Parachilna, South Australia

Parachilna
South Australia
Selection of meats provided at the hotel
Parachilna
Coordinates 31°07′S 138°23′E / 31.117°S 138.383°E / -31.117; 138.383Coordinates: 31°07′S 138°23′E / 31.117°S 138.383°E / -31.117; 138.383
Established 1889
Postcode(s) 5730[1]
Location
LGA(s) Pastoral Unincorporated Area
Region Far North[2]
County Taunton[2]
State electorate(s) Stuart
Federal Division(s) Grey

Parachilna is a country town in South Australia. The town was first surveyed in 1863 due to its closeness to a government water well.[3] It is on the railway line and road between Port Augusta and Leigh Creek. Today, the Prairie Hotel, railway station, airstrip and a few buildings remain. The road east into the Flinders Ranges leads through Parachilna Gorge, recognised for its scenic beauty, to Blinman. The town is surrounded by Motpena station pastoral lease.[4]

The town's name is from the Aboriginal patajilnda, meaning "place of peppermint gum trees". The spelling difference is due to an early translation misreading.[5] The railway station was completed in 1881 as part of the line to Leigh Creek through Beltana.[6] The area was one of the set locations for the Australian feature film, Rabbit Proof Fence.

The Prairie Hotel is the only substantial building in the town, dating from the days when the rail was supreme. Away from the highway, the hotel fronts the railway line and the now derelict station building. The sandstone and limestone building has been in part retained, in part restored and extended. There are now no passengers on the line that once ran from Adelaide to Marree and connected with the old Ghan line to Oodnadatta and Alice Springs. The hotel's patrons come by car or bus. Local Aboriginal artwork decorates the lounges and dining room and there are displays of the nearby Ediacaran fossils.

The hotel serves feral animals like camel, goat and pork, as well as kangaroo and emu.

The historic Parachilna Fettlers' Cottages Ruins are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Postcode for Parachilna, South Australia". postcodes-australia.com. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Search result for "Parachilna, Locb' with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Counties', Government Towns', 'SA Government Regions', 'Gazetteer'and 'Local Government Areas'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Parachilna". Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 16 October 2006.
  4. ↑ "Placename Details: Parachilna LOCB (search)". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. 6 May 2013. SA0053274. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Place Names of South Australia - P". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  6. ↑ "Parachilna". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2006.
  7. ↑ "Parachilna Fettlers' Cottages (Ruins)". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.