On this day in Australian History (Oct 30) October 30, 1890. : Oodnadatta, in far north South Australia, is declared a township, ahead of becoming a significant railway terminus. Oodnadatta is a tiny town in the remote region of far north South Australia. With a 2006 population of just 277, it lies approximately 1,011 km from Adelaide. Close to the edge of the Simpson Desert, its name is derived from the Arrernte word utnadata, meaning blossom of the mulga. The first explorer to arrive in the region was John McDouall Stuart, who explored and mapped the area in 1859. The Overland Telegraph line followed in the wake of Stuarts exploration. Soon after, the railway line from Adelaide was also constructed, with its terminus at Warrina. The town was surveyed on 30 October 1890, and on that day Oodnadatta was declared a Government township. Less than three months later, the railway line was opened from Warrina to Oodnadatta, and Oodnadatta became the terminus of the Great Northern Railway, later The Ghan. With the development of the railway, Oodnadatta became a busy town in South Australias far north, being a government service centre and supply depot for the surrounding pastoral properties. A post office was established in 1891, and an Anglican Sunday School a year later. A General store and Butcher also followed, among other businesses. Until the railway was extended to Alice Springs in 1929, the town was largely supplied from Alice Springs by Afghan camel trains. Oodnadattas importance continued through to World War II, when the Australian Defence Forces established facilities to service troop trains and fighter aircraft en route to Darwin. In 1981, the railway line was moved to the west, and the town became a residential freehold town for indigenous Australians.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 06:38:34 +0000
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