Glenthorne Farm & Southern Adelaide Biodiverse Carbon Rehabilitation

Glenthorne Farm & Southern Adelaide Biodiverse Carbon Rehabilitation is a significant environmental planting project located at O'Halloran Hill, approximately 17 kilometers south of the Adelaide CBD in South Australia. Registered in January 2019, the project encompasses 540 hectares and is centered on the Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta precinct. This area, historically known for agriculture, viticulture, and scientific research, is now being transformed into a major conservation hub for the southern suburbs of Adelaide.

The project operates under the Carbon Farming Initiative using the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM methodology. This involves establishing permanent forest cover using a mix of native species on land that was cleared of forest for at least five years prior to the project's commencement. By revegetating these areas, the project aims to sequester carbon while restoring local biodiversity and creating a green corridor that links the Adelaide Hills to the coast.

The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, typically receiving around 500-600mm of rainfall annually. The soils in the O'Halloran Hill area are generally characterized as red-brown earths or leached sandy loams over a heavy clay subsoil, which were previously utilized for grazing and cropping.

A notable aspect of this project is the rich history of the site. Glenthorne Farm was originally "Lizard Lodge," the property of South Australia's first Police Commissioner, Major Thomas O'Halloran. It later served as an Army Remount Depot for training horses during World War I and subsequently as a CSIRO research station for animal and human nutrition from 1947 to 1996. The establishment of this carbon project aligns with the recent creation of the Glenthorne National Park, a result of decades of community lobbying by groups such as the Friends of Glenthorne to prevent urban housing development and preserve the land as open space.