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Destinations > Andamooka
Andamooka
Issue February 2003
Words and photos by Gregor Stronach
There aren't many true frontier towns left in Australia. Most of our great continent has been explored and for the most part, has been settled. But out near Lake Torrens in South Australia lies a tiny community that is truly unique - its heritage and history telling a story of struggle, survival and occasional massive wealth.
The town is called Andamooka, and while it is located quite close to the more civilised town of Roxby Downs, it really is at the end of the highway. Heading north along the Stuart Highway, travellers should take the time to turnoff towards Woomera and keep going. Andamooka is only a couple of kilometres from where the bitumen stops past Roxby Downs - and the desert begins.
Despite its tiny size, Andamooka is well known throughout the world for its fine opal - the town has been settled on top of some of the best opal producing real estate on the planet. And if it weren't for the opal, Andamooka simply wouldn't exist.
The Andamooka opal rush began in the 1930s, 15 years after the great opal rush put one of Australia's more famous Outback towns on the map - Coober Pedy. Following the First World War, opal mining became popular throughout South Australia, but it wasn't until 1946, when there was a large opal find in Andamooka, that the town really took off. South Australia's opal mining towns now account for more than 70 percent of the world's opal production.
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Andamooka's opal mines hit the world stage in 1954, when the famous Andamooka Opal was presented to the Queen - it weighed in at a staggering seven kilograms.
When the opal rush was in full swing in Andamooka, it was a fairly busy place. These days, the population of Andamooka is barely 100 people, but they number amongst them some great Outback characters.
One of the more notable locals is Don Clark, whose personal history is every bit as interesting as that of the buildings he looks after in town.
At the end of WWII, Don came home with his brother to Adelaide. Seeking a warmer climate in which to recuperate, Jim and his brother struck out for Darwin. On the train, they met a couple of blokes clutching mining leases, the gleam of opal fever burning deep within their eyes.
Don and his brother decided on the spot to join the rush to make their fortune, hopping off the train with the other would-be opal miners and made a beeline for Andamooka. That was in 1946 and Don's still there. He now functions as the town's ad hoc historian, proudly showing visitors through the original miners huts that were built into the side of the hill on what is now the town's main road.
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Words and photos by Gregor Stronach
There aren't many true frontier towns left in Australia. Most of our great continent has been explored and for the most part, has been settled. But out near Lake Torrens in South Australia lies a tiny community that is truly unique - its heritage and history telling a story of struggle, survival and occasional massive wealth.
The town is called Andamooka, and while it is located quite close to the more civilised town of Roxby Downs, it really is at the end of the highway. Heading north along the Stuart Highway, travellers should take the time to turnoff towards Woomera and keep going. Andamooka is only a couple of kilometres from where the bitumen stops past Roxby Downs - and the desert begins.
Despite its tiny size, Andamooka is well known throughout the world for its fine opal - the town has been settled on top of some of the best opal producing real estate on the planet. And if it weren't for the opal, Andamooka simply wouldn't exist.
The Andamooka opal rush began in the 1930s, 15 years after the great opal rush put one of Australia's more famous Outback towns on the map - Coober Pedy. Following the First World War, opal mining became popular throughout South Australia, but it wasn't until 1946, when there was a large opal find in Andamooka, that the town really took off. South Australia's opal mining towns now account for more than 70 percent of the world's opal production.
read on below advertisement
Andamooka's opal mines hit the world stage in 1954, when the famous Andamooka Opal was presented to the Queen - it weighed in at a staggering seven kilograms.
When the opal rush was in full swing in Andamooka, it was a fairly busy place. These days, the population of Andamooka is barely 100 people, but they number amongst them some great Outback characters.
One of the more notable locals is Don Clark, whose personal history is every bit as interesting as that of the buildings he looks after in town.
At the end of WWII, Don came home with his brother to Adelaide. Seeking a warmer climate in which to recuperate, Jim and his brother struck out for Darwin. On the train, they met a couple of blokes clutching mining leases, the gleam of opal fever burning deep within their eyes.
Don and his brother decided on the spot to join the rush to make their fortune, hopping off the train with the other would-be opal miners and made a beeline for Andamooka. That was in 1946 and Don's still there. He now functions as the town's ad hoc historian, proudly showing visitors through the original miners huts that were built into the side of the hill on what is now the town's main road.
next page »
