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The Commonwealth land system in the former Kingoonya Soil Conservation District of South Australia is highly susceptible to disturbance and its ability to recover is variable, depending on physical influences present. Pastoral Lease Assessments, required under the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act (1989) (SA), revisits permanent monitoring points enabling long-term comparisons to be made. Factors affecting condition can include fire, rainfall, grazing and pastoral management practices. Combined, these may result in destabilisation, including erosion of surface soil layers and a permanent change in plant community structure and diversity. Photo comparisons are a useful tool, improving our knowledge of how a land system responds to a variety of factors.