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Linking geoheritage sites: Geotourism and a prospective Geotrail in the World Heritage Nomination area,

I. D. Lewis

To cite this article: I. D. Lewis (2020) Linking geoheritage sites: Geotourism and a prospective Geotrail in the Flinders Ranges World Heritage Nomination area, South Australia, Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 67:8, 1195-1210, DOI: 10.1080/08120099.2020.1817147 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08120099.2020.1817147

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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=taje20 AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 2020, VOL. 67, NO. 8, 1195–1210 https://doi.org/10.1080/08120099.2020.1817147

Linking geoheritage sites: Geotourism and a prospective Geotrail in the Flinders Ranges World Heritage Nomination area, South Australia

I. D. Lewisa,b,c aSchool of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide, Australia; bGSA (SA) Geotourism, Geoheritage and Field Guide Subcommittees, Adelaide, Australia; cGroundwater Assessment Team, Science, Information and Technology Branch, Science Division, Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, Australia

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY The Flinders Ranges in the north and Mount Lofty Ranges in the south form a continuous highland Received 4 June 2020 chain extending 1000 km in eastern South Australia. This region corresponds to outcropping rocks Accepted 27 August 2020 of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Adelaide Rift Complex. The semi-arid ranges of the north with KEYWORDS their historic mining heritage and the agriculture and vineyards of the south are heavily promoted as geoheritage; geosites; iconic natural and cultural tourism attractions, increasingly combining with indigenous landscape sto- geotrail; geotourism; nature ries. With the exception of and Kangaroo Island, these regions are linked by the 600 km tourism; Adelaide Rift Heysen Walking Trail and adjacent Mawson Cycle Trail. Research on the Ediacara fossil biota in the Complex; Ediacara Flinders Ranges has raised public awareness of geological history and the early evolution of life on Earth and developed into a multi-site Flinders Ranges World Heritage Nomination project. This is sup- ported by the South Australian Government as part of its Nature Tourism programme to provide opportunities for conservation, education, tourism initiatives and local employment, all of which are aspirations of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). South Australia has a World Heritage Fossil site at the Naracoorte Caves complex, which is a compact National Park with many staff and security for laboratories and underground fossil deposits. The multi-site World Heritage proposal for the semi-remote Flinders Ranges presents a very different approach for protection and public visitation. Following an emerging global trend for geotourism and developing geotrails, this paper proposes a 400-km loop geotrail across the region linking the nominated Flinders World Heritage elements with other ‘Geological Monuments’, listed State Heritage and historical sites. This strategy has the potential to involve wider community interest, engagement, support and involvement in its management. The concept would be a natural link to the Heysen and Mawson trails, both named after prominent South Australians with strong links to the Flinders Ranges landscape. It could be named the Ediacara Geotrail, Sprigg Geotrail or Geotrail after the indigenous dreamtime creator of the northeastern Flinders Ranges.

Introduction and setting of the Investigator, who made their first European sighting in 1802. In a largely flat continent, mountain ranges are The Flinders Ranges is the name given to the northern seg- relatively rare and therefore prominent. The various range ment of a 1000 km long north–south highland chain in segments are valued as scenic and iconically South eastern South Australia (SA) that resulted from neotectonic Australian and are heavily promoted as natural and cultural uplift of the Cambrian Delamerian Orogen. Sedimentary tourism attractions, e.g. on the SA Tourism website (2020). rocks deformed during the Delamerian Orogeny were The rugged and colourful arid range scenery with the deposited during the Neoproterozoic Era and Cambrian Indigenous and European settler history of the Flinders Period in the Adelaide Rift Complex (also referred to as the Ranges in the north contrasts with the settled agricultural Adelaide Geosyncline) (Drexel et al., 1993; Preiss, 1987; and winery districts with their heritage townships of the Veevers et al., 1997). To the south, rocks of the Adelaide Clare, Barossa Valley, Hahndorf and McLaren Vale districts Rift Complex crop out in the Mount Lofty Ranges near in the south. Adelaide and extend southward along the Fleurieu With the exception of Arkaroola and Kangaroo Island, Peninsula to Kangaroo Island. The ranges were named for the rock exposures of the Adelaide Rift Complex are linked the British navigator Captain Matthew Flinders, commander by the 600 km Heysen Walking Trail and Mawson Cycle

CONTACT I. D. Lewis [email protected] Groundwater Assessment Team, Science, Information and Technology Branch, Science Division, Department for Environment and Water, PO Box 144, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia Editorial handling: Wolfgang Preiss Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08120099.2020.1817147 ß 2020 Geological Society of Australia 1196 I. D. LEWIS

Figure 1 (a) ‘The Guardian of Brachina Gorge’ (1935). Watercolour painting by Sir Hans Heysen. Image by permission of The Art Gallery of South Australia. (b) Sir , geologist and Antarctic explorer, featured on an (historic) Australian $100 bank note with a backdrop of Flinders Ranges geological cross- sections. (Specimen note only. Source: Web Commons.)

Trail, maintained by local community groups along them. walked the entire Heysen Trail reported that there is almost These trails are named after two of SA’s most prominent no geological interpretation along it or in its trail literature historical figures—Sir Hans Heysen (artist) and Sir Douglas and maps except at two localised nodes (Burra and the Mawson (geologist and Antarctic explorer). The artist Brachina Geological Trail) (R. Hillis, pers. comm. 2019). painted the Flinders Ranges to international acclaim Some localised bushwalking leaflets contain a little more. (1900s–1950s; Figure 1a). During a similar period, Mawson The SA Division of the Geological Society of Australia [GSA headed the Geology Department of the University of (SA)] is planning to improve this situation with contribu- Adelaide and described much of the geology of the tions from its Field Guides and geological heritage sites Adelaide Rift Complex, linking it to its southern continu- (‘Geological Monuments’)(Figure 2). ation in Antarctica, which led to his three Antarctic expedi- The discovery and detailed analysis of the Ediacara fossil tions in the early 1900s (Figure 1b) (Jacka, 1986; Thiele, biota and the strata containing it in the Flinders Ranges 1983). However, an eminent geoscientist who recently have raised public awareness of the geological story of AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1197

Figure 2. Geological Monuments map of South Australia showing extent of Adelaide Rift Complex (Adelaide Geosyncline: inset), Heysen–Mawson trails net- work (generalised: black line) and proposed loop geotrail zone in the Flinders Ranges World Heritage Nomination area (generalised: black circle). Junction is at Wilpena Pound. All Geological Monument codes are marked on the map and codes/names in the lists can be viewed by zooming in. For more detailed geotrail outline, see Figure 6. Source: Adapted from SARIG website. https://sarigbasis.pir.sa.gov.au/WebtopEw/ws/samref/sarig1/image/DDD/DIGIMAP00010.pdf Image by permission of SA Department of Energy and Mining. early life on Earth (e.g. Gehling & Droser, 2012; Sprigg, Australian-based geologists and paleontologists at an 1947). Supported and instigated by the South Australian Expert Workshop held in Adelaide on 1–2 August 2016. Government, a body of work was undertaken by leading This has been developed into a Flinders Ranges World 1198 I. D. LEWIS

Figure 3. Australian World Heritage Sites map adapted to show Budj Bim Indigenous/volcanic site (listed 2019) and the proposed Ediacara/ and FRWHN area. Source: Mackay, 2017. Image by permission of the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Heritage Nomination (FRWHN) project encompassing the agricultural markets. The South Australian Government runs Ediacara Fossil Reserve, parts of nearby Nilpena Pastoral Heritage Tourism and Nature-based Tourism programmes to Station and multiple additional geological sites across the encourage increased visitation to these localities, contribu- northern Flinders Ranges (Flinders Ranges: Preliminary ting to rural economies and the State’s reputation as a des- statement of values, 2017). This multiple site nomination tination of Australian tourism excellence. The FRWHN offers will potentially be South Australia’s second World Heritage stimulating innovative strategies to retain and attract people location but with a focus on much earlier geology and to these areas. paleontology than the extensive Quaternary fossils of the One thousand kilometres to the southeast, the World World Heritage Naracoorte Caves complex (Figure 3). The Heritage Naracoorte Caves complex is contained in a small South Australian Government has recognised this unique National Park area with many staff and security for labora- asset by delivering significant support and coordinating the tories and underground fossil deposits. By contrast, the nomination process that provides opportunities for conser- FRWHN proposal covers multiple geological sites across a vation, education, tourism initiatives and local employment, large region and requires a very different set of manage- all of which are aspirations of the United Nations Educational ment approaches to protect the sites while encouraging Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the overseer public visitation. Following an emerging global trend for of the World Heritage programme. This will be of particular geotourism and developing geotrails, this paper proposes a assistance to the small towns and communities of Arkaroola, 400 km loop geotrail across the region linking many of the Leigh Creek, Copley, Parachilna, , Wilpena, Hawker nominated FRWHN serial sites. However, it suggests a strat- and Quorn of the Flinders Ranges. Just to the south is the egy to also include other ‘geological monuments’, state ‘Iron Triangle’ mining and industrial hub of Port Augusta, heritage sites, mining heritage sites and cultural links to Port Pirie and Whyalla (Figure 4e and 5). All these northern contribute to visitation appeal and to involve wider com- communities have been experiencing reduced employment munity interest, engagement, support and involvement in opportunities owing to drought and changing mining and its management. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1199

Figure 4. Flinders Ranges Natural and Mining Heritage sites. (a) Wilpena Pound (aerial). Image by permission of Tourism SA. (b) St Mary’s Peak and Sawtooth Ranges. Image courtesy Parks SA. (c) Blinman Mine cross- and long-sections. (d) and (e) Mining Trails publication cover and trails map. Sources: Mines and Energy (1996). http://www.samininghistory.com/sa-mining-heritage/ Images (c), (d) and (e) by permission of SA Department of Energy and Mining.

FRWHN ‘Elements’. These are arrayed between the Arkaroola The proposal for the FRWHN is a compilation of 34 separ- Protection Area in the northeast of the Flinders Ranges and ate geological sites, referred to in World Heritage jargon as the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, 150 km to the 1200 I. D. LEWIS

Figure 4. Continued AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1201

Figure 4. Continued southwest, which contains the renowned Wilpena Pound early Cambrian (541–510 Ma) (Drexel et al., 1993; (Figures 2 and 6). The recorded geological history of this Preiss, 1987). region spans 1600 million years, commencing with depos- The ‘Elements’ are geosites identified as key sequential ition of sediments and intrusion of granites to form the base- evidence for the ‘Dawn of animal life on Earth’ via a ment of the Mount Painter and Mount Babbage inliers. This ‘continuous sequence of geological strata spanning the was followed by Neoproterozoic rifting, sedimentation and period when animal life first evolved’ (Ediacara website, volcanism and deformation, metamorphism and hydrother- 2020). ‘It is a time of glaciers, of mass oceans, of meteor- mal activity in the Paleozoic under the influence of localised ites; of grand experiments in evolution [which led to] the radiogenic heat from the basement granites. rise of a habitable Earth’ (Irving, 2017). The World Heritage The FRWHN specifically covers an 350 million year nomination will draw an international spotlight on this out- rock record period that includes the origin of complex life standing region and its communities. on Earth and two major ice ages. During the Ediacaran Period (635–541 Ma) a huge meteorite impacted the UNESCO and World Heritage in Australia Gawler Ranges region and spread debris into the Adelaide Rift Complex, followed by the rapid radiation of marine life, In 1972, UNESCO declared an aim via Section 1 Article 2 of presented in the Ediacaran rock record (Gehling & Droser, its Convention Concerning the Protection of the World 2012). The 350 million year rock record period also Cultural and Natural Heritage to identify the outstanding includes the spectacular expansion of life in the universal values of ‘natural features, geological and 1202 I. D. LEWIS

Figure 5. Part of the Outback Australian experience—Flinders Ranges Station accommodation around the geotrail. Source: Station Stays website. https:// www.stationstayssa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Station-Stays-SA-Maps-2020.pdf Image by permission of Station Stays SA Group.

physiographical formation, natural sites and areas for their managing such large semi-remote areas (Figgis et al., science, conservation or natural beauty’ (UNESCO, 1972). 2012). ICCROM undertakes world-class initiatives in conser- The ‘State Party’ (host nation) commits to ‘the identifica- vation training, research and advocacy. ICOMOS provides tion, protection, conservation, presentation and transmis- independent evaluation of cultural nominations and devel- sion to future generations of the cultural and natural ops global Cultural Heritage Trails linking natural heritage heritage’ (Section 2, Article 4). This is to be achieved with with landscape, history, ecological and indigenous inter- the cooperation of three particular international advisory pretation (Burra Charter, 2013). This advice satisfies the organisations – Convention aims, guiding UNESCO to designate some World Heritage sites as ‘Mixed’ Heritage.  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) In 2020, Australia has 12 natural sites from the tropics  International Centre for the study of the Preservation to the Antarctic, four cultural sites primarily of convict his- and restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) tory (none in free-settled South Australia!) and four mixed  International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) sites with landscape and major indigenous components— Kakadu, Uluru, Willandra Lakes and recently the Budj Bim IUCN provides an independent evaluation of natural volcanic-aquaculture landscape (Figure 3) (Australian World nominations once they have been submitted and before Heritage Website, 2020). the World Heritage Committee votes on inscribing the Several consist of multiple sites across sizeable areas— place on the World Heritage list. It also focuses on World Gondwana Rainforests, the Wet Tropics, the Blue Heritage management, community engagement and inter- Mountains, the Cultural convict sites across five States and pretation and has seen the potential of three South the Riversleigh-Naracoorte [Qld-SA] Fossil sites. South Australian sites for World Heritage listing—the Flinders Australia’s only World Heritage site is in the Naracoorte Ranges, Musgrave Ranges and the Nullarbor Plain, while Caves National Park, supporting vital new research and acknowledging the challenges of nominating and information about Australia’s Quaternary flora, megafauna AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1203

Figure 6. Conceptual loop geotrail (yellow), Geological Monuments (‘FR’ and ‘FN’ sites) and other ‘built’ and ‘natural’ heritage sites across the FRWHN area. Some are listed on the SA State Heritage Register. Most ‘FR’ sites and some others are under consideration for inclusion in the FRWHN proposal. The mining heritage sites would also be incorporated into a geotrail concept. Only Indigenous sites made available to the public are shown. Map by I. D. Lewis. Descriptions of sites are included in the Supplementary paper. and past climate change. World-class interpretation is pro- Only 54 of these geosites are listed on the SA State vided in cave tours, brochures, a website and through visits Heritage Register (Cresswell, 2019). This provides legal pro- by school groups and the local community, delivering tection by requiring compulsory prior consultation with 40 000 visitors per year and fulfilling Australia’s host nation developers under the SA Planning, Development and obligations for the site (Naracoorte Caves website, 2020). Infrastructure Act (SA Heritage Register Website, 2020). The strongest visitation themes are Interpretation and Nominations from the GSA, the public or from within Education (the ‘E’ in UNESCO). The inspiring FRWHN ‘Dawn Government are processed by the State Heritage Unit of of Animal Life’ narrative of early planetary events merits an the SA Department for Environment and Water. The ‘ ’ equally high standard of presentation. Register mainly represents the Built Environment and cul- tural heritage with 2319 historical, agricultural, mining, industrial and archeological sites together with community Geological monuments and South Australian state buildings, churches, mansions, settler huts and gardens. heritage sites However, the ‘Natural Environment’ is remarkably under- represented with only 100 natural sites, many of which ‘ ’ South Australia has over 450 Geological Monuments listed have been nominated by the GSA (SA) Geoheritage by the GSA (SA), eight National Heritage Sites (including Subcommittee. the Ediacaran Fossil site, Burra and Moonta Mines) and the World Heritage site at the Naracoorte Fossil Caves. They —‘ ’ ‘ ’ are derived from a rich SA tradition of mining, geology and Restoring the balance built vs natural research since the 1840s. The ‘Monuments’ result from state heritage 45 years of dedicated work by the GSA (SA) Geoheritage In concert with the SA Government’s Heritage Tourism and Subcommittee with support from the SA Department of Nature-based Tourism initiatives (discussed below), an over- Mines and its subsequent iterations. Their selection utilises due need for better natural site protection and promotion a merit-points approach. The ‘Monuments’ are now termed has been recognised and the deficit of listed ‘Natural ‘Geological Heritage sites’ (GSA website, 2020) and are Heritage’ sites is now being addressed. Two recent innova- included in map form on the South Australian Resources tions provide clarity for such nominations—‘GAPS’ heritage Information Gateway (SARIG) (Figure 2). and multi-site ‘Places’. GAPS heritage significance is 1204 I. D. LEWIS assessed under four fields where applicable—Geological, more recent geological history, the Adnyamathanha Archaeological, Paleontological and Speleological criteria. Indigenous Flinders Creation myths, the cameleers and Multi-site ‘Places’ allow greater flexibility in selection: com- early settlers (Alley & Nelson, 2018; Barker et al., 2014; monly, only single-theme sites are nominated (e.g. Blinman Davies et al., 1996; Mines and Energy, 1996; Mountains of Mine or Fitzgerald Shingle Ridge near Whyalla). A recent Memory, 2007; Tunbridge, 1988). All enhance the appeal of example engaging both methods has been the combined nature-based and heritage tourism. heritage ‘Place’ listing of those 19 caves of the Naracoorte Caves National Park with few or no fossils but with other distinct geological attributes (G and S of GAPS), signifi- cantly contributing to the regional geological story (Lewis, The SA nature-based tourism initiative—‘Nature 2019). These strategies and the application of a like nowhere else’ Geoheritage Toolkit (Brocx & Semeniuk, 2009) can now be applied to future GSA ‘natural heritage’ geosite nomina- In 2016, the South Australian Government announced an tions in the Flinders Ranges and elsewhere. initiative—‘Nature like nowhere else’—to promote ‘nature- based tourism’ across the state through improved public engagement with SA National Parks (Figure 4a, b) (Nature Other Flinders Ranges heritage and geo-stories like nowhere else, 2016). Nature-based tourism generates Many Geological Monuments and State Heritage sites are $1B per year to the State’s economy, enhances employ- found along the extent of the Adelaide Rift Complex ment opportunities in rural regions and has the capacity to (Figures 2 and 6). In the Flinders Ranges alone, 50 are dis- forge cooperative business links with private enterprise, tributed from Arkaroola in the north to the Quorn region philanthropic and not-for-profit conservation organisations. in the south. Beyond the FRWHN natural elements, they This initiative is making a significant contribution to the extend to mining heritage (Yudnamutana, Blinman, Ajax FRWHN (SA Tourism ‘Plan 2030’ website, 2020). and Nuccaleena mines, the Leigh Creek coal fields and The SA Government’s commitment to its nature-based Aroona Dam), each with their own interesting stories. The tourism sector has been reinforced in 2020 by a special National Trust recognises the significant value of stories to focus on two of the five proposed Flinders World Heritage – enhance regional attraction ‘Component Parts’ (discrete areas). From a $22 M funding Excelling in the art of storytelling and using innovative injection, $1 M is to renew visitor infrastructure across presentation skills to connect the visitor to a desired time and Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, and $3 M is targeted ’ place are essential for Australia s heritage tourism attractions to for a major visitor experience at Nilpena to showcase the compete on a global scale. (National Trust, 2018) state’s unique Ediacaran fossils (Good Living, 2020). At In general, Australian National Parks stories are bio- some vulnerable natural World Heritage sites, physical visit- logical, ecological and holistic in theme but lack explan- ation has proven to be a threat to the original location and ation of the geology underpinning their existence; addition prompted the successful concept of accurate ‘site repro- of their geological histories will notably enhance them. duction’ techniques. Outstanding examples are the famous Many geosites also have a human dimension to their sto- Lascaux and Chauvet ancient cave art sites in France ries. It is a commonly reported experience among site (Chauvet Cave website, 2020). This may be a suitable interpreters that the public enjoy, appreciate and retain a approach for potential interpretation of the Ediacaran story, which is broad, recognisable, fluent and memorable Fossil site at Nilpena. A further $5 M is being contributed (Savannah Guides website, 2020) beyond dense scientific to a Nature-Based Tourism Co-investment Fund and the terminology. For example, the FRWHN is the setting for the World Heritage nomination is also supported by the private fascinating human story of two eminent Flinders Ranges investment and non-profit sectors. In early 2020, substantial geologists, who differed significantly in the 20th century funding from the SA Government was supported by contri- across South Australia. In the 1900s, Mawson linked the SA butions from the non-profit Nature Conservancy (through mountain chain geology to Antarctica but half a century later steadfastly disagreed with the emerging explanation the international Wyss Campaign for Nature) and the of continental drift even while one of his most insightful Flinders Ranges Ediacara Foundation to purchase a signifi- geology graduates, , was identifying submarine cant western portion of the Nilpena property (J. Irving, canyons, the significance of the Arkaroola mineralogy and pers. comm.). This will be added to the Ediacara the Ediacaran fossils, all of which are now the focus of this Conservation Park for permanent protection and conserva- World Heritage nomination project. Both men’s lives and tion management by the South Australian Government. achievements were remarkable (Jacka, 1986; Weidenbach, The Arkaroola Component is a self-funded privately run 2008). The displacement of the Mawson era by the Sprigg family enterprise whose majority land holding is within an era in SA geology is an important human component of area protected from mining under the state’s Arkaroola the Adelaide Rift Complex stories. These are further com- Protection Act 2012 (Irving, 2012), but will not benefit dir- plemented by other stories of the Flinders landscape—its ectly from this $22 M funding injection. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1205

The South Australian Heritage Tourism Initiative is a] holistic activity … which underpins all nature-based tourism’ (James, 2020). In recent decades there has been an increasing interest in Most importantly, ‘engagement with the cultural land- the early settlement and mining activity that contributed scape is not ‘dumbing down’ the geology, but involves the to the establishment of the Australian colonies. Arising enrichment of knowledge … there are many connections from this is a recognition of their heritage value to rural between geoheritage and cultural heritage that provide a and mining towns for conservation and tourism, so appro- basis for geotourism activities’ (Gordon, 2018). To priate broad strategies are being undertaken (Cegielski Australian Indigenous people, their cultural heritage also et al., 2003; Lomax-Smith & Heneker, 2016; National Trust, includes natural and post-settler heritage (Bell & Johnston, 2018; SA Heritage, 2019). Thus, while primarily focused on 2008). UNESCO and ICOMOS identify the ‘combined works ‘built’ heritage, at its 100th meeting in 2019 the South of nature and of man’ as Cultural Landscapes and Routes. Australian Heritage Council provided its expression of sup- Several Australian examples are Adelaide’s North Terrace port for the Flinders Ranges World Heritage bid. The value Building Stones Trail, the Geocultural trails of the Sydney of combining heritage themes and innovative methods to Rocks area and the Budj Bim indigenous adaptation of a engage visitors has been identified by the SA State western Victorian volcanic landscape (Brocx & Semeniuk, Heritage Unit – 2019; Cooper, 2013). A larger example is the designated Specialist tourism ventures, whether nature-based, adventure, ICOMOS Cultural Route of the Overland Telegraph Line Indigenous, historic, cultural or ecotourism, all rely strongly on from Adelaide to Darwin, which with indigenous help, fol- heritage and heritage places, and that natural and cultural lowed the line of artesian mound springs and was succes- heritage underpin much of Australia’s tourism product. Experience in Australia and overseas shows the value of sively developed by explorers, cameleers and construction improving links between tourism and heritage places—as the teams to link Australia to the world by telegraph (ICOMOS, quality and diversity of tourism products improves, heritage 2014). Geotourism is all about explaining, interpreting and places are better cared for and regional development is telling the stories (narratives) of Earth’s landscapes to stimulated. (SA Heritage, 2015). engage visitation and elevate appreciation, experience and The inaugural Australian Heritage Tourism Conference education (National Trust, 2018). was held at the Adelaide Town Hall in May 2019 to address these aspects. It contributed to the formation of the SA Geotrails Heritage Tourism Alliance, which is introducing the ‘SA Heritage Tourism Strategy’ with representation from the Australia has a number of geotrails, most of which are GSA and ICOMOS Australia (SA Heritage, 2019). This ena- short or of moderate length: examples are Canberra’s bles the linking of natural heritage (geological, paleonto- Geoscience geological time trail (1.1 km), Ulladulla NSW logical, biological) with mining, settlement and associated (2 km), Port Macquarie NSW (5 km), Brachina Gorge SA cultural heritage and is particularly applicable across the (20 km) and Cradle Coast Tasmania (four geotrail compo- multiple sites of the Flinders Ranges (Figure 4c–e)asa nents 40 km each). Some combine natural and cultural strategy under the banner of geotourism (Lewis, 2018). themes—e.g. the Newcastle Coastline geotrail (Gilmore, 2017). In South Australia, the Naracoorte Council has recently obtained a grant to begin a themed geotrail along Geotourism the limestone range from the town for 8 km to the World Geotourism is an exciting and rapidly developing field of Heritage Fossil Caves site, linking town, community and research, endeavour and application. Earlier definitions of highway traffic to this outstanding natural site. geotourism were relatively straightforward: e.g. ‘has geol- In contrast, the Dig the Tropic Geotrail crosses the State ogy as a central focus and embraces geological tourism for of Queensland for 1200 km east–west along the Tropic of dedicated geotourists as one of its essential components’ Capricorn from the Great Barrier Reef towards with Mt Isa. (Ollier, 2012). However, there are now broader definitions: Its varied features include the Capricorn Caves, Blackwater ‘integrates geology, environment, culture, aesthetics and Coal Centre, Emerald Gem Fields, the Age of Dinosaurs heritage’ (Martini et al., 2012); ‘sustains or enhances the dis- Museum, an Artesian Spa and petrified wood sites south of tinctive geographical character of a place—its environment, Mount Isa’s major mining operations. NSW has been trial- heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its resi- ling a 150 km Modern Mining Trail connecting Cobar mine, dents’ (National Geographic website, 2020) and the Peake Hill Open Cut, Newcrest and Cowal Gold Mine with Chinese Tourism Earth-Science perspective; ‘geological tour- the Age of Fishes Museum and the Parkes Radiotelescope. ism with focus on geology and its interaction with ecology The former Kanawinka volcanic/karst Geopark in western and culture’ (Chen et al., 2015). Recently in Australia the Victoria (Lewis, 2010) has converted to the more suitable GSA’s definition is expanding to include ‘ABC’—the Abiotic, format of Kanawinka Geotrails—multiple roadways covering Biotic and Cultural (Dowling & Newsome, 2018) and now 400 km between 100 major geosites and the Budj Bim recognises that ‘geotourism is not geological tourism [but World Heritage cultural site (Portland PTA Website, 2020). 1206 I. D. LEWIS

These geotrails are on a similar scale to travelling across ‘Ediacaran Golden Spike’ site is a special location (Preiss, the FRWHN region. 2005). Being the only GSSP site in the Southern Geotrails are relatively easy to establish as they can be Hemisphere, it represents an internationally agreed upon constructed around routes currently used by tourists— reference point on the Nuccaleena Formation, a strati- 4WD, car, bike, walking and horse-riding trails—easily link- graphic section of rock that defines the lower boundary of ing with accommodation destinations but not competing stages on the geological time-scale, representing the with or impacting on land management/access issues beginning of the Ediacaran Period. Although the set of (Lewis & Robinson, 2017). Geotrails have been an emerging authorised drill holes in the Nuccaleena Formation, near 21st-century trend linking serial geosites, natural and min- where the ‘disc’ for the GSSP is set, were drilled before the ing and cultural features, effectively linking geo-themes on GSSP site was formalised, souveniring that has occurred a wide scale (Dowling & Newsome, 2018). Thus, they can there indicates a need for caution, including from sam- significantly widen and enhance the appeal of a region to pling. For this reason, this geotrail proposal is initial, and the visiting public. A well-constructed geotrail tells a story the map only shows general locations. along its pathway, and several such initiatives are currently being undertaken by the NSW Geospatial Information & Resources, signage, maps, apps and the web Visualisation unit (Meakin & Fleming, 2019). The GSA is embracing Best Practice Geotrails in Australia—‘Best practice As with the World Heritage nomination, the proposed geo- geotrails aim to meld the geological heritage features of a trail would draw upon traditional material—Field Guides of region with a cohesive story. They should incorporate and Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorges (Hiern, 2015; Jenkins et al., package in the biodiversity and cultural components 1993; Langsford, 2016), several valuable texts and guide- (including mining heritage) of the region through which books, current interpretive signage in various localities and the geotrail traverses’ (GSA website, 2020). The Flinders an excellent series of geological maps and digital data pro- Ranges ‘Dawn of Life’ narrative is one of the planet’s great duced by the Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA), stories, very well suited to be presented along a geotrail. a section of the Department for Energy and Mining. A com- prehensive on-line resource is the SARIG website, which stores extensive GSSA geological brochures, the GSA (SA) A Geotrail proposal for the FRWHN area Geological Monuments and Field Guide information (SARIG Concept and proposed route website, 2020) but requires familiarity to access efficiently. In this semi-remote region, limited phone signal reception The broad concept is a central-northern Flinders Ranges may mean that any Internet preparation for a day’s travel  Geotrail linking many of the 34 eventual World Heritage is accessed locally at small townships. Several important geosites and including the human heritage of indigenous, Apps enhance the available information (Australian mining and settler sites. The geotrail mainly uses existing Geology Travel Maps Website, 2020; Flinders Ranges Walks  tourist roads in a loop totalling 400 km in length (Figure App, 2020; Heysen Walking Trail App, 2020). There is the 6). The semi-outback road and airstrip networks provide potential to integrate these sources in the manner of direct access to the geotrail at many points along the time Canada’s well-developed transnational geotrail network line. A selection of the many sites is summarised in the with e-information on many individual geosites spanning Supplementary paper (Appendix 1). A strict geo-time-travel- the North American continent. In 2012 a smartphone App ling sequence would commence from the earliest geology ‘GeoTreat’ was made available to the GSA in Australia by at Arkaroola in the northeast. However, as Wilpena Pound the Nordic countries as a free service and has been trialled in the south is the main entry point for visitors, the for the Sapphire Coast of southern NSW. descriptions commence clockwise from there. Innovations could be developed from adapting the GSA Brisbane Qld App, NSW GeoTours App, Weekend Geology Protection issues App and SA Gawler Ranges and Hallett Cove Apps (Meakin & Fleming, 2019; Swann, 2019; GSA website, 2020; SARIG Not all sites of a finalised list may be made available to the website, 2020). Various geosites along the geotrail would public. While relevant to the nomination, some may be benefit from the immersive audio-visual technology avail- quarantined as being too sensitive for over-visitation or able for Flinders Ranges National Parks and now being restricted owing to private lease or land ownership prefer- applied to the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage site and ences and not included in publicly available material. associated Tantanoola Cave (Georama website 1, 2020). Delicate decisions are sometimes required when finding a Virtual Reality (VR) geotours are being developed in South balance between protection and promotion of geoheritage Australia by UniSA’s Project L.I.V.E. (Learning through sites (Lewis, 2019). Immersive Virtual Environments) for Hallett Cove, Mount Located in Enorama Creek—and effectively part of the Gambier’s volcano and in partnership with the Nature Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, the Ediacaran Global Foundation for Witchelina geological site (Project LIVE web- Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSP) or site, 2020; Witchelina Virtual website, 2020). VR technology AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1207 for remote region geotrails (Goss et al., 2019) may signifi- explore a landscape and its heritage. Geotrails offer possi- cantly reduce concerns with on-site infrastructure and bilities and opportunities at many levels of interaction hardware maintenance. The GSA could be a national coord- and engagement. inator for such projects. Enhancing the geotrail—cultural heritage and other Geotrail versions SA trails Successive sites along a large geotrail are not always An emerging concept of ‘Geoarchive’ refers to the ordered in a convenient time-event sequence. For this notion that Flinders Ranges Geotrail proposal, following them in strict Earth, as a story-teller, has an archive of stories related to the time order would involve costly and inefficient travelling evolution of Earth physically, geochemically, petrogenetically and backtracking. A more practical strategy may be to and structurally, and to the origin and evolution of life. The explore geographically grouped features from several story of the development of the human race is also embedded accommodation ‘nodes’ (e.g. Parachilna to Arkaroola then within the archive of the Earth, with the landscape providing communities with a sense of place and the material resources Wilpena). World Heritage geotrail package geotours with to develop as a society. (Brocx, 2018) trained Geo-guides/interpreters (Savannah Guides website, 2020), Arkaroola staff, National Park Rangers and volunteers Expressed another way, this framework and all the sto- — — could coordinate day trips from these nodes to ‘edge-of- ries geo, bio, historical and cultural are the essence of geotrail’ World Heritage sites such as Nilpena and geotourism. UNESCO and its official advisory bodies IUCN, Chambers Gorge (Figure 6). An exciting initiative would be ICCROM and ICOMOS encourage such combinations and the development of an Aerial geotrail tracing the settings contexts to be presented in their programmes to the of the Flinders World Heritage elements from above, either broader public. Geotrails in particular have this capacity. An on a single long flight or a number of short flights from enhanced geotrail through the Flinders Ranges would lead ‘ local airstrips at Arkaroola, Leigh Creek, Parachilna, Wilpena the traveller from stories of the Early Earth and Dawn of ’ Pound, Rawnsley Park, Hawker and Quorn and coordinated Life of prehistory through the Adnyamathanha/Indigenous with short on-ground site trips. landscape creation legends into exploration, cameleers, Modern tourism places emphasis on the ‘experience’ settlement, pastoralists, the struggles and successes of min- ing and agriculture, and the achievements of the likes of aspect of visitation, ranging from the engaging to the Mawson and Sprigg. It also has the potential to become a inspirational but underpinned by practical facilities world-class ICOMOS ‘Cultural Landscape and Route’ (Burra (Osmond, 2017). A proposed Flinders Ranges Geotrail Charter, 2013; ICOMOS, 2014) with a consequent appeal to requires adequate access to suitable amenities, particularly a wider and more diverse international audience. in more remote areas. One baseline for these requirements is the ‘grey nomads’ sector, which is recognised in the Tourism research of rural areas as a significant and reliable Linking to the great North and South—along and yardstick for visitor planning purposes. Two recent practical beyond the Adelaide Rift Complex innovations in South Australia enhance the outdoor experi- A high-profile Flinders Ranges Geotrail associated with ence for wheelchair visitors. The low-gradient Wheelchair World Heritage could be the launching pad to the north- Loop Walk at Naracoorte traces the World Heritage caves’ west beyond the Flinders Ranges into the SA outback. outline across the limestone surface for those unable to go Such extensions would include the Leigh Creek coal mine underground on stairways and steps (Naracoorte Caves area, the Lyndhurst-Maree Historical Trail and the Nature website, 2020). Similarly, the provision of 4WD wheelchairs Foundation’s Witchelina Station in the Willouran Ranges enable exploration of low-gradient interpretive trails at Mt where a northwestern extension of the Adelaide Rift Remarkable in the southern Flinders Ranges (O’Dea, 2017). Complex is spectacularly exposed. From there it would At a motivational level, tourism studies have identified extend to the Great Artesian Basin with its mound springs ‘experience seekers’ who, although a diverse group by age, and the northern Opal Fields. These sites are variously country of origin or spending power ‘are typically looking linked by the Explorers Way drive and ‘The Ghan’ rail travel. for: (i) authenticity, (ii) interaction, (iii) points of difference, To the northeast run the iconic Strzelecki Track and (iv) challenges and (v) learning opportunities’ (Pyle et al., Birdsville Track leading from the Flinders Ranges to the 2020; ANL website, 2011). Along a proposed Flinders Cooper Basin gas fields, the historic Burke and Wills Dig Ranges Geotrail, these might be provided by an empathic Tree site and the town of Birdsville (Figure 2). To the south, travel sequence following the ‘Flinders Heartbreak Trail’ of a link into the Heysen–Mawson trails connects with a early settlement beyond Goyder’s Line of cropping limits 600 km network down the highland chain through Wilpena (Mountains of Memory, 2007) or the experience of ‘Station Pound, Dutchmans Stern, Alligator Gorge, Telowie Gorge Stays’ (Figure 5) (National Trust, 2016). Unusual explorations and Mount Remarkable National Park. Further south, the such as astronomy, Outback Opera, hot air ballooning Adelaide Rift Complex features 130 Geological travel and camel trains are excellent novel experiences to Monuments and State Heritage sites, including the National 1208 I. D. LEWIS

Heritage-listed Burra and Moonta Mines, the Sturt Gorge Disclosure statement and Hallett Cove glacial relicts and the Tjilbruke’s Tears No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). Indigenous coastal trail (spring sites) from Marino Rocks to Cape Jervis (Figure 2). Using a SA Tourism term, ‘linking the top and the tail’ of the Flinders-Mount Lofty Ranges References chain equates in scale and concept to Queensland’s Dig Alley, N., & Nelson, R. (2018). The story behind the scenery—The road the Tropic Geotrail, but with the special geological history from Adelaide to Parachilna, Tracks That Rock Roadside Series. The of the Adelaide Rift Complex and international appeal of a Authors. Flinders Ranges World Heritage area. ANL website. (2011). Flinders Ranges experience development strategy pilot—National long-term tourism strategy. National Landscape Project Management Committee. TRC, Australia Unlimited. Australian Conclusion Government. 66 pp. PDF. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www. austrade.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/5499/Flinders-Ranges-Experience- A Flinders Ranges Geotrail can satisfy international geotour- Development-Strategy.pdf.aspx ism aims and the SA Government’s Nature Tourism and Australian Geology Travel Maps website. (2020). Australian geology travel maps– Offline geology, mining and exploration data covering Heritage Tourism objectives. It can utilise and credit more all of Australia & New Zealand. Trilobite Solutions, Woodville, NSW, of the GSA’s listing of Geological Monuments and encom- Australia. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://trilobite.solutions/ pass other non-geological heritage sites. It could also pro- maps/ mote UNESCO’s philosophies by incorporating the cultural Australian World Heritage website. (2020). Retrieved June 9, 2020, and site aspirations of UNESCO’s advisory bodies IUCN and from http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/ Barker, S., McCaskill, M., Ward, B., & Bardsley, K. (2014). Explore the ICCROM, perhaps eventually as an ICOMOS Cultural Route. Flinders Ranges (2nd Ed.). Royal Geographical Society of South The geotrail would attract attention, raise public awareness Australia Inc. and enjoyment and provide various benefits to local com- Bell, D., & Johnston, C. (2008). Budj Bim—Caring for the spirit and the munities. Links to the north open up the geology of the people [Paper presentation]. 16th ICOMOS General Assembly and International Symposium: Finding the spirit of place—between the inland (‘Outback’) and to the south along the tangible and the intangible: 29 Sept–4 Oct 2008. Heysen–Mawson Trails to further tell the Adelaide Rift Brocx, M. (2018). Heritage matters: Geoheritage significance of building Complex stories, which even extend to Kangaroo Island. stones. Geoheritage, 11(1), 120–133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371- ‘Flinders Ranges Geotrail’ or ‘Flinders Ranges World 017-0274-8 Heritage Geotrail’ could be an acceptable name, but the Brocx, M., & Semeniuk, V. (2009). Developing a tool-kit for geoheritage and geoconservation in Western Australia. ProGeo News, 1,5–9. ranges are already named after their European discoverer, Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www.gsa.org.au/Public/ and a landscape or cultural name may be more appropri- Geoheritage/Geoheritage-Tool-Kit/Public/Geoheritage/Geoheritage_ ate, however chosen. Perhaps a suitable name could be Tool-Kit.aspx the Ediacaran Geotrail, Sprigg Geotrail, Dawn of Animal Life Brocx, M., & Semeniuk, V. (2019). Building stones can be of geoherit- – Geotrail or Arkaroo Geotrail after the indigenous Flinders age significance. Geoheritage, 11(1), 133 149. https://doi.org/10. 1007/s12371-017-0274-8 Ranges creator. Burra Charter, B. (2013). The Australia ICOMOS charter for places of cul- tural significance 2013. Australia ICOMOS Inc. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://australia.icomos.org/wp-content/uploads/The- Disclaimer Burra-Charter-2013-Adopted-31.10.2013.pdf Cegielski, M., Janeczko, B., Mules, T., & Wells, J. (2003). Economic value The FRWHN is being managed by the South Australian of tourism to Places of Cultural heritage Significance: A Case Study of Government and refers to specific sites. Separate from this, Three Towns with Mining heritage [Maldon, Burra and Charters geotrail concepts are one of the GSA’s geotourism initia- Towers]. CRC for Sustainable Tourism, University of Canberra. tives in Australia. The proposal in this paper is independent Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://sustain.pata.org/wp-content/ uploads/2015/02/MiningHeritage1.pdf of the FRWH Nomination and does not represent an official Chauvet Cave website. (2020). Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://en. position of the SA Government in relation to grottechauvet2ardeche.com/discover-the-pont-darc-cavern/the-pont World Heritage. -d-arc-cavern-site/technological-mastery-to-stir-the-emotions/ Chen, A., Lu, Y., & Ng, Y. C. Y. (2015). The Principles of Geotourism. Science Press [Springer]. Acknowledgements Cooper, B. (2013). North Terrace Adelaide geological trail—A city walk observing geology, building stones and building stone use. I sincerely thank the three reviewers for their instructive comments Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and that have improved this manuscript—Vic Gostin and Patrick James for Energy [DMITRE] (pamphlet); Geological Society of Australia South insights on Geoheritage and geotourism, and Jason Irving for guid- Australian Division 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www. ance on the South Australian Government’s role and contribution to gsa.org.au/Public/Publications/Field_Guides/SA/Public/Divisions/SA_ the FRWH Nomination process. Wolfgang Preiss and Stephen Hore are Subpages/SA_Geology_Field_Brochures.aspx thanked for their important geological refinements to the text. Many Cresswell, I. D. (2019). Geoheritage and Geoconservation in Australia. thanks go to Peter Waring and Peter Horne for their preparation of Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 66(6), 753–766. https://doi.org/ the images. I am grateful to my fellow subcommittee members of the 10.1080/08120099.2018.1516698 GSA (SA) Division for their encouragement to pursue various concepts Davies, M., Twidale, C. R., & Tyler, M. J. eds. (1996). Natural history of related to South Australian geotourism and the potential of geotrails. the flinders ranges. Royal Society of South Australia. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 1209

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