Heritage Places
Heritage Place Details
| LOCATION |
| Map |
Show Map
|
| Address |
OOLDEA |
| Locality |
|
| Accuracy |
L - low level confidence |
| Development Plan |
Land Not Within a Council Area (Far North) |
| Polygon Type |
D - item has been digitised (generally because it doesn't exist in a DCDB parcel, eg. bridge |
| DESCRIPTION |
| Details (Known As) |
Ooldea Soak and former United Aborigines Mission Site (designated place of archaeological significance) |
| Registered Name |
Ooldea Soak and former United Aborigines Mission Site |
| Significance |
Historical and Ethnographic sources document the great importance of Ooldea Soak as a meeting place and trade centre for Aboriginal people in prehistoric times and in the early contact period. The dense archaeological material that litters the site highlights the Soak's importance in the distant past. Ooldea was also an important mythological and ceremonial site, the point where several of the major mythic tracks crossing the Great Victoria Desert and Nullarbor Plain region meet and interconnect.
For the Aborigines at Yalata and Oak Valley in particular, and for others on the west coast today, Ooldea is of considerable historical and cultural significance. For many of the older generation, Ooldea was the place where they had their first sustained contact with white people after leaving the desert and it was there that they were introduced to the European customs. For many, Ooldea was home for 20 years or more. The oldest among them remember Daisy Bates; others who came in later have fond memories of the Mission and its staff, despite the physical hardships they endured and the Mission's attempts to alter Aboriginal traditional beliefs and customs.
Ooldea is important to contemporary Aborigines as the place where the contemporary Yalata community began. Many Aborigines were born in the vicinity of the Soak, and spent their childhood and a good proportion of their adult lives at the Mission. The fact that many Yalata people were born there is especially important for a strong spiritual and emotional bond exists between an individual and the place of his/her birth throughout the Western Desert. |
| Subject Index |
Landscape area - Archaeological Site; Utilities - Spring; Aboriginal site - Historic/Contact site; Religion - Mission |
| Class |
State |
|
|
| STATUS |
| Status Code |
REG - Confirmed as a State Heritage Place in the SA Heritage Register |
| Status Date |
11-JUN-1998 |
| REFERENCE |
| LGA |
Unincorporated SA |
| State Heritage ID |
14446 |
| Heritage Number |
4 |
|
|
|
| SECTION 16 INFORMATION |
| Section 16 |
b - it has rare, uncommon or endangered qualities that are of cultural significance
f - it has strong cultural or spiritual associations for the community or a group within it
g - it has a special association with the life or work of a person or organisation or an event of historical importance
|
| PLAN PARCEL & TITLE |
| As listed in the SA Heritage Register |
| Plan Parcel & Title Information |
CT 4393/157 D31180 Q19 |
Disclaimer
While due care has been taken to ensure that the SA Heritage Places Database accurately reflects the South Australian Heritage Register and listings of Local Heritage Places in Development Plans, the State of South Australia does not accept liability for the use of the SA Heritage Database for any purpose. Users should consult the Department for Environment and Water - Heritage South Australia to confirm the listing of State Heritage Places and the relevant Development Plan for Local Heritage Places/Contributory Items.
In the majority of cases, the maps of State Heritage Places on this web site show the footprints of the most significant structures on a registered Place. However, sometimes they simply indicate the complete area of land comprising the Place. Work is proceeding to further refine the mapping of such places. It is also important to note that development control is not limited to the registered structures but extends to their setting and structures nearby (what is termed ‘development affecting’ a State Heritage Place). Hence it is vital that exact details of the listed place and implications for any proposed development be discussed with Heritage South Australia staff, as they cannot be deduced solely from the information on this web site. The inclusion of a place in the SA Heritage Register gives no right of public access. Permission to visit properties must be sought from the owners. The accuracy of the mapping of State Heritage Places is not guaranteed. Please contact Heritage SA ( https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/heritage/sa-heritage-register) if you believe there is an error.
GIS files
To access downloadable GIS files, go to Data.SA.