Totness Recreation Park (formerly Totness National Parks Reserve) is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located within the localities of Mount Barker and Totness in the central Mount Lofty Ranges. Covering of land, the park is divided by the South Eastern Freeway and features a large dam. It was declared as a reserve in 1970 and re-designated as a recreation park in 1972. The park has no visitor facilities except for access tracks. It is the only park in the district, managed by the Department of Environment and Water, that is solely designated for recreation.
While parts of the park are dominated by pest plant species, primarily gorse and blackberry, it has native plant communities that are of conservation significance. messmate stringybark and manna gum woodlands are of particular note, being now uncommon in much of their former range across the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Description
Totness Recreation Park is located about south-east of the Adelaide city centre and about north-west of the town of Mount Barker.
The park covers but is divided by the South Eastern Freeway, with north of the freeway and on its south. The only connection between the two sections is a high, long, concrete storm water pipe that passes under the freeway. of the park's southern section is leased for grazing, and fenced off from public access.
The park is surrounded by rural properties that are primarily used for grazing. The most prominent feature is a former railway dam in the northern section. Most of the park, and some adjacent rural properties, drain into this dam. Overflow from the dam eventually reaches the Mount Barker Creek and subsequently the Bremer River.
There are walking trails throughout the park and dirt vehicle access tracks along the boundaries. A boardwalk, constructed in 2001 in the northern section adjacent to the freeway, enables passage through boggy areas. Apart from the boardwalk there are no built structures and no facilities nor interpretive signs.
The park occupies hill slopes on the eastern side of a ridgeline. The ridge runs from the Bull Creek Range, diving the catchments of the Onkaparinga and Bremer rivers. Quartzite and sandstone rocks feature in the park's geological formations. The well-drained podsolic soils of the park are strongly leached and infertile. Soils on the slopes have low water holding capacity and are poor for root development. Soils in the bases of gullies can be deep, and wetter areas become boggy in winter.
The recreation park is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.
Management and access
The park is part of the traditional lands of the Peramangk Aboriginal Tribe though no cultural artefacts have been found and aboriginal heritage on the site has not been formally investigated. It is managed by the Department of Environment and Water (DEW) in association with the Friends of Totness volunteer group. Totness Recreation Park forms part of Yurrebilla; the Greater Mounty Lofty Parklands. Within the Mount Barker District, it is the only DEH reserve that is dedicated for public recreation. Most of the park is a "Conservation Zone" with no bicycles, swimming, camping, motor vehicles, horse riding or dogs allowed; though dogs on leads are allowed in the northern section and it is recognised that the rules on swimming, dogs and horse riding are not honoured. As with the rest of Adelaide the area has a Mediterranean climate, with cool wet winters and warm to hot and dry summers. Average annual rainfall is , mostly falling from May to August.
History
The land within the recreation park first acquired protected area status as the Totness National Parks Reserve proclaimed under the National Parks Act 1966 on 15 January 1970. The national parks reserve was re-proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 as Totness Recreation Park on 27 April 1972.
In 1980, the recreation park was listed on the former Register of the National Estate.
On 16 February 1983, the section south of the freeway was completely burnt out by the Ash Wednesday bushfires. The fire was stopped by the dividing road and the two sections now show different growth patterns with mallee or coppiced regrowth in the south and mature woodland in the north.