Lithium Australia NL is expanding into South Australia as part of a strategy aiming to increase its Australian lithium holdings.

The company on Jan. 30 said it applied for lithium-prospective ground covering 27 square kilometers on the eastern side of Kangaroo Island.

"Our broadened nationwide search is designed to de-risk the company's lithium exploration portfolio by providing exposure to multiple lithium opportunities across multiple state jurisdictions," Adrian Griffin, managing director of Lithium Australia, said.

The property hosts pegmatite occurrences as well as the abandoned Dudley mine, which operated in the 1890s and early 1900s with a focus on gem tourmaline, feldspar, silica and kaolin.