Coopers Creek, Innamincka, South Australia, Australia, photographs, travel.
All photos © Bill Chartres unless otherwise acknowledged.
COOPERS CREEK and INNAMINCKA
The Innamincka area of Coopers Creek is best known for the ill-fated expedition of explorers Burke and Wills through Central Australia in 1860. It is situated within the Innamincka Regional Reserve on the banks of Coopers Creek in South Australia’s Channel Country.
The Dig tree at Depot Camp marked the location of the buried supplies, left when the depot party decided to return to Menindee. Robert O'Hara Burke had asked the depot party to remain at Depot Camp, on the Coopers Creek, for three months, awaiting his return. The depot party waited for over four months, but they believed Burke would not be returning from the Gulf, so decided they decided to leave, after carving a message on a tree to mark the spot where they had buried supplies.
The Innamincka/Cooper Creek state heritage area is located on Kidman's Innamincka Pastoral Lease within the Innamincka Regional Reserve. The area is just over a 1,000km north east of Adelaide, along the Strzelecki track.
The Cooper Channel is an important natural feature of the state's arid north east. It is a stunning landscape with a network of permanent waterholes, many of which retain water and provide a haven for wildlife even in times of extreme drought.
 Coopers Creek - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Cullymurra Waterhole - Coopers Creek - Sept. 1987 |
 King's tree - Coopers Creek - Sept. 1987 This is the spot where Howitt's party found King 15/09/1861 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Old Mission Hospital Ruins - Innamincka -Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
The Australian Inland Hospital was built in 1928, and operated until the early 1950’s when the
Royal Flying Doctor Service was able to provide better care for the area. The Mission was then abandoned
and fell into disrepair. In the mid 1990’s, Santos and the Australian Geographic sponsored the restoration of the building. It now houses the National Park Headquarters and a museum to the pioneering spirit of the nurses who served there. |
 National Park Headquarters - Innamincka The restored Mission Hospital (Photo © K Heaney) |
 Blazed tree - Coopers Creek - Sept. 1987 For information on the Burke & Wills Expidition Visit their Web Site . (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Dig tree - Coopers Creek - Sept1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Burke's tree - Coopers Creek - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Will's Memorial - Innamincka - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 King's Memorial - Innamincka - Sept. 1987 John King was the sole survivor of Burke's party. He was rescued in September 1861, after being befriended by local aborigines. (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Burke's Memorial - Innamincka - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Jason Chartres Will's Memorial - Innamincka - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 The trading Post - Innamincka - Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |
 Coopers Creek -Innamincka- Sept. 1987 (Photo © Bill Chartres 1987) |