Update from my recent Pick this Place
Submitted: Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 10:21
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Member - Stephen L (Clare SA)
Last week we did a day trip up to
Bookaloo to try and see the old underground water tanks that were used as water storage for when steam train used to pass by on their long haul over to Western Australia.
Reaching the site, we were a little disappointed that we could not get up and close to these giant tank, and the only way to appreciate the area was courtesy of drone footage from my drone.
Further investigations since the trip on trying to find more nearby remote
graves, one chap I spoke to in
Port Pirie has been going to the tanks for nearly 50 years, and he told me that this is the first time in his lifetime that the area has been underwater, from previous summer very heavy local rain.
Water levels at the site have dropped over 2 feet so far and it will be not until
well into next year that the track to the tanks will dry out and safe to drive on. So even though we were disappointed, we very still very lucky to see the area covered in water.
If any of you are passing by on the Stuart Highway, make sure you drop in to see a freak of nature that might not happen for another 50 years.
The track to the tanks is underwater, and will remain closed for a very long time yet
The lush green vegetation shows how far the water level extended
The rain also brought out local wildflowers
You can not appreciate the amount of water until you see it from the air
The tanks surrounded by water
The tanks from the air
The tanks from the air
Reply By: Member - John - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 11:14
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 11:14
Stephen, thanks, never knew they existed. Storage for a hell of a lot of water. Great pics. Cheers.
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 11:27
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 11:27
Thanks
John and to think they are nearly 120 years old
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Reply By: Member - rocco2010 - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 12:03
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 12:03
Great story and pics Stephen
I never cease to be amazed at the
infrastructure and the ingenuity associated with the old railway lines.
I also note there's some rain forecast for outback SA over the next few days. Those puddles might get a top up.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 12:59
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 12:59
Yes we love poking around these old structures and think of the day when they were in their full glory.
It’s the same as a pile of old stone a few kilometres north of the tanks. The area was know in the 1880’s as Gibson’s
Camp, that was named after the Mayor of
Port Augusta. The hotel that was built used to service all travellers heading north and south and was the only hotel north of
Port Augusta and
Tarcoola further west. At the completion of the railway to the west, no one stopped there any more and the hotel was demolished around 1915 and another important part of history lost.
The couple of photos of the old hotel are courtesy of the State Library of South Australia.
Gibsons Camp Hotel
Gibsons Camp Hotel
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Reply By: Member - Gordon B5 - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 22:22
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 22:22
I just came
home past there Yesterday. Damn. Hotels & Publicans in SA has that hotel licensed until 1918. Last Publican was McCoy, R 1917 - 1918. So was it demolished in 1915 ?
PS 1880s Gason, Samuel. Ex
police trooper from
Attack Creek , he is buried at Gibson's
Camp
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 22:40
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020 at 22:40
Hope you dropped in for a look...
Samuel Gason was from South Australia. His first posting was at
Lake Hope, east of today’s
Birdsville Track and after serving in the north of our state, was transferred to the Northern Territory before coming back to South Australia and
Beltana. While posted at
Attack Creek, their
Police camp was raided, everyone in the
camp was wounded by spears and at least one
Police Officer died during the attack by local Aboriginals.
The strange part with the photo and the writing on it, it states it was demolished after the completion of the east west railway. That wording is wrong anyway, as the official joining of the east west railway line did not happen until the 17th October 1917 a few kilometres west of
Ooldea.
There is a tin on his grave and a very detailed story of his life and his love of this area.
Samuel Gasons grave at Gibsons Camp
Samuel Gasons grave at Gibsons Camp
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Follow Up By: Member - Gordon B5 - Friday, Sep 18, 2020 at 22:48
Friday, Sep 18, 2020 at 22:48
Stephen, No didn't know it was there until I read your post but I'm sure I'll be calling next time. I have an interest in old hotels.
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