[7] The first European to settle in the area was a squatter, E. Nicholas Foott, who in 1839 dug a well and built a stone cottage, spending £500 despite not holding a title to the land.

[8] Governor Grey arrived in May 1841, with a remit to cut Government expenditure and raise revenue, and announced in the Gazette of 15 July of the intended sale by auction of the land.

In 1848 a cottage, long since demolished, was erected alongside the creek as a residence for the farm manager, and for occasional use by the Governor.

[11] Proposals in 1881 to sell off parts of small portions of the land were opposed by Walter Gooch, James Page and the Australian Natives Association, which led in 1883 to an Act of Parliament prohibiting its sale.

[12] Another person given partial credit was William Henry Selway of the Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society.

Numerous native plants, such as Cootamundra wattle, have become environmental weeds after being introduced into areas outside their natural range.

In spite of these problems, several remnant stands of rare native plant species endemic to the Mt Lofty Ranges can be found there in season, mostly along tracks in less visited areas of the park's walking trail system.

The group meets regularly to manually or chemically remove accessible weeds, and also hosts nature walks and other events to increase community engagement with land management.

It begins at the Belair railway station and continues toward the Lower Waterfall before departing the park at the Sheoak Road boundary.

Belairs national park signifies South Australia's commitment to preserving the natural areas for both conservation and recreation.