Chapter 11

Sam and Tessa spent only four days in Sydney, then drove their Toyota Kluger to Iga Warta, by way of Wagga Wagga, Mildura and Burra. After a few days with her parents and grandfather (whom she assured that now that she was done with university, she’d begin having babies), they drove to Marree, where they’d met. Tessa was driving, so Sam read the centenary book on Marree, which Tessa’d unearthed at ‘home.’

The town of Marree lies on the grey shales of the Great Artesian Basin about 7 km northeast of the old hard rocks which rim the Basin and form the Willouran Range. Rocks of the ranges include sandstone, slate, dolomite (a kind of limestone) and some bouldery rocks of glacial origin. These all originated over 600 million years ago (Proterozoic time) under water, either in lakes or shallow seas, and were later folded up an[d] fractured. During uplift these rocks were intruded by white quartz veins and some copper-bearing veins. Traces of copper occur at the Breaden Hill Mine and white quartz fragments cover the slopes of the ranges.

“Interesting,” Sam said. He read on, noting “‘The main aquifer sand of the Great Artesian Basin is the most reliable source of water in the Marree district... ‘ It goes on to say that many of the wells have fallen into disuse.”

“Yes. First the railroad came. Then the Afghan cameleers. Then the new rail line further west. The town gained and lost population,” Tessa responded.

“Yes. I understand that.” Sam read further:

The Marree district is typical of much of Australia – it has an arid climate, subdued topography, sheep, cattle, kangaroos and a few people. Nevertheless, it is an interesting area geologically and to many people the landscape has its own special beauty.

“That’s still true,” Tessa commented. Sam went on:

It was ... in 1858 that J.M. Stuart, who had accompanied Sturt in 1844, explored the country west and north-west of Lake Torrens.

“Isn’t that interesting!” Sam remarked.

“What?”

“My distant relatives were here!”

“You’re joking!”

“No. You’ve met Rachel, my grandmother.”

“Yes?”

“Well, her dad is Charles Stuart Eyre, he’s Gordy’s age. And his great-grandfather was John Stuart. I know there’s a relation to Eyre, but I’m not clear on that. He had four sons.”

“Wow! My husband comes of a distinguished lineage!”

“Don’t be snarky.”

Tessa laughed and a few minutes later, pulled up in front of The Marree Hotel on Railway Terrace South. The town seemed deserted. “Take out the two cases and wait here. I’ll pull into the lot, lock up the car and be back in a few minutes.”

They registered for the night and deposited their bags in their room.

“It’s only early afternoon, let’s walk over to the school.” [The town of Marree had a population of approximately 150 persons in 2019; the Aboriginal School served a population of 60 at that time.]

They turned left, walked past High Street to Sixth Street, made a left and crossed Second Street and then First Street.

“I know I’m backward,” Sam said, “but isn’t this the corner of First and Sixth?”

Tessa laughed. “I never understood the numbering. There’s First and Second and, on the far side to the tracks, there’s Third and Fourth. Fifth and Sixth are perpendicular to them. But Sixth is discontinuous and Fifth is largely unpaved. My guess is there was once a plan. High is also discontinuous between Railway Terrace North and Railway Terrace South. Marree’s not big enough to care.”

They ate dinner in the hotel and departed soon after breakfast for William Creek, a 200 km drive along the Oodnadatta Track. Sam pulled over at the “Lake Eyre South Viewing Point,” but there was little to see as the water was high, covering much of the colored strata. They each ate an ‘energy bar’ and drank some water. They’d been told it could take eight hours, but they made it in just over six. Sam was taken aback when he saw a bearded aborigine sitting on a bench.

“I see you, Thomas of the Arabana,” he said.

“And I see you, Bunjil who was Sam. It is a long time.”

“Three years. My wife is with me. She is Purungu (Wodang) who was Tessa of the Adnyamathanha.”

“I would meet her. Wodang leads Bunjil.”

“First we must get a room. Is it still Trevor?”

Thomas laughed. “Trevor crook. He drink too much an’ drove into Breakfast-time Bore. The plane found him nex’ day.”

“Oh. I’ll go in.”

“OK.”

Sam told Tessa about his earlier conversation with Thomas and his inability to find him the next day.

“You meet a lot of hard-to-see folks.”

“I guess so.”

The next day they drove to Coober Pedy, but Tessa wasn’t interested in opals or sleeping underground, so they filled up on fuel and checked the coolant and drove up the Stuart Highway to Marla, while Sam told of his night in jail there and his week in Mintabie. They spent the night at the Marla Travellers’ Rest.

As in many other parts of South Australia, Aborigines were reportedly the first people to find opal at Mintabie. They sold black opal at Coober Pedy during the first world war but it was many years before miners braved the harsh conditions to mine the area. The first miners to work in Mintabie found the sandstone too hard to successfully mine. It was not until 1976, when large machinery was introduced, that the potential of Mintabie was fully realized and the fledgling township was established. -- Mintabieopalfield.com.