Orroroo, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Orroroo is a town in the Flinders Ranges
region of South Australia
. At the 2006 census
, Orroroo had a population of 543. The Wilmington-Ucolta Road
passes through here, intersecting there with the southern stretch of the Birdsville
and Oodnadatta Track
s. The narrow gauge
rail line was extended to Orroroo also in 1881 and Quorn
in 1882, connecting with the new line from Port Augusta
. This line has now been abandoned. Orroroo is situated near Goyder's Line
, a line drawn up in 1865 by Surveyor General Goyder which he believed indicated the edge of the area suitable for agriculture.
"Orroroo" is generally accepted as being derived from the Aboriginal "oorama" - "rendezvous of the magpie", although others believe it to mean "early start"
Aboriginal
people whose domain was the area to the east of the Flinders Rangers. The name Orroroo is believed to have Aboriginal origins, but the true meaning of the word is uncertain. The name was first used by an early pioneer who conducted a nearby coaching house which served travellers on the Burra-Blinman track.
In 1844, the first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers, took up the Pekina Run which covered 320 square miles. They did not receive a millimetre of rain during the 17 months that they lived there. As a result of this drought
, they sold the Pekina Run for £30.
Charlie Easther settled in Orroroo during 1864 and opened up an eating house that became a popular stopping point for the drover
s and bullocky
s who travelled through the area. The town was surveyed in 1875, when Solly's Hut, a clay-pugged log structure, was constructed as the town's first house and is now used as a museum. In September 1875, the town was officially named by George Goyder
following the suggestion made by Charlie Easther. The first land sales were made in May 1876. The town's council offices were constructed in 1888.
On 24 August 1923, 230-volt electricity was connected to the town by Cr Martin Redden, Chairman of the District Council, in the presence of a large crowd. On 4 July 1962, the power house engines were shut down to change to AC power which gave the houses standard 240-volt power.
An early irrigation scheme was formed after damming the Pekina Creek and creating the Pekina reservoir. Water from here was supplied to over 50 dairy farms. Orroroo had its own flour mill, several bakeries, carriage manufacturer and a butter factory, which still stands.
Orroroo is the service centre for a predominantly farming community with the main products being wheat, sheep, cattle, pigs and a kangaroo processor.
A local curiosity is nearby called "Magnetic Hill", which is a gravity hill
.
Orroroo was the last attended station on the railway; staff were withdrawn and the station operated as "unattended" from August 1981.
Passenger services were discontinued during 1969, when the South Australian Railways withdraw the railcar service.
Grain continued to be hauled by rail from Orroroo until 1988, when all rail services were withdrawn by Australian National.. Steamtown, a railway preservation group based at Peterborough, operated passenger trains for tourists to Orroroo and Eurelia until 2002
The railway line was eventually removed in 2008
(CFS) is the volunteer fire service of Orroroo. They are part of the Black Rock CFS Group.
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
region of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Orroroo had a population of 543. The Wilmington-Ucolta Road
Wilmington-Ucolta Road
Wilmington–Ucolta Road is a 98 kilometre major road connecting Port Augusta to Peterborough and beyond to Broken Hill, in South Australia. It forms as a connecter road between the Princes Highway and the Barrier Highway through the Flinders Ranges, and forms the most direct path between Port...
passes through here, intersecting there with the southern stretch of the Birdsville
Birdsville Track
The Birdsville Track is a notable outback road in Australia. The 517 km track runs from Marree, a small town in northern South Australia, north across the Tirari Desert and Sturt Stony Desert, ending in Birdsville in south western Queensland....
and Oodnadatta Track
Oodnadatta Track
The Oodnadatta Track , Australia is an unsealed 620 kilometre track between Marree and Marla via Oodnadatta in South Australia. It passes the southern lake of the Lake Eyre National Park....
s. The narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
rail line was extended to Orroroo also in 1881 and Quorn
Quorn, South Australia
Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...
in 1882, connecting with the new line from Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
. This line has now been abandoned. Orroroo is situated near Goyder's Line
Goyder's Line
Goyder's Line is a boundary line across South Australia corresponding to a rainfall boundary believed to indicate the edge of the area suitable for agriculture. North of Goyder's Line, the rainfall is not reliable enough, and the land is only suitable for grazing and not cropping. The line traces a...
, a line drawn up in 1865 by Surveyor General Goyder which he believed indicated the edge of the area suitable for agriculture.
"Orroroo" is generally accepted as being derived from the Aboriginal "oorama" - "rendezvous of the magpie", although others believe it to mean "early start"
History
Prior to European settlement, Orroroo was the home of the NgadjuriNgadjuri
The Ngadjuri people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands lie in the mid north of South Australia with a territory extending from Gawler in the south to Orroroo in the north...
Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people whose domain was the area to the east of the Flinders Rangers. The name Orroroo is believed to have Aboriginal origins, but the true meaning of the word is uncertain. The name was first used by an early pioneer who conducted a nearby coaching house which served travellers on the Burra-Blinman track.
In 1844, the first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers, took up the Pekina Run which covered 320 square miles. They did not receive a millimetre of rain during the 17 months that they lived there. As a result of this drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, they sold the Pekina Run for £30.
Charlie Easther settled in Orroroo during 1864 and opened up an eating house that became a popular stopping point for the drover
Drover
A drover is a person who drives animals in droving. Depending on dialect, drover may be synonymous with teamster.Occupations in droving include:* Drover , a person who moves animals over long distances in Australia...
s and bullocky
Bullocky
A bullocky is an Australian English term for the driver of a bullock team. Bullock drivers were also known as teamsters or carriers. The American term for a bullocky is a bullwhacker.-History:...
s who travelled through the area. The town was surveyed in 1875, when Solly's Hut, a clay-pugged log structure, was constructed as the town's first house and is now used as a museum. In September 1875, the town was officially named by George Goyder
George Goyder
George Woodroffe Goyder was a surveyor in South Australia during the latter half of the nineteenth century....
following the suggestion made by Charlie Easther. The first land sales were made in May 1876. The town's council offices were constructed in 1888.
On 24 August 1923, 230-volt electricity was connected to the town by Cr Martin Redden, Chairman of the District Council, in the presence of a large crowd. On 4 July 1962, the power house engines were shut down to change to AC power which gave the houses standard 240-volt power.
An early irrigation scheme was formed after damming the Pekina Creek and creating the Pekina reservoir. Water from here was supplied to over 50 dairy farms. Orroroo had its own flour mill, several bakeries, carriage manufacturer and a butter factory, which still stands.
Orroroo is the service centre for a predominantly farming community with the main products being wheat, sheep, cattle, pigs and a kangaroo processor.
A local curiosity is nearby called "Magnetic Hill", which is a gravity hill
Gravity hill
A gravity hill, also known as a magnetic hill , is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope...
.
Railways
The town was connected by rail to Peterborough and Quorn by rail in September 1881, and was served by a Class 1 station and a large Goods Shed. During 1962, concrete grian silos were built in the Yard. these provided the bulk of traffic until the railway was closed in 1987Orroroo was the last attended station on the railway; staff were withdrawn and the station operated as "unattended" from August 1981.
Passenger services were discontinued during 1969, when the South Australian Railways withdraw the railcar service.
Grain continued to be hauled by rail from Orroroo until 1988, when all rail services were withdrawn by Australian National.. Steamtown, a railway preservation group based at Peterborough, operated passenger trains for tourists to Orroroo and Eurelia until 2002
The railway line was eventually removed in 2008
Orroroo Fire Service
The Orroroo Country Fire ServiceCountry Fire Service
The SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
(CFS) is the volunteer fire service of Orroroo. They are part of the Black Rock CFS Group.
Well known residents
- Rex IngamellsRex IngamellsReginald Charles Ingamells was an Australian poet, generally credited with being the leading light of the Jindyworobak Movement....
, poet, and founder of the Jindyworobak MovementJindyworobak MovementThe Jindyworobak Movement was a nationalistic Australian literary movement whose white members sought to promote indigenous Australian ideas and customs, particularly in poetry. They were active from the 1930s to around the 1950s...
, born in Orroroo. - Hooper Brewster-JonesHooper Brewster-JonesHooper Josse Brewster Jones was a musician and composer born in Orroroo, South Australia.His works include an opera The Nightingale and the Rose from The Happy Prince and Other Tales....
, an Australian composer, born in Orroroo. - John O'DeaJohn O'DeaJohn O'Dea was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Siege of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.-Union assault:...
, an Australian country singer, born in Orroroo. - John Mannion, historian and writer, born and resides just south of Orroroo at PekinaPekinaPekina is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia. The town is located in the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton local government area, north of the state capital, Adelaide. At the 2006 census, Pekina and the surrounding area had a population of 172...
. - Luke TapscottLuke TapscottLuke Tapscott is an Australian rules footballer for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
, FootballerAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
for Melbourne in the Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, born in Orroroo.