Old Wilpena Station, Flinders Ranges

In northern South Australia is a remarkable, spectacular National Park called the Flinders Ranges National Park.  One of the most historically fascinating places in the Park is the Old Wilpena Station which was still a working station within until the mid 1980's.

Situated not far from the towering mountains of the Pound itself, and within walking distance from the Resort and caravan park, this area is one of the more lushly vegetated areas of the Park.

But its real charm lies in the relics of past lives and farming in the region.  One of the unique aspects of the station is that the buildings are in excellent condition, due in part to the excellent caretaking of its past by the last residents, the Hunt family.

Rather than just demolish old buildings as was done on a lot of country properties, or allowing them to fall into ruin, they kept restoring them as needed and using them as station outbuildings, over the years. 

Book-Keepers Cottage

There are also many old items and fittings still present which give a unique insight into the workings and life on an outback property.  These include lots of old farm machinery,
blacksmiths bellows, tools and made items, hanging 'mouse proof' shelves in the old store and a fascinating herringbone pattern wooden floor and sack ceiling in the book-keepers cottage.

 Mouse-proof Shelves in the Store.

Food and other stores for the shepherds and other station workers were kept here and doled out in set amounts.

The Store Building.

Blacksmiths Workshop

Inside the Smithy

Old tools and items made by the blacksmiths still in situ.

Blacksmith's Cottage

More recently, as the station precinct reverted to National Park, mush renovation has been done on the main Homestead and it is now the Park Headquarters/ ranger station.  

The outbuildings and other historical features have also had some restoration at various times.

Visitors to the Park are fortunate in that they can stroll through the Homestead gardens and outbuildings, amongst towering gum trees and the Wilpena Creek nearby.

Emus, kangaroos and various birds are bound to be seen abundantly in the area.

The Homestead and Garden

The gardens are based on "Old English" style gardens, with a number of rose bushes, irises, violets, bulbs and a fruit tree orchard.

The Friends of the Flinders Ranges group maintain the garden, as well as help with various restoration and maintenance issues in the precinct. 

A replica of the old swing used by the hunt girls as children has been lovingly created by one of the Friends founding members, Athol Jackson.  In a corner near the gate grid is a special little spot... the Pet Cemetery where their beloved cats and dogs are buried, with their own cement monument 'stones'.

Behind the outbuildings is also a small people cemetery where a couple of people who worked at the station are buried.  

A 'meat safe' building lies behind the house, as do chicken coops.  There's even a more recent addition of a compost heap - courtesy of the Friends.

'Friends' compost heap used for garden green waste, returned to the garden as rich compost.

Some distance from the main homestead area is the old shearers quarters and shearing shed.


The Old Wilpena Station is a good reminder of the simpler more basic ways in which people lived in years gone by.  Lives dictated by the seasons and their environment... a harsh unforgiving environment at times.

They grew/produced a lot of their own food, water was taken from the spring, windmills pumped water to the stock and a wind power generator was situated on the top of a nearby hill with power lines running down to the house.

Water is still used from the spring to provide water to the Wilpena Resort and Homestead areas and a large solar power array has provides a portion of the power for both for many years... even before solar became popular in suburban areas- as well as a more recent smaller solar array providing power to the Oraparinna ranger station further north and one at Rawnsley Park station, as the power source for their wonderful Eco Villas. 

Solar Array at Rawnsley Park station.

Windmills are still dotted through the area, and on neighbouring stations.

Windmill on Neighbouring Rawnsley Park station.

Reminding us of others who lived simple lives, even more in harmony with the land, is 'Ikara'... the meeting place in Adnyamathanha, the local indigenous tribe of the region... which is a fascinating monument in honour of the traditional owners of the Flinders Ranges.

The 'Ikara" Monument at Old Wilpena station precinct.

There's an almost spiritual beauty about this place... towering mountains, ancient red gums, eagles soaring overhead, days ended with spectacular sunsets.

A visit here will give you a new appreciation for the brave hardy families who made their homes in this wild location. 

Tickets of entry are available in the Wilpena Information Centre, near the campground.  

Not to be missed if you are visiting the area!

Sustainable & Resilient Communities

DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE

In working to minimise the multifaceted problems facing the world as we move ahead in the 21st Century- such as climate change, pollution, Peak Oil... and in fact Peak Everything- there is a lot that can be done at community level. This article is aimed at opening up ideas and discussions and stimulating questions that hopefully will lead to a better understanding of what the options are and and to help you discover the areas in which you would like to get involved. 

Community is going to play an enormous role in future resilience and the sooner we begin to re-establish a deeper connection to our community, and work together with our neighbours, the better off we will be.

So... what kinds of communities are we seeing evolve, what issues are they tackling and how can we all play a part in creating our future?

TRANSITION TOWNS

The Transition Town movement, which began as a concept developed by Rob Hopkins and his students in Kinsale Ireland and then further expanded and put into action in Rob Hopkin's current hometown of Totnes UK, is now underway in many countries of the world, with many more communities in the early stages of involvement.

Transition towns work to a plan to take their community from high impact, high fossil fuel dependency to ways of operating which have less impact and are not so dependant on high usage of fossil fuels.

Is your town/area/suburb a "Transition Town"? If so, find out ways that you can get involved.

If not, who might you talk to within your community about the possibility of it becoming a Transition Town? How might you be able to drum up community enthusiasm and participation for becoming a Transition Town? What might the transition and energy descent plan look like for your area? What considerations are important for your community?

ECO VILLAGES AND INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES

These are purpose built, or established, communities which implement environmentally friendly practices, materials and lifestyles as a major focus of the whole community. The members work closely as a team to make the community work. Intentional communities may also have a specific focus which the members share, such as maybe creative pursuits, natural therapies or maybe spiritual beliefs.


LOCALISATION

Localisation is a big part of the Transition Town plan, and important for any community. It is not practical to continue relying on things to be brought in from great distances, not sensible for people to live far away from their jobs, shops, services and family. It makes much more sense for things to be concentrated within your local community, preferably within walking or biking distance.

What products and services do you utilise in your local community? What could you access locally that you usually source from further afield? What do you have to leave your community to obtain?

An interesting exercise is to trace the path of your food- and other items if you wish- from where it is produced to your home. Where does it originate? How does it travel to your location... and how far is this? What other resources might be used it getting it from "there to here"... such as maybe refrigeration?

Can you find ways to change your eating and other consumption habits, to use food etc which can be sourced closer to your home?

Can you find local farmers or growers whom you could buy from direct? What about neighbours with backyard chickens or veggie gardens- do they have excess for sale, or maybe a swap?

Approach your local supermarket or other shop about getting in more locally grown and produced food.

What about setting up a barter or other exchange system for your local community? They might be especially useful for skill-sharing projects.

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS

Every community has certain requirements- some are much the same from community to community, while some are more specific to an individual community.

What kind of needs does your community have and how could they be provided more locally, and using "greener" means? How can your community become prepared for these changing times?

Some of the things you might consider are:

Health and wellness care specific to your communities needs? Elder care? Food- what could be made or grown locally? Community Gardens? CSA's, swaps and markets? Encourage households to grow food? Council land that could be utilised for food growing? Fruiting street trees? Preserving and storing food? Localised employment possibilities to save on commute time? Making use of local people for things such as garden maintenance, cleaning, childcare etc. Transport- does your community need to campaign for better public transport? A community bus? Car pools and car shares? Transport for elderly members? Water- How about rain harvesting? Households encouraged to have rain water tanks? Water saving plans for public parks and sporting facilities etc. Waste- can better use be made of storm water or grey water? Can a lower impact sewage treatment/disposal system be implemented? Energy- generation of solar and wind power on public buildings? Households encourages to have solar panels? Housing- "green" requirements for new houses? Retrofitting encouragement for existing homes? Use of vegetation to help control climate? Workshops and classes held on all kinds of relevant topics, such as permaculture, organic gardening, retrofitting houses, reskilling etc. Emergency preparedness- emergency plans for potential disasters for your area? Advice on emergency supplies for households in case of extended power outage or interruption to food supply? Plans for community security and safety in the event of a disaster or other occurrence?

Do some research into what skills and knowledge your local community members possess. There may be untapped, or under-utilised talents right at your doorstep!

What is missing?? Can you recruit people to your area to fill those gaps?


COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS

Great savings in all kinds of ways can be made when communities work together on joint projects, or share resources. This is also a wonderful tool in building community spirit.

Here are some community projects which have been successful in many areas- maybe you will be able to implement some of them in your community:

Tool Libraries- a collection of tools and equipment, usually both donated and bought from borrowing or membership fees, available for loan or hire to members. This could also be done on an unofficial basis, by neighbours sharing what they have, rather than everyone owning a lawnmower, for instance. Neighbours may also decide to go in together on a group owned item. Of course, some general rules need to be agreed to between the parties, to make things as conflict free as possible. Toy Libraries- similar principle to above. Allows parents to borrow new toys for their children to enjoy, especially as children outgrow certain interests, or would just like a change. Many book libraries also have toy libraries. Community Garden- Either run on a plot per household basis, or everyone works in together on whole garden and divides up the harvest. Once again, clear guidelines are needed. Community produce swaps and markets. Trash and treasure type swaps/markets. Local currency- a currency which is only usable locally, at the places which have agreed to honour it. This has worked successfully in several locations, but is certainly something which needs proper research before implementation. The LETS scheme is a variation on this kind of system.

RE-SKILLING

To thrive in coming times, communities are going to require a resurgence of older skills, which are now much rarer and, in some cases, almost lost. Many things which we now rely on machines to do will need to be done, once again, by hand or by machines which don't require fossil fuels.

Skills which may be worth learning, brushing up on or locating people who know them:

Sewing and knitting Gardening- organically, or permaculture, especially with regard to food plants Preserving and storing food Home cooking from scratch Medicinal herbs and bush foods/medicinal plants General first aid Woodworking, basket weaving Using hand tools Repairs, knife sharpening, wood chopping Building and retrofitting Blacksmithing

Choose one, or more, and start learning!


HONOURING ELDERS AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

One of the great resources we should be turning to, and honoring, are our elderly people who have lived through times using the skills and principles we are needing to re-learn. Before it's too late, take the time to talk with older relatives and friends, or see if you can visit an aged facility, and really listen to what these people can tell you about thrift and making do and using less and ways to do things that don't require fancy machines or plastic galore. They won't be around forever, and when they go, their skills, knowledge and wisdom may go with them... unless we keep it alive.

Our indigenous people, especially the older people, also have so much to offer in understanding our relationship with the land and how we can better work in harmony with it. They also have knowledge of bush foods and medicinal plants, which are ideally suited to our specific climates, and may be useful in times of need.


COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND ENGAGEMENT

As much as possible, try to engage as many members of the community as possible in discussions and decisions about how your community might proceed, and allow people, where possible, to get to work on those areas for which they have enthusiasm. When people feel "ownership" of ideas... feel that they have a say and can act on their own ideas... things that they feel strongly about and have a passion for, they quickly build momentum and can achieve great things!

Community building events such as pot luck dinners, BBQ's, community produced entertainment, working bees, workshops etc help people to feel more a part of their community and more willing to take part in things more enthusiastically.

It is important to create connection, to re-create the village mind, and celebrate all that each person has to offer. All the skills, ingenuity and creativity that come together to make something truly wonderful happen. Together, we can achieve much more than the sum total of our individuals, we can become resilient and meet the future and what may come with a joy and positivity... knowing that we are not alone.

Volunteering- The Friends of the Flinders Ranges National Park

Do you have a love and respect for the part our National Parks play in protecting wildlife, ecosystems, natural beauty and in giving people an opportunity to immerse themselves in some of nature's most significant places?  Do you think you'd like working as part of a team actively doing your bit to keep these magnificent areas safe for future generations?  Do you like getting away, into the 'Great Outdoors'?

Then why not join a Friends of Parks group?  There are many such groups, all over South Australia... and beyond! 

The Friends of the Flinders Ranges National Park (FRNP) is a great example of people doing just that.  

The FRNP is a large area in Northern South Australia, consisting of spectacular mountain scenery, diverse wildlife and flora, as well as significant geological, historical and indigenous components.  It is also a popular tourist destination. 

As only a small number of Rangers are employed in this vast Park, the Friends play a vital role in all kinds of aspects of Park maintenance and protection.  

Some of the kinds of projects the Friends undertake are:

• Weed removal
• Seed collection
• Revegetation
• Herbarium collection
• Maintenance of the Old Wilpena Station garden
• Ruin stabilisation and restoration
• Park database information collection
• Park photography

The Friends have also undertaken various training to make their work in the Park safer and more effective.

Friends members run the school holiday Seasonal Events program in the Park, including putting on their own activities such as the extremely popular 'Discover the Wonders of the Night Sky' telescope evenings. 

It's not all work though... 
although work in such a marvelous area, in agreeable company, is usually a most enjoyable way to spend a few days anyway!

However, the Friends also have more relaxed social events such as barbecues and tours of areas of the Park with Rangers and Friends members or guest guides with specialist knowledge.

Most of the active members are from Adelaide, and travel up to whatever working bees they can manage to attend.  In 2015 working bees are planned to be mostly 2 months apart and will run for approximately a week's duration.  However, people who wish to attend are welcome to come along for a shorter time, if they can't make the full period. 

Accommodation is provided free of charge in the well appointed Oraparinna Shearers' Quarters.  Membership of this Friends group is $20 a year per family and includes a monthly newsletter.
For more information and a joining form please visit the Friends website.

Joe’s Connected Garden

In Argent St, Elizabeth Grove (and the street behind) an unexpected delight lies behind the relatively normal front yard facades of 4 suburban homes, in the form of Joe’s Connected Garden. 

The garden is actually 3 connected backyards- Joe’s Garden, Rosanne’s Garden and Mary’s Garden- with gates leading from one to another, along with one garden across the road- Irene’s Garden.  

The gardens are planted and cared for by the residents, but a special mention must be made of Rosanne who, despite many health l limitations, puts in an immense amount of time into the daily care of the garden.  And of course Joe, who’s knowledge and obvious ‘green thumbs’ has been a major contributor to the actual planting of the garden and ongoing work.

 
Permaculture organic gardening techniques are utilised in this marvellous ‘private community garden.’  All of the gardens are abundantly growing a huge range of fruits and vegetables, along with some other plants.  Fruit trees abound- the gardens boast over 400 varieties of fruit- including a large number of fig varieties , especially in Irene’s garden.  One fig is the fascinating sandpaper fig, which Joe tells was used by the aboriginal people like sandpaper, to smooth their carved wooden implements and weapons.  There are also lots of citrus, stone fruits, a large pomegranate tree and lots more, and even quite a range of tropical fruits such as bananas, avocados and mangoes, due to the clever creation of micro climates.  

 
Grape vines hang overhead, along with other vines and creepers here and there.  Raised beds containing a mass of lush strawberry plants and all kinds of other edibles are scattered throughout the garden.  A mass of enthusiastic spinach, silver beet and chard take over the ground level of Irene’s Garden seasonally.

In Joe’s Garden an in-ground swimming pool has been turned into a beautiful water garden, which is not only a delight to look at but a storage area for rainwater, available if needed.  Under Joe’s back veranda are a mass of plants in pots, many destined for a spot in the garden when the time is right.
 

Across the road in Irene’s garden is the plant nursery where they grow many varieties of plants from seed, cuttings etc for sale to the public, as a way of helping cover the water bill and other expenses the garden incurs.

Joe’s Connected Garden could not be as lush and successful as it is without the enthusiastic help of many volunteers who put in many hours of work over the year to carry out a myriad of jobs that need doing in such a large area of garden, such as planting, weeding, mulching, pruning and harvesting. One project undertaken was to install bird netting over much of the garden to lessen how much produce was getting lost or damaged.  

 Also, a small army of volunteers put in a lot of hard work to prepare the gardens for events, such as the (soon to be defunct) Open Garden Scheme.  The gardens usually get several hundred fascinated visitors during this event!
 

Helping out in the garden has been a great way for the volunteers to learn more about sustainable home food growing from someone who has so much skill, knowledge and experience-Joe has formal tertiary qualifications in urban permaculture design- as well as the great feeling helping brings and the spirit of community and well-being built through shared interest, good conversation and a connection with the earth and its abundance.  All helpers also get to share in the garden’s bounty, taking home excess produce and sometimes a plant from the nursery.

Although there won’t be any more Open Garden events at the garden, due to the closing of the program, Joe hopes to run other events, such as workshops and guest speakers, so it would be well worth taking the time to visit next time such as event is held, especially if you have an interest in creating your own flourishing organic food garden.  Well done all those involved!