Andamooka, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Andamooka is a town located approximately 600 km north of Adelaide
in the South Australia
n outback
. Opal
was discovered in the region in the late 1920s, and the town developed out of the scattered miners' camps which established in the area. An Andamooka Opal Fields Post Office was not opened until 13 January 1947, and was renamed Andamooka in 1990.The Andamooka Opal
was discovered in and named after Andamooka.
The road
into Andamooka was sealed in the 1990s, but the remaining roads in the town are still unsealed.
Andamooka is the largest town administered by the Outback Areas Community Development Trust
instead of a Local Government Area. It is in the state electoral district of Giles
and the federal Division of Grey
.
, more houses are being built and transported in. Many of the town's houses came from Woomera
, a mostly military town that supported the Woomera Test Range
and Joint Defense Facility Nurrungar
. Not many people live in the traditional dugout style houses of old, although remnants of the town's past remain in the main street, with the cottages of old miners dug into the side of the hill in the main street still standing.
copper-uranium mine and the town of Roxby Downs in the 1980s, some residents of Andamooka are now employed in the mine
or in Roxby Downs, and many others are retired.
Up until recently, Andamooka townsfolk had to rely on water supplies trucked in from Roxby Downs, or above ground cisterns for the limited rainfall of the region. A pipe line to the township has since been built, although water still has to be trucked to the town's water tanks.
films were shot near and around Andamooka, one of the futuristic dune buggies used in the film still sits near the town's entrance. Another claim to fame for Andamooka is the "Andamooka Opal" that was presented to Queen Elizabeth the II on the occasion of her first visit to Australia in 1954. This opal once cut weighed in at an astonishing 203 carats (40.6 g)!
, with daytime temperatures in summer regularly topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and night temperatures in winter often dropping to zero (32 degrees Fahrenheit) or below.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
. Opal
Opal
Opal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
was discovered in the region in the late 1920s, and the town developed out of the scattered miners' camps which established in the area. An Andamooka Opal Fields Post Office was not opened until 13 January 1947, and was renamed Andamooka in 1990.The Andamooka Opal
Andamooka Opal
The Andamooka Opal is a famous opal which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s on the occasion of her first visit to Australia. It was discovered in Andamooka, South Australia, an historic opal mining town....
was discovered in and named after Andamooka.
The road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
into Andamooka was sealed in the 1990s, but the remaining roads in the town are still unsealed.
Andamooka is the largest town administered by the Outback Areas Community Development Trust
Outback Areas Community Development Trust
The Outback Areas Community Development Trust is a trust in South Australia which is operated under the Outback Areas Community Development Trust Act...
instead of a Local Government Area. It is in the state electoral district of Giles
Electoral district of Giles
Giles is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. The electorate, named after explorer Ernest Giles, is the largest in South Australia, covering a 500,738.0km² swathe of outback South Australia...
and the federal Division of Grey
Division of Grey
The Division of Grey is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who was Governor of South Australia 1841-45 ....
.
Housing
With the influx of work, an expansion of the mine at Olympic DamOlympic Dam, South Australia
Olympic Dam is a mining centre in South Australia located some 550 km NNW of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is the site of an extremely large iron oxide copper gold deposit producing copper, uranium, gold and silver. The site hosts an underground mine as well as an...
, more houses are being built and transported in. Many of the town's houses came from Woomera
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
, a mostly military town that supported the Woomera Test Range
Woomera Test Range
The RAAF Woomera Test Range is a weapons testing range operated by the Royal Australian Air Force Aerospace Operational Support Group...
and Joint Defense Facility Nurrungar
Joint Defense Facility Nurrungar
Joint Defence Facility Nurrungar , located on the edge of Island Lagoon, approximately 15 km south of Woomera, South Australia was a facility operated jointly by the Australian Department of Defence and the United States Air Force from 1969 through 1999...
. Not many people live in the traditional dugout style houses of old, although remnants of the town's past remain in the main street, with the cottages of old miners dug into the side of the hill in the main street still standing.
Population
The town at the 2006 census, had a population of 528 people and its main industry was opal mining for many years. However, since the establishment of the nearby Olympic DamOlympic Dam, South Australia
Olympic Dam is a mining centre in South Australia located some 550 km NNW of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is the site of an extremely large iron oxide copper gold deposit producing copper, uranium, gold and silver. The site hosts an underground mine as well as an...
copper-uranium mine and the town of Roxby Downs in the 1980s, some residents of Andamooka are now employed in the mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
or in Roxby Downs, and many others are retired.
Up until recently, Andamooka townsfolk had to rely on water supplies trucked in from Roxby Downs, or above ground cisterns for the limited rainfall of the region. A pipe line to the township has since been built, although water still has to be trucked to the town's water tanks.
Pop culture
The Mad MaxMad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
films were shot near and around Andamooka, one of the futuristic dune buggies used in the film still sits near the town's entrance. Another claim to fame for Andamooka is the "Andamooka Opal" that was presented to Queen Elizabeth the II on the occasion of her first visit to Australia in 1954. This opal once cut weighed in at an astonishing 203 carats (40.6 g)!
Climate
Annual rainfall is extremely low, with the average in the region just 160 mm per year. The climate is aridArid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
, with daytime temperatures in summer regularly topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and night temperatures in winter often dropping to zero (32 degrees Fahrenheit) or below.