Things to Do
AIM
Building
Opened in 1928 by the Australian Inland Mission, the
Elizabeth Symon Nursing Home provided a much needed medical service for the
Cooper region. The home was named after the wife of Sir Josiah Symon who
donated 1500 pounds towards the project. The Home closed in 1951 due to
advances in air cover provided by the RFDS and the building fell into disrepair
until the Australia Geographic raised $120,000 for restoration. The building
reopened in July 1994, as the headquarters for the National Parks and Wildlife
Service and now houses a range of information panels. Opening hours 8.30
11.30am and 2.30 5.00pm.
Innamincka Hotel Ruins
Howard Kearns and John Donaldson of Farina built the
original Innamincka Hotel in 1887. Constructed of mud, mortar and local stone,
the pub had a bar, tap room, accommodation wings, dining room, bath house,
kitchen and billiard room. A difference of opinion between the local constable
and licensee, Henry Thomson, led to the closure of the pub in 1952. A the time
of the closure, the bottle heap at the back of the hotel was over 200m long and
2m high a testament to outback thirsts. Much of the stone from the hotel was
taken to build the causeway.
Innamincka Cemetery
1km from town
Just north of the town, Innamincka
Cemetery holds around thirty
graves. Many of the graves have no headstones and some are not marked. The
white marble pillar marks the grave of J.H. Moody a mounted constable at
Innamincka for nine years. At least seven of the graves were for people who
drowned in the Cooper, two graves are believed to be Afghan cameleers and two
are for jockeys who died at the Innamincka race meeting, one in 1943 and one in
1895.
Burkes Memorial
9km from town
Arriving back at the Dig tree on 21st April, 1861 to find it was
deserted, Burke, Wills and King set off towards, Mount Hopeless Station in South Australia. After
walking along the Copper Creek and out into the Strezlecki Desert,
only to be beaten back by lack of water, they lived by the Cooper for servel
months. Burke and King left a weakened and dying Wills and walked back towards
the Dig tree. Burke died on 1st July 1861 and was buried here by
John King.
Wills Memorial
20km from town
Having successfully crossed the continent from south to north and returned to
Depot LXV only to find it abandoned, Wills survived a further 2 months before
perishing along beside the Cooper on 29th June 1861. Both Burke and
Wills are believed to have died of beri-beri, a disease caused by lack of
Vitamin B1. This condition was exacerbated by their diet of nardoo cakes which
contained thiaminase, an enzyme which breaks down vitamin B1 in the body.
Kings Marker
8km from town
Burke, Wills and King were helped by the Yantruwanta people who had survived
along the Cooper for many thousands of years. After Burke and Wills had died,
King was fed and cared for by the Yantruwanta until a search party led by
Alfred Howitt came upon him on 15th September, 1861. The marker
records the position where weakened and barely coherent King was found.
The Dig Tree and The Burke and Wills Bridge
68km from town
The most fabulous coolabah tree in Australia.
On 14th December, 1860, the Burke and Wills
party arrived in Depot LXV and set up camp. Four men left the Depot to make for
the Gulf of Carpentaria, leaving William Brahe
in charge with instructions to wait for three months, then set off back for
Menindee. After four months of waiting and with several of the men ill with
scurvy, Brahe organised the party to leave Depot LXV. They buried a camel box
of provisions under a tree, blazing it DIG 3FT NW, APR 21 1861. Burke and
Wills returned to Depot LXV just nine hours after Brahe had left.
Bridge
Opened on 21st August, 1992, the Burke and Wills Bridge
provides an all weather crossing of the Cooper. It spans 225 metres and cost
$2, 500,000 to build.
Cullyamurra Waterhole
18km from town Desert Parks
Pass required
A truly magnificent waterhole, 28 metres deep and
never known to be dry. It was formed by flood water forcing its way through the
Innamincka Choke a rocky outcrop at the eastern end of the waterhole. The
turbulence caused by 48,000,000 litres of floodwater a second, passing through
this construction, gouged out the waterhole. Near the Choke are aboriginal carvings,
reached by a short walk from the end of the road. Some of these carvings are
unique and are a Dreaming site that details the formation of the Pleides
constellation.
Coongie Lakes
106km from town Desert Parks
Pass required.
One of Australias
most important arid zone wetlands, recognised worldwide for their uniqueness
and diversity of natural species. The North-west Branch of the Cooper feeds Coongie Lakes which covers over 77 square km.
There are 11 species of fish, 12 species of bird many of which are
endangered. Pelicans flock by the thousand and many migratory wading birds stop
here on their way to Siberia. The lakes are a
haven for wildlife and represent one of the few areas of freshwater in over
five million square kilometres of arid Central Australia.
The sandy track to Coongie goes through the pale yellow dunes of the Cooper
Land System and passes several stockyards as well as Scrubby Camp and the soon
to be restored ruins of Kudriemitchie Outstation. There
is a good camping area near the old station ruins at Coongie Lake.
Fishing is prohibited and motor boats are not permitted in the lakes of
the Coongie Conservation Zone. No
generators, dogs or camp fires are permitted in the Coongie
Conservation Zone.
The First Australians
Cooper Creek was a major
Aboriginal trade route, and the name Innamincka is believed to have
derived from Aboriginal legend. Early evidence is at Cullyamurra
waterhole where carvings are thought to have been made up to 40,000
years ago. Anthropologists suggest the distinctive markings were carved
into the stone using hard, flint-like rocks. To see the carvings,
follow the walking track at the eastern end of Cullyamurra to the
Innamincka Choke.
Through
their hunting and fishing skills, the four main groups of local
Aborigines survived for thousands of years in a harsh environment where
white men quickly perished. Ironically, it was the vulnerable newcomers
who introduced disease, notably influenza, which decimated the native
population in 1917. The last initiated elder of the area, died in 1958.
Many remains of Aboriginal people may be seen in the area. Please
exercise respect for them and leave them where they lie.
Throughout
the reserve, particularly along the Cooper and on the shores of the
lakes on the North West Branch, you may see evidence of occupation,
including middens (camp sites), artifact scatters (tool-making sites),
rock engravings, arrangements of stone, timber, earth and quarries.
A
display giving an insight into the natural history of the area, the
Aboriginal people and their culture, and European settlement is open
daily at the Innamincka Regional Reserve Park headquarters.
Montecollina Bore
This is a popular campsite between Lyndhurst and Innamincka on the
Strzelecki Track. This bore overflows into a series of dams that
attract literally thousands of birds.
Fishing
No fishing licence is required in South Australia. However, fishing
throughout the Innamincka Regional Reserve is subject to the South
Australian Fisheries Act 1982.
The legal catch length for Yellowbelly is 33 centimetres with a bag
limit of five per person per day. Up to ten catfish per person per day
may be taken. No more than two of these fish over 33 centimetres in
length are permitted. There is no size limit on Barcoo Grunter with up
to five fish per person per day able to be taken.
Fishing is prohibited
in the lakes of the Coongie Conservation Zone. Nets are prohibited in
all waters of Cooper Creek and the reserve. For more information on
fishing the Cooper and Diamantina see Primary Industry and Resources. Hot Rocks
Spurred by high electricity prices and a drive to reduce Australia's
reliance on coal, several companies are looking to harness hot rock
temperatures of up to 300 degrees Celsius to provide renewable energy.
Geodynamics
has completed the drilling of its two 4.5 kilometre deep Habanero wells
named after the world's hottest chili variety and is now testing
geothermal levels in the surrounding rock to establish a proven reserve
level.
To generate electricity, water is pumped down through a well at
extremely high pressure to widen existing rock fractures. This
increases their capacity to super-heat large volumes of water, which
are then transferred to a nearby geothermal power station to heat
liquids with a low boiling point to generate steam and then electricity.
See the display at the Innamincka Hotel for up to date information on this revolutionary project.
Other things to do
- Read the walls at the Innamincka Hotel the best pub
in town!
- Come to the Sunday night roast
- Go and catch a Yellowbelly in any of the wonderful
waterholes along the cooper
- Hire a canoe from the hotel
- Go birdwatcing along the Cooper at dust or dawn.
- Read Cooper
Creek by Alan Moorehead
or A Town With Two Lives by Helen Tolcher.
Any further enquiries about the Innamincka Area
Please feel free to ask.
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Things to Do
