Orroroo

A small rural centre in the foothills of the Flinders Ranges on the edge of South Australia's marginal desert land.

Where is it?: 262 km north of Adelaide.




Built features: Yesteryear Swimming Costume Gallery; Macdonald's rock carving (a poem written by a local who was leaving for the US).


Pekina Creek
Pekina creek provided a permanent supply of water to the town of Orroroo in the nineteenth century. There is a about a 45 minute walk from the park near this waterhole to the Pekina reservoir and back. The walk includes an Aboriginal rock art site, bushland and views over the reservoir. Crumbling ruins are all that remain of Pekina station. In the 1840s Pekina was the northernmost outpost of European settlement in South Australia. It was established by the Chambers brothers but after 18 months without a drop of rain they sold it to Price Maurice. In the 1870s the station was broken up and sold to wheat farmers.


A Giant Red Gum tree is the town's main local attraction. Its girth has been measured at just under 11 metres and is estimated to be over 500 years old. The tree is on the outskirts of town.

Goyder's Line plaques are found throughout the region, and indicate a line marked on the map of South Australia by Surveyor General George Woodroffe Goyder in 1865 delineating drought affected country. The line which passes through this area became an important factor in the settlement of SA as it indicated the limits of lands considered safe for agricultural development. The town receives 325 mm of rain each year which is typically spread over 79 days. The rest is dry.


Magnetic Hill
The layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill due to gravity. The slope of gravity hills is an optical illusion, although sites are often accompanied by claims that magnetic or even supernatural forces are at work. To get there, take the road from Peterborough to Orroroo. Around 25 km from Peterborough you will come to a T-Junction - left to Jamestown and right to Orroroo. Turn left and travel approximately 1km, when you will cross over a railway crossing. Around 400 metres from that crossing and on the right-hand side of the road, there is a gravel road with a sign 'Magnetic Hill 8 km'. Just follow the signs.

Brief History
Prior to the arrival of white settlers, the area to the east of the Flinders Ranges was the domain of the Ngadjuri Aboriginal peoples. The first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers took up the vast Pekina Run in 1844. They stayed for 17 months during which time they did not receive a millimetre of rain. They sold the property for £30. The first permanent white settler was Charlie Easther (1864) whose eating house became a popular stopover for drovers passing through. Legend has it that, when asked to establish a Post Office in the town the premier, Sir Charles Todd, quipped: "Dear me! There are only two letters in Orroroo. What do you want a post office for?"

The town was once connected by rail to Peterborough and Quorn, and was served by a Class 1 station and a large Goods Shed. During 1962, concrete grain silos were built in the Yard. these provided the bulk of traffic until the railway was closed in 1987. Orroroo was the last attended station on the railway; staff were withdrawn and the station operated as "unattended" from August 1981.

Origin of name: the town was named by Surveyor General George Woodroffe Goyder in 1875 when he designed the town's simple grid system and named the streets by numbers (first to seventeenth). The name was suggested by early settler Charlie Easther whose land was subdivided to create the town. It is of Aboriginal origin, but its meaning and correct pronunciation are still subject to conjecture. It is variously said to mean 'place of the magpie'; a rapid motion; the name of a local Aboriginal girl; or 'place of departure'.

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