Address & Contact
Unnamed Road
Ngaanyatjarra-Giles WA 0872
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: N/A
Information
Junme 2015; At the Waratjara Outstation we veered off the main Mulga Park Road and through a pass in the Blackstone Range, heading south west towards the Cavenagh Range and Lightning Rock.
This was a route taken by many of the great explorers, including Ernest Giles in 1873, Sir John Forrest in 1874, and the Calvert Expedition of 1891. The country between the Blackstone and Cavenagh Ranges often resembled the African savannah, with extensive grasslands stretching off to the distant ranges. A lot of the mulga had died, and their dry, skeletal remains made the country appear stark; in total contrast, recent rains had prompted a riot of fresh green growth. If the mobs of camels were replaced by the odd giraffe or wildebeest the transformation would have been complete. Those camels we saw were in excellent condition and often fat with calf.
Situated in the country a few kilometres north of the Cavenagh Range, the bore and hand pump was still operating, producing good quality water. Nearby was a benchmark from the National mapping surveys of the 1950’s and 1960’s. I believe that both bore and benchmark were established at a similar time, the bore to facilitate the migration of the aborigines across the area.
