Orroroo

History

Prior to European settlement, Orroroo was the home of the Ngadjuri Aboriginal people whose domain was the area to the east of the Flinders Rangers. The name Orroroo was thought to be a form of onomatopoeia in imitation of wind blowing through acacia trees. According to J. Gray, it actually meant 'early start', referring to the fact that the Ngadjuri, who usually camped at Pekina Creek, would move to camp at the Orroroo river the night before hunting for kangaroos, which would come up to the river at that point and thus allow them to make an early start at dawn for the hunt. Aboriginal origins, but the true meaning of the word is uncertain. The name was first used by an early pioneer who conducted a nearby coaching house which served travellers on the Burra-Blinman track. In 1844, the first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers, took up the Pekina Run which covered 320 square miles. They did not receive any rain during the 17 months that they lived there. As a result of this drought, they sold the Pekina Run for £30. Charlie Easther settled in Orroroo during 1864 and opened up an eating house that became a popular stopping point for the drovers and bullockies who travelled through the area. The town was surveyed in 1875, when Solly's Hut, a clay-pugged log structure, was constructed as the town's first house and is now used as a museum. In September 1875, the town was officially named by George Goyder following the suggestion made by Charlie Easther . The first land sales were made in May 1876. The town was granted its own local council, the District Council of Orroroo, in 1887 (taking effect in 1888), and the town's council offices were constructed in 1888. The District Council of Orroroo would survive until 1997, when it was merged to create the District…

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  76
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  72
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

  Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
  57
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  52
• Australian Ringneck

  Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805) · Aves
  49
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  48
• Little Raven

  Corvus mellori Mathews, 1912 · Aves
  47
• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  47

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2025-02-08
  83 km NE of Quorn, Australia
• M 4.9 — 2025-01-11
  74 km ENE of Quorn, Australia
• M 4.3 — 2024-04-17
  8 km ENE of Jamestown, Australia
• M 4.9 — 2023-03-22
  60 km ENE of Peterborough, Australia
• M 3.3 — 2018-07-09
  9 km NNW of Jamestown, Australia
• M 4 — 2017-04-24
  29 km ENE of Quorn, Australia