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| Two ghost
gums at the entrance to the
ArkaroolaMount Painter Sanctuary
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Arkaroola
Interesting privately owned sanctuary in the
Northern Flinders Ranges
Located 660 km from Adelaide (the road to Copley
or Lyndhurst is sealed - the rest is good
quality dirt road) Arkaroola is the personal
vision of the late Dr Reg Sprigg who purchased
the 610 square kilometre (61,000 hectare)
property in 1968 and slowly converted it into a
wildlife sanctuary complete with a lodge. It is
probably the most isolated self-supporting
village in Australia. It is also a truly
fascinating region with dramatic, ancient hills
(some of the rocks are estimated to be older
1000 million years), beautiful waterholes and a
truly harsh and dry environment.
The area is an important part of Aboriginal
culture. The Adnajamathana Aborigines believed
that Arkaroo, a mythical monster, drank Lake
Frome dry and then crawled into the mountains.
As Arkaroo moved through the land he created the
Arkaroola Creek. Where he stopped and urinated
he left the waterholes which are one of the most
beautiful parts of the Arkaroola area.
The area around Arkaroola was first explored
by Edward Eyre who passed through the area in
1840 and by G. W. Goyder (famous for Goyder's
Line - the northern limit of agriculture) who
started to survey the land in 1857. In 1860
miners moved into the area as a result of the
discovery of copper at Yudnamutana but the
drought of 1863 drove them from the area. It
wasn't until the early twentieth century that
settlement occurred again. In 1903 rubies and
sapphires were discovered near Mount Pitt and by
1910 a smelter had been built at Yudnamutana and
uranium had been discovered at Mount Painter.
The first person to identify the uranium in the
area was the geologist, Douglas Mawson, who
later became a famous Antarctic explorer.
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| A copper
truck in front of the mountain at
Arkaroola |
It was always marginal land and these
projects were short-lived although the constant
search for uranium meant that miners
periodically attempted explorations and this
resulted in the area being well covered with
reasonable roads constructed by optimistic
mining companies. By the 1930s the area was full
of wild camels and donkeys so by 1935 the
property had been fenced and an eradication
program had commenced. This program, initiated
by the Greenwood brothers, was a serious attempt
to convert the area to grazing land. By 1945 the
program had been successful and in 1948 there
was a short and unsuccessful attempt to open
Arkaroola as a health spa.
Dr. Reg Sprigg purchased the property in
1968. By 1979 he was a trustee of the World
Wildlife Fund and actively involved in
protecting the endangered yellow footed rock
wallaby at Arkaroola.
The late Dr Reg Sprigg was a fairly ferocious
self publicist. The walls of the bar at
Arkaroola are emblazoned with mementos which
range from the impressive (the Order of
Australia) down to personal Christmas Cards from
Don Dunstan, the one-time Premier of South
Australia.
Things to see:
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Ningana Visitor Information Centre
An excellent natural history and geology museum
at Arkaroola which includes early Aboriginal
artefacts, photographs, geological maps and
fossils. It is an ideal starting point for any
exploration of this remarkable area.
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| Bolla Bollana
Springs near Arkaroola
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Old Copper Mine Ruins at Bolla Bollana
The highlight of the journey to Bolla Bollana
(it is a short distance away from the resort) is
the remarkable Bolla Bollana copper smelter with
its distinctive beehive shape. It was erected in
the 1890s to smelt copper ores which were
brought to this isolated smelter from the mines
at Yudnamutana, Daly and Wheel Turner by bullock
wagon. At the time the area was home to Cornish
miners. The special high temperature bricks were
brought from the Midlands of England while the
other bricks were baked in a round house kiln.
The area is so isolated it is hard to imagine
that it was once an important part of South
Australia's copper industry.
Astronomical Observatory
The Arkaroola Astronomical Observatory houses
two substantial telescopes. On nights when the
sky is clear (a common phenomenon in the desert)
tours and viewings are held. The 360 mm computer
operated telescope offers excellent viewing of
other galaxies and distant planets.
Paralana Hot Springs
These hot springs rise through a fissure and
contain helium, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and
radon gas (which is poisonous). Camping in the
area is prohibited because of the possible build
up of deadly gases. The water reaches the
surface at near-to-boiling point.
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| The mountain
in front of the Motel at Arkaroola
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Guided Tours
While many people who arrive at Arkaroola are
driving 4WD vehicles, the 'resort' does offer
excellent 4WD guided tours with guides
experienced in the region's geology, biology and
botany. The trips to The Ridgetop (this route is
not available to privately driven vehicles),
Echo Camp, East Painter, Hidden Valley,
Nooldoonooldoona (it is an Aboriginal term
reputedly meaning 'place of falling rocks')
Waterhole, Mount Jacob and Paralana offer great
diversity and are excellent opportunities to
experience the richness of the landscape.
Environs
The Gammon Ranges National Park is near the
Balcanoona Pastoral Station. The major part of
Balcanoona Pastoral Station was added to the
Gammon Ranges National Park in 1982. The name
Balcanoona is derived from a word in the
Adnjamathanha language meaning 'old woman'. This
is the name given to a rock formation high on
the hill overlooking the area. On the road from
Blinman to Arkaroola is the solitary grave of
Peter Fagan who died in January 1871. The name
and date were once on the piece of wood on this
lonely grave. Now it has just worn away leaving
a blank and bleached piece of wood.
