If you’ve ever ventured to the Flinders Ranges and marvelled at its spectacular landscape, you’re not alone. The mountainous region 500 kilometres north of Adelaide has just been added to Australia’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage for its geological and palaeontological significance.
The nomination is led by the Department for Environment and Water and made possible through the endorsement of its Aboriginal custodians, an essential requirement from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
“World Heritage listing is the highest global recognition of the importance of a place,” says a representative of the Department for Environment and Water.
“Pursuing this recognition for parts of the Flinders Ranges provides an exciting opportunity to celebrate the region’s outstanding geology and fossil features as well as its rich cultural and environmental values.”
To be considered for World Heritage Listing, evidence is presented to the World Heritage Centre in Paris to demonstrate that the site has ‘Outstanding Universal Value.’
The unique Flinders Ranges aims to prove its case as an ‘outstanding’ example of Earth’s history. It’ll be compared with other sites that have similar natural value and assessed by a panel of international experts.
So, what makes the Ranges so outstanding?
“The Flinders Ranges is the only place on Earth where we can observe the continuous formation of animal life between 672-510 million years ago through three geological periods – the Cryogenian, the Ediacaran and the Cambrian periods,” explains the representative.
The Ranges represent a rare window into a major stage of our history known as ‘the dawn of animal life’ – and the fossils and geology that tell the story are easily accessible for visitors today!
The Flinders Ranges isn’t the only South Australian site being considered for World Heritage status.
The Australian Cornish Mining Sites, Burra and Moonta in the state’s mid north, have also been added to Australia’s Tentative List. If successful, the locations would join a special group of just 20 World Heritage sites across Australia alongside the state’s only current listing, the Naracoorte Caves in the southeast.
The Flinders Ranges bid has been in the works for a while. Adnyamathanha representatives from the National Parks Co-Management Boards, the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association’s Culture, Heritage and Native Title Committee, and members of the broader Adnyamathanha community have been meeting regularly since 2023. The decision was made following a community meeting on 14 June.
For South Australians, World Heritage status is a point of pride but also means long-term protection and conservation with new funding and research opportunities.
If you’re planning a visit to the Flinders Ranges, you can pick up a postcard passing through Quorn or Hawker, staying at Arkaroola or visiting the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park’s headquarters at Balcanoona.
The Department for Environment and Water encourages those in awe of this natural beauty to follow the Facebook page and share experiences and support using the hashtag #worldheritagefortheflindersranges.
WHAT: Flinders Ranges World Heritage Tentative List
WHEN: The outcome won’t be known until 2027 at the earliest.
For the Tentative List, click here.
For more info, click here.
For the dedicated Facebook page, click here.
