Forestry’s Australian birthplace
South Australia’s Bundaleer and Wirrabara Forest Reserves are located in the state’s Mid North.
This forest district is widely regarded as the birthplace of Australia’s forest industry and as a result, it has long been popular among those keen to explore the rich cultural heritage of the area.
Sites such as the rehabilitated Old Wirrabara Nursery, Conservator’s Hut and other heritage buildings offer a unique look into South Australia’s plantation forestry history, while the Ippinitchie Campground provides the perfect base for campers wanting to explore the local area, wildlife and scenery along the local mountain bike and walking trails.
Mid North Forests
The Bundaleer and Wirrabara forests were reopened after bushfires in 2013 and 2014 destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of state-owned plantation. The land is now managed by a range of private enterprises, while other areas have been retained for community use.
In the Wirrabara Forest, significant conservation, heritage and recreational assets are now managed by the Department of Environment and Water including the Ippinitchie Campground and Wirrabara Forest Picnic Ground.
In the Bundaleer Forest, ForestrySA works in partnership with the Bundaleer Forest Community Areas Association to manage the Bundaleer Picnic Ground and an area of community land which retains 22 hectares of land for public use. For more information, please contact the Bundaleer Forest Community Areas Association.
Public access to the Heysen Trail and Mawson Trail has been retained in both forests, as well as access to the majority of former ForestrySA trails in these forest reserves.
Bundaleer Forest – Public access map
Wirrabara Forest – Public access map
Find out more about Mid North Forests here
Map: Mid North Forests Land Use
The forest is closed to the public on declared Total Fire Ban days. To report a fire, call 000.
Fire is prohibited on ForestrySA land and Forest Reserves between November 1 and April 30 in any year. (These dates may be extended in areas where high fire danger persists).
