Naracoorte Caves are a series of 60 limestone caves about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Adelaide, Australia. Twenty-six of the caves are in Naracoorte Caves National Park, which is administered by Australia’s Department for Environment and Heritage. Several caves are open to the public, while others are open only to scientists studying the fossil remains found in the caves.
Blanche Cave was discovered in 1845. Benjamin Sanders, a station (ranch) manager, found the cave while searching for some lost sheep.
Alexandra Cave was discovered in 1908. It features domed chambers containing animal bones and marine fossils. Victoria Fossil Cave, discovered in 1894, features 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of chambers connected by narrow, excavated walkways. Several important discoveries, including fossils as well as the bones of extinct marsupials, have been made in this cave. In 1994, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the caves to its World Heritage List as part of the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites listing, which also includes Riversleigh in Queensland’s Boodjamulla National Park. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of unique natural or cultural importance.
