[4] Prior uses of the land included use of section 522 both as a "labour prison reserve" and a camping ground.

The camping ground was operated by the National Fitness Council of South Australia from 1 September 1962 to 31 July 1964.

In 1980, the vegetation of conservation park was described as follows:[13]A dissected plateau which supports Eucalyptus obliqua | E. baxteri open forest, frequently associated with E. cosmophylla | E. fascilulosa.

The Park supports good populations of the typical Mount Lofty faunal assemblages.In February 1983, it was damaged by the Ash Wednesday bushfires and became the focus of “a revegetation project involving local school students.” In the first three years after commencement, “approximately 20,000 seedlings were planted” in an area now officially known as The Childrens Forest.

The replanting project continues under the control of a volunteer group known as The Friends of Kyeema Conservation Park which was formed in 1985 and which celebrated thirty years of operation in 2015.