About Cave Conservation Australia

Who are our people

What we do

• advocate for protection of the caves and karst of Australia

• explore and map Australia's caves and karst environments

• research and document

• advise on management and protection of caves and karst on both public and private land

• educate by providing information to our members, land managers and the Australian people about caves and karst conservation matters

• work in partnership with first Nations peoples, scientists, academics, speleologists and members of the community in furthering these aims.

The Conservation Commission of the Australian Speleological Federation Inc runs the Cave Conservation Australia website. The Commission itself draws on volunteer cavers, cave divers, and individuals who advocate for better management and protection of caves and karst on both public and private land.

Finances

The ASF's Cave Conservation Commission is funded by ASF members. The ASF is an independent, volunteer based, non-aligned organisation.

The Karst Conservation Fund is a public fund maintained by the Australian Speleological Federation Inc (ABN 15 169 919 964) to support its environmental objectives

Sellicks Hill Quarry Cave (5A20) is in Cambrian dolomite and limestone, older than that of the Naracoorte caves which have just been nominated for World Heritage Listing. The cave contains some very rare (for Australia) aragonite crystal speleothems and wind blown silt which may contain significant fossil material to complement that found in Naracoorte. The extent of the speleothems in the cave is also rare for South Australia and the close proximity of the cave to the city of Adelaide (approximately 40km) means that the cave could be suitably developed as a tourist destination.

In the Adelaide Hills karst region there are 16 known caves, four of which are sea caves and two pseudokarst. Of the remaining ten caves the longest cave in the region at I km, is Sellicks Hill Quarry Cave. The second longest, Reynella Quarry cave, is 120 metres long and it has been extensively damaged by mining.

Past Projects

Sellicks Hill Quarry Cave PDF article in Australian Caver Magazine

Sellicks Hill Quarry cave

ASF Library and Museum

A huge store of imagery, maps and research information on Australian Caves

One of the exhibits in our Museum

The Diprotodon Hillii was a magnesium-powder fueled flash used for photographing the huge chambers of caves in the Nullarbor and Tasmania.

The "Hillii' was made by Alan Hill of Cave Exploration Group of South Australia, as a more compact version of an earlier model originally made by Captain Maitland Thompson.

Lloyd Robinson of ISS refined the design and used it in Tasmania. The unit consists of a "Brasso" tin with plastic tubing attached on brass fittings, and a curved metal mantle at one end. A large inflated balloon was attached to the other end to provide the push for the magnesium powder.

Our library is a collection of books, journals, folios, films and archival material relating to speleology and caving. This material is not commonly found in Australia's national or state libraries. Contact the ASF library for help in locating material and for donating material to us: asf.caves.library@gmail.com

“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once every few years, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”

Dr Syed Muhammad Zeeshan Hussain Almashhadi