Morialta Conservation Park, formerly the Morialta Falls Reserve and the Morialta Falls National Pleasure Resort, is a protected area 10 km north-east of Adelaide city centre, in the state of South Australia, Australia. The park is in a rugged bush environment, with a narrow gorge set with three waterfalls, bounded by steep ridges and cliffs. The park caters to many activities, including bushwalking, bird watching and rock climbing.

Quick Facts Morialta Conservation Park South Australia, Nearest town or city ...

Morialta Conservation Park South Australia
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)[1]
Morialta Conservation Park showing First Falls and Morialta Gorge, note scree slope at far right.
Morialta Conservation Park
Nearest town or city	Adelaide
Coordinates	34°54′02″S 138°42′38″E
Established	15 July 1915 (1915-07-15)[2]
Area	5.33 km2 (2.1 sq mi)
Visitation	300,000 (in 2001)[3]: ii
Managing authorities	Department for Environment and Water
Website	Morialta Conservation Park
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

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The name is derived from the Kaurna name Marriyarta, meaning "eastern land or country".

John Smith Reid who was a landholder in the area, offered to donate part of his land in 1911 to create a national reserve.^{[citation needed]} Reid donated 218 hectares (540 acres) in 1913.^{[citation needed]} On 15 July 1915, the land was declared a National Pleasure Resort under the National Pleasure Resorts Act 1914 with the name, Morialta Falls Reserve.^[2] Much of the construction work in the National Pleasure Resort was begun in the 1920s and 1930s, although floods and bushfires have destroyed much of this original work. In 1966 additional property to the east was added. On 29 September 1966, a proclamation made under the Crown Lands Act 1929 resumed all of the land occupied by the National Pleasure Resort and then divided it into a reserve for "waterworks purposes" and a reserve with the name, the Morialta Falls National Pleasure Resort.^[4] On 27 April 1972, the national pleasure resort was reconstituted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 as the Morialta Conservation Park.^[5]

In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.^[6]

Major rebuilding was required after flooding in 1980, and flooding in November 2005 again caused damage to paths and walkways.^{[citation needed]}

The land which now constitutes the Park was originally the land of the Kaurna people. Morialta is a word derived from the Kaurna language, originally thought to be marri-yartalla, "marri" meaning east and yertala meaning "flowing water".^[7] More recent research has shown that the etymology of the word is marri, meaning "east" and probably yarta, meaning "land, earth, country", or possibly yalta, meaning "cool, fresh, airy"; therefore, probably meaning "eastern land or country".^[8][9]

It is said that the area was used as a hunting ground, and to collect firewood, during the winter months when the Kaurna would retreat from the coast to the hills. It is also said that they practised fire-stick farming here.^{[3]: 19 [10]} The area's religious significance appears to be lost to time. For in 1839, only three years after the proclamation of the British colony of South Australia in 1836, the area was granted by the new South Australian Government to pastoralists.^[11] In 1847, John Baker bought the land and built the grand Morialta House and Morialta Barns on Fourth Creek, near the head of the gorge.^[12]

Morialta Conservation Park covers 5.33 km² within the Mount Lofty Ranges, which run north–south to the east of Adelaide's coastal plain. It is bounded by Black Hill Conservation Park on the north, Norton Summit road on the south, the suburb of Rostrevor on the west, and by agricultural land on the east.

The park lies mostly on either side of Morialta Gorge, along the bottom of which runs Fourth Creek. There are three waterfalls on the creek, named respectively First, Second and Third Falls.

The main access to the park is via the vehicle entrance off Morialta Road, and there is walking access at various points along Norton Summit Road.

Morialta shares Adelaide's Mediterranean climate, with average temperatures of 17 degrees Celsius in winter, to 28 degrees during summer. The park receives average annual rainfall of 800 mm, mostly between May and September. During summer (December to February) temperatures can rise above 40 degrees.

The park caters for a variety of activities, including bushwalking, picnics, rock climbing and bird watching. There are many walking paths within the park. A project has recently finished, installing a large nature play area in the foot of the park.

Being only 10 km from the centre of Adelaide and having a large number of climbs, Morialta is one of the most popular rock climbing areas in South Australia.^[13] The rock is quartzite, and there are heavy duty rings at the top of most routes to allow for easy top-roping.^[14]

There are several crags along both sides of the gorge. On the southern side, from the western end, there is Milestone Buttress, The Outcrops, The Buttress, Billiard Table, Boulder Bridge, Throne Room and Far Crag. On the northern side there is The Lost Walls and Thorn Buttress.^[15] Far Crag is one of the more popular crags, with over 67 routes graded from 4 (Ewbanks) to 27.