Flinders Chase National Park and Ravine Des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area

Flinders Chase National Park is closed until further notice due to impacts of bushfire.

Visitor information, bookings and park management:

Kingscote Natural Resources Centre
Phone: (+61 8) 8553 4444
Email: FlindersChase@sa.gov.au

Accommodation enquiries
Email: KIParksAccom@sa.gov.au

Emergency contacts:

Medical, fire (including bushfire) and police emergency situations
Phone: Triple Zero - 000

Police Assistance
Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance

National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – After-hours duty officer
Phone: 0477 334 898

Injured wildlife:

Within the park
Please contact Kingscote Natural Resource Centre on (08) 8553 4444 or the after-hours duty officer on 0477 334 898.

Outside of the park
Please contact a local wildlife rescue group.

Marine mammals
If you find a sick or stranded marine mammal (including whales, seals, sea lions and dolphins), please contact Kingscote Natural Resource Centre on (08) 8553 4444 or the after-hours duty officer on 0477 334 898.

Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state. 

There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations.  At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners.

In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave.

Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia. 

• DEW Park management
• DEW Aboriginal partnerships

Following many decades of lobbying by the Royal Society of South Australia (Fauna and Flora Protection Committee), legislation was passed in 1919 to set aside the area known as Flinders Chase for the “Protection, Preservation and Propagation of Australian Fauna and Flora”. Later declared a National Park, Flinders Chase bears its name from the British explorer Matthew Flinders, one of the first European explorers to make landfall and officially name Kangaroo Island.

Prior to its preservation as a Flora and Fauna Reserve, various tracts of Flinders Chase were farmed by pastoralists including the May family who worked the Rocky River Pastoral Lease (surrounding the current day Visitor Centre) between 1893 until 1914. Evidence of the Mays’ hard work and toil can be observed through their hand-constructed dwellings in May’s Homestead and Postman’s Cottage.