Andamooka

History

Andamooka lies on the Kokatha traditional land. The name is derived from a salt lake, named from the Aboriginal "Andemorka", by which the locality was known to Europeans as early as 1866, well before opal was discovered. The meaning is uncertain. At that time (1866), it was also known as 'Swinden's Country', after Charles Swinden of Riverton, who, in 1857, led a small horseback party that discovered it. They described it as a tract of 'generally sterile country, but having some patches of good pastoral land'. It was those meagre prospects which attracted pastoralists, resulting in the foundation of Andamooka Station, which for the next half century was the only industry. Since the granting of Native Title and pastoral leases in 2014, the Indigenous-owned Kokotha Pastoral Company now operates Andamooka Station, together with the adjacent Purple Downs and Roxby Downs Stations. Several historic buildings in the town are heritage-listed: the Andamooka Historic Precinct (containing Frank Albertoni's House, Bob Cutzow's Dugout, Tom Brady's Dugout, Mrs Perry's Kitchen, and Andy Absalom's House) and Dick Clark's Residence are both listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.

Most-observed species

• Zebra Finch

  Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  48
• Buffel-grass

  Cenchrus ciliaris L. · Liliopsida
  27
• Emu

  Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  23
• Black-faced Woodswallow

  Artamus cinereus Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  23
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  23
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  22
• Australian Pipit

  Anthus australis Vieillot, 1818 · Aves
  22
• Central Bearded Dragon

  Pogona vitticeps (Ahl, 1926) · Squamata
  20

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2016-11-03
  105 km N of Roxby Downs, Australia
• M 4 — 2014-06-09
  101 km NE of Roxby Downs, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2014-06-04
  110 km NE of Roxby Downs, Australia