Charlotte Waters

History

Norman Tindale, in his Cockatoo Creek expedition (1931) journal, recorded Alkngulura as the name of Charlotte Waters, and translated this as "Alknga – eye – ulura – ?hill", and Strehlow was told by Tom Bagot Injola in 1968 that the waterholes close to the telegraph station were known as Alkiljauwurera, Alkngolulura and Untupera. Jason Gibson, of Museum Victoria, noted that two other Lower Arrernte place names have been recorded for the area: Adnyultultera and Arleywernpe. by Knuckey, after the surveyors had read Byron's long narrative poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-1818), which had been dedicated to the young woman (then Lady Harley, aged 11) as Ianthe. Lady Bacon had stayed with relatives in South Australia between 1869 and 1874. Christopher Giles (no relation of Ernest), a surveyor in Goyder's 1868 expedition and with Charles Todd in 1870, was involved with the surveying of the telegraph line with younger brother Alfred. In 1872, a telegraph repeater, post office and general store were built at Charlotte Waters, and Christopher Giles served at the repeater station until 1876. Charlotte Waters became an important stopover for those travelling into the interior, and also an important hub for a number of collectors, scientists and anthropologists, including Baldwin Spencer and Francis (Frank) Gillen. Gillen was stationed there from 1875 to 1892. Camel trains driven by "Afghan" cameleers often accompanied the expeditions or passed through Charlotte Waters. Patrick Byrne worked at the telegraph station for 50 years, Also known as Paddy or Pado, Byrne corresponded with Spencer and collected specimens for biological analysis for many years. Spencer named a small marsupial known locally as the kowari in recognition of Byrne's contribution as Dasyuroides byrnei, and…

Most-observed species

• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  6
• Zebra Finch

  Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  5
• Australian Kestrel

  Falco cenchroides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  4
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  4
• Singing Honeyeater

  Gavicalis virescens (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  4
• Whistling Kite

  Haliastur sphenurus (Vieillot, 1818) · Aves
  3
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

  Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
  3
• Diamond Dove

  Geopelia cuneata (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  3