The waterhole is surrounded by large river gums offering shade in
the heat - very nice for a picnic, coffee, or just a siesta
overcoming the hot hours of a mid sumer day.
The Story:
In local Aboriginal meaning, Bolla Bollana is "where the
dreamtime culprits got up and ran" before Arkaroo's fury.
We start to tell the legend of The Arkaroo at Nooldoonooldoona
(GC2MA4N). The serpent had
drunk the waters of Lake Frome and retired himself into and around
the area of Arkaroola. Occasionally, he encountered warriors and
other mythical creatures who tried to hold him back.
Steeply dipping rock strata and expansive rock faces,
criss-crossed by fissures, tell where started warriors made their
panicky escape out of the gorge in the face of Arkaroo's fury. This
Bolla Bollana Springs site is where they literally "got up and
ran". It is really one of the really permanent creek bed springs -
as against waterholes - along this entire gorge. [1]
For the remainder, Arkaroo eventually arrived back into the
Gammon Mainwater Pound to Yacki Waterhole. He descended into great
slumber and remains sleeping there to this day. A few times each
month, he turns uncomfortably in his sleep. This and his
tummy-rumblings and belchings foment the Arkaroo noises. The
tremors are the disturbance set up as his great body nudges the
sides of his rocky lair. [1]
Physical Explanation:
In the second half of the last century, seismologist the late
Dr. David Sutton of Adelaide University torpedoed the mystery
finally. In 1957 his delicate earthquake recording equipment set up
in neighboring Umberatana, recorded 56 local, minor earth tremors
in just one year. Shocks radiating out from rock slippages along
deep-seated fractures and faults near the eastern end of the
Gammons see the likely culprits. Similar movements and shocks occur
along many of the front-of-the-Range faults about Paralana. Myriads
of them would haves echoed out across the countryside during the
past few tens of millions of years as the Ranges continued their
hesitant uplift. Fault movements in the Gammon Ranges vicinity are
part of this pattern.
Internationally registered seismographs record the sound waves
radiated from inner earth movements. One of them is installed on
Arkaroola at ARKL = (-30.2760, 139.3390) with recordings and
display at the Arkaroola Reception desk. If you show high interest,
Doug Sprigg himself, amateur geologist, may enthusiastically
explain. Another seismograph is located in Hawker at HKER =
(-31.7642, 138.5524) with recording at the Hawker Service Station.
More details on this instrument and its recordings can be found by
seeking the Earthcache "Did the earth move for you too?" (GCZM4J).
Modern History:
Last not least, the copper ore rich region of Arkaroola led to
the construction of the Bolla Bollana smelters of the 1870's, which
are situated almost on the northern boundary of the adjoining
Balcanoona National Park. [1]
References:
[1] Reg C. Sprigg: "Arkaroola - Mount Painter in the Northern
Flinders Ranges, S.A.: The Last Billion Years" (1984) Gillingham
Printers Pty Ltd, Underdale, Australia