The Rock is one of the few remaining outcrops of Devonian age sediments in the region and lies on the boundary between two major physiographic regions: the Riverine Plain and the western slopes of the Eastern Highlands.
The Rock Nature Reserve provides an island of natural habitat for many native animals with nearly 100 birds species being recorded on the reserve. The Turquoise Parrot and Glossy Black-Cockatoo, listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, have both been recorded on the reserve.
The Rock Nature Reserve is an important area for the protection of Senecio garlandii, a perennial shrub which has an extremely restricted geographical distribution and is classified as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The Reserve supports the largest known population of this species and is one of the few protected areas within which the species grows.
The reserve is also an important recreational resource in the Riverina, being one of the few remaining areas of natural environment.
