, which is one of two significant streams flowing through the park; the other is Eckerts Creek. Both are very important habitats for native fish, and good for canoeing The Ngak Indau Wetland trail has a bird hide. Katfish Reach is a community environmental rehabilitation project that encompasses the Katarapko and Eckert Creek area.

Paringa Paddock, located between Renmark and Paringa, includes Goat Island, and contains areas of riverine woodlands, wetlands, and river flats.

The protected areas provide for a number recreational activities such as walking, bike riding, canoeing, bird-watching and bush camping. There are parking facilities, designated camping areas with some toilets, walking trails, and a self-guided drive trail.

The 2023 management plan for the national park includes plans for the management of Rilli Island, Media Island, and Kapunda Island Conservation Parks, which are adjacent to Katarapko.

Goat Island

In 2021, a group of people in the Riverland region started a campaign to rename Goat Island to Ruby Hunter Island, to honour the legacy of singer-songwriter Ruby Hunter, who was born on the island in 1955, as Aboriginal people were not allowed to give birth in the local hospital at that time. As Goat Island is part of the Murray River National Park, the Department for Environment and Water has the final say. In February 2025 a consultation process was undertaken by the Department for Housing and Urban Development, but no decision had been made by March 2026. Ruby Hunter Foundation chair Cheryl Norris, diagnosed with a terminal illness in early 2026, expressed a wish to get it done while Ruby's brothers Wally (Eric Richards) and Jeff Hunter were still alive.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (refer 'DETAIL' tab )". CAPAD 2020. Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022. (Access from this web page.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Murray River National Park". National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia. 1 July 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026. Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.
  3. 1 2 "Murray River National Park Management Plan (including Rilli Island, Media Island and Kapunda Island Conservation Park)" (PDF). Department for Environment and Natural Resources. 1994. pp. vi–vii. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Blevins, F.T. (20 June 1991). "NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE ACT 1972 SECTIONS 28 (2) AND 43 (2): MURRAY RIVER NATIONAL PARK ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 1920. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. ↑ Blevins, F.T. (20 June 1991). "NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE ACT 1972 PART III: RECONSTITUTION OF CERTAIN RESERVES AS NATIONAL PARKS" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 1920. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "Murray River National Park (Including Rilli Island, Media Island and Kapunda Island) Management Plan Amendment 2010" (PDF). Department for Environment and Natural Resources. 2010. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Murray River National Park (PDF) (Map). Government of South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia. 2020.
  8. ↑ "Murray River National Park: Including Rilli Island, Media Island and Kapunda Island Conservation Parks: Management Plan 2023" (PDF). Department for Environment and Water. 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2026. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence.
  9. 1 2 Bradbrook, Sam (18 March 2022). "Push to rename Murray River island after iconic Aboriginal musician Ruby Hunter". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  10. 1 2 Dowdell, Rory (5 March 2026). "SA woman's final wish to rename island for renowned singer". InDaily. Archived from the original on 9 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.