In the early 1900's Christopher Ragless, while working his
section of the now recreation park, build his house where the
nearby Tonsley Court Flats are now situated,
Shepherds Hill Recreation Park holds some surprises for first
time visitors, thanks mainly to its unpretentious suburban main
entrance. A bike jumps track, a pony club, an archery range and a
360 degree view of the Adelaide plains, coastline and nearby hills
are just some of the unexpected attractions. Then there are the old
railway tunnel, the remains of a viaduct, and two winding creeks to
explore.
The park is in Adelaide's southern suburbs only 11 kilometres
from the City centre. The main entrance and car park is off
Ayliffes Road, St Marys, but the park can also be accessed from
Ellis Avenue, Eden Hills. There is no vehicle access for the public
and the park may be closed on total fire ban days. Admission is
free.
Although past land use practices such as grazing and cropping
have impacted upon the once diverse wildlife of the area, the 78
hectares protected by the park supports a variety of habitats.
Vegetation includes open Grey Box woodlands with an understorey of
Kangaroo Thorn, Golden Wattle, native hopbush and wallaby grass on
the hillsides. Old River Red Gums and South Australian blue gums
line the park's two creeks. Wattles, teatrees, sedges and rushes
also line the banks, providing important habitat for birdlife.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, blue wrens, Striated Pardalotes and the
occasional falcon can be seen. A number of native animals also
inhabit the park, including possums, Eastern Brown Snakes, and
several species of skinks and shingleback lizards. Koalas are
occasionally seen feeding in either Grey Box or River Red Gums.
Before European settlement the Shepherds Hill area was inhabited
by the Kaurna Aboriginal people. Although little information has
been documented about their occupation, important Aboriginal sites,
such as 'scarred trees' have been recorded. As the name suggests,
Shepherds Hill has had a long history of sheep grazing, although
the park was actually named after William John Shephard who owned a
section of local land from 1853 to 1864. During early settlement of
the area many trees were felled for fencing and building materials.
Some prospecting also took place during the gold rush era of the
1860s.
Shepherds Hill Recreation Park was first proclaimed in 1955.