I’ve got a million of ‘em!

John Mannion is a local historian for the Orroroo community. Growing up on the family farm near Pekina, located 14 kilometres of Orroroo, he has a fascination for the local area. He is the co-author of the book ‘No place like Pekina, a story of survival,’ which is a fantastic book on the history of Pekina and surrounding area.

As a youngster, he was never particularly interested in sport and would rather fiddle around with machinery. He has always been intrigued by people’s stories, old buildings and railways, which led to his interest in collecting history. After working as an electrical fitter for some time, he is now a freelance historian among other things and also works part-time for the Orroroo Carrieton Council as the heritage coordinator. John has an Advanced Diploma in Local, Family and Applied History (UNE, Armidale, NSW 2003). Throughout his life, he has experienced the development of technology which has made researching and recording history a lot easier, especially with the internet. John still remembers his first recorded interview in 1974, which was very exciting and it amazed him as it gave the people he interviewed a voice and life to their stories, which is a critical element of history.

John focuses a lot more on social history which he calls ‘ordinary people’s’ history. He believes it is sad that the only record of some people’s lives is what is on their headstone and some people don’t even have this. Everyone has their own life stories, which often go unheard. The former Pekina station headquarters, located just south of Orroroo, was once a thriving settlement from the 1850’s-1870’s but nothing was ever heard about the workers. It is recorded that there are up to 35 unmarked and un-located graves at the site and another three identified graves nearby. John finds this very intriguing and would like to know who the people were, where they come from and why they went unrecorded. This is just one example of the things that motivate John’s research and emphasises his personal importance about recording social history.

John thinks that it is important to record history, as he believes ‘we’ owe the people who came before us an obligation. Recording history helps him understand the reasons behind why things around us are this way. Throughout his life, he has seen things changing and thinks that not only the facts that are recorded, but people’s stories. In ‘No place like Pekina, a story of survival’ this is shown as he includes many stories and personal histories, rather than just statistics and facts. This also applies to building and historic artefacts. According to John, anything has a story, from a railway to a stone wall. How it was built, when, why, and by whom, are just some of the questions that come to him. As John is very passionate about historic buildings, he has had many experiences trying to preserve buildings against demolition. Many of these attempts have failed, with the Orroroo railway goods shed and the Grave diggers shed at the local cemetery being just a few that have been destroyed. John and others did manage to preserve the ‘Red Bridge’ [railway], located near the Giant Gum Tree in the Pekina Creek, which is a valuable achievement. John is passionate about preserving historic buildings as they are a legacy to the people who preceded us and their efforts shouldn’t be wasted.

John Mannion is a very knowledgeable, interesting, enthusiastic person and a very valuable member of the Orroroo community. His extensive knowledge of the history of the area is remarkable and he is very helpful to anybody interested in what he does.

Written by Georgie Custance with special thanks to John Mannion who can be contacted by email johnmannion@skymesh.com.au

Linc Energy has been active near the town of Orroroo since it first began drilling and exploration on its Petroleum Exploration Leases in mid-2009. This program led Linc Energy to announce a significant coal mineralisation target of 1.0 to 1.3 billion tonnes of deep, low rank coal in November 2009.

Coal in the Orroroo region is anticipated to be in the required depth for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). A drilling and exploration program was recently completed and it is expected that the acquired information will better define the coal target and summarise essential hydrogeological and geotechnical information for Linc Energy’s feasibility studies and UCG modelling.

Pending the outcome of the drilling and associated feasibility studies, expected in the third quarter of 2010, Linc Energy believes the area may have the potential to support a
200-plus megawatt gas-fired power station. Longer term developments may include power generation of up to 500 megawatts and a Gas to Liquids (GTL) facility to produce cleaner transport fuels, such as diesel and jet fuel.

The proposed project

There are a number of decision gates to cross. Assuming that the hydrogeological and geotechnical data is favourable, Linc Energy’s proposed project stages may be as follows:

Stage 1: Power Generation (pre-production)
This will involve the construction of a UCG Generator, anticipated  for operation by the end of 2010. This will provide site specific gasification experience to gather engineering and environmental data to support Linc Energy’s project developments.

Stage 2: Power Generation
This will involve a power production project of up to 250 megawatts (15 petajoules per annum). The Orroroo site is about 35 kilometres away from major 275kV electricity transmission infrastructure.

Stage 3: Fuel production
It is anticipated that gas production will be increased to support a Gas to Liquids facility.

Enquiries

Linc Energy is committed to providing as much information as it can, as often as is possible. Individual enquiries can be submitted to linc@lincenergy.com.au.

The inaugural Flinders Ranges Kalamazoo race at Black Rock on Saturday 27 March.

[View with PicLens]

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The Orroroo Carrieton region is situated in the Mid North of South Australia about 300 kilometres north of Adelaide. This area was first settled by European pastoralists in the 1840s. They stayed until the mid-1870s when hundreds of farmers and their families established themselves on small farms – an initiative of the government ‘wheat drive’.

Small regional service towns developed and ‘the railway’ became the most important form of transport. In the 21st Century the number of stone ruins, large and small, suggest a once prosperous and well-populated district. But only the towns of Orroroo and Carrieton survive to serve the local farmers, graziers, townspeople and visitors.

We hope you enjoy this audio tour, which takes you through the development of this unique district through John Mannion’s collection of stories from past and present ‘locals’ and John O’Dea’s songs.

Buy it at Froling Enterprises’ online Store, “www.stupidcomputers.com.au“

http://www.stupidcomputers.com.au/ecom-prodshow/CD011.html

Orroroo dog ‘Chops’ is earning a reputation around the traps as a pretty smart dog! See his latest escapades.

MOUNT REMARKABLE.
That the popularity of Mount Remarkable among tourists and holiday makers is increasing is shown, according to our Melrose correspondent, by the number of motor cars and other vehicles which climb the mount.

Mount Remarkable is situated within a few minutes’ walk of Melrose township. About half way up the mount beautiful views of the plain are obtained from amongst the trees. A little farther up can be seen Hammond, and the high hill of Mount Brown, to the north of Quorn. From the top of the mount the Blackrock and Orroroo Ranges, the Wirrabara Forest, and the ranges near Petersburg stand out prominently to the south and south-east.

Ports Germein and Pirie are to be seen on the west side. Climbing the mountain is a favorite pastime, not only for the sake of the magninficent panorama which it provides, but also because of the bracing air for which this part of the north is noted.

From ‘The Advertiser’, Monday 13 September 1909

From 8am Sunday 21st March 2010.

Three timed distances out on the Pekina Road, run as a loop course.

5Km untimed family fun run / walk.

Cash prizes for timed race winners.

Updated!!
Orroroo Half Marathon Registration Form

Last Thursday, December 17, the Federal Member for the electorate Grey, Rowan Ramsey and his wife Teresa were in Orroroo for a ‘meet ‘n greet’. Grey covers an area of approximately 904,881 sq km from the Western Australian, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales borders to Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula and Eudunda in the south. The main towns include Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy, Port Pirie, Kadina, Maitland, Orroroo, Peterborough, Burra and Eudunda.

After meeting with the CEO and Deputy Chairman of the District Council of Orroroo Rowan and Teresa headed across to Maggie’s Rendezvous for an informal get together with interested locals, where they met up withbout 30 constituents who raised any issues of concern relating to federal governance with Rowan or Teresa. These ranged from the wool industry to student youth allowance, communications, Linc Energy, employment and training and water. Rowan addressed the small gathering and said that despite the short notice of his visit he was pleased with the turnout and that with such a vast electorate to cover it was difficult to visit all regional localities, but did so whenever he could and that it was important for him to meet the locals. Rowan admitted that the Liberal Party was having problems and that it was important for an opposition party to have stable leadership, which seems to be have been resolved with Tony Abbott as the ‘new’ Leader of the Opposition (Rowan denied that there was any truth in a circulating email that he was a candidate!). Before heading home for a well-earned break in their own bed at their Buckleboo farm on central Eyre Peninsula, Rowan and Teresa caught up with with one of Rowan’s former EP neighbour’s, Gavin ‘Spud’ Chapman of Orroroo Hardware. All in all the get together was a good opportunity for locals to meet their Federal Member and his wife – a genuine country couple – with the country in mind. Teresa was Teresa Larsson from Caltowie. “I get enormous support from Teresa, and being the member for this electorate would be an awfully lonely job without her support.” Rowan said.

Photo of Teresa with Joan Ellery

Buy a copy from Stupid Computers »

The Orroroo Carrieton region is situated in the Mid North of South Australia about 300 kilometres north of Adelaide. This area was first settled by European pastoralists in the 1840s. They stayed until the mid-1870s when hundreds of farmers and their families established themselves on small farms – an initiative of the government ‘wheat drive’.

Small regional service towns developed and ‘the railway’ became the most important form of transport. In the 21st Century the number of stone ruins, large and small, suggest a once prosperous and well-populated district. But only the towns of Orroroo and Carrieton survive to serve the local farmers, graziers, townspeople and visitors.

We hope you enjoy this audio tour, which takes you through the development of this unique district through John Mannion’s collection of stories from past and present ‘locals’ and John O’Dea’s songs.

Buy it at Froling Enterprises’ online Store, “www.stupidcomputers.com.au“

http://www.stupidcomputers.com.au/ecom-prodshow/CD011.html

Rowan Ramsay federal member for Grey, bumped into an ex EP neighbour, business proprietor “Spud” Chapman of Orroroo Hardware.

Gavin (Spud) runs with the business with his ever-helpful wife Carmel and has a ripper selection of tools hardware and building supplies. They’ve recently purchased the premises a couple of doors up and are setting this space up with camping gear for sale.

Rowan was in Orroroo to meet with councillors and used the opportunity to press-the-flesh with townspeople at the world-famous Maggie’s Rendezvous run by Joylene Tapscott, yep, Lukes Mum!

Photo courtesy John Mannion

December 24th 2009 – 7pm Main Street, Orroroo.

Always a laugh, come to the Orroroo Christmas pageant. The main street is closed to traffic so it’s a great safe and fun place to put in last minute orders to Santa!

This is the crazy hospital mob again!

Robert Teague and his dog Chops put on a show at Orroroo.

Was that Lachie Bowman in the crowd day 3 at the Adelaide Oval taking a one hander in the crowd??  If so, didn’t appear to even spill a drop!

Well that’s easy. Watch this video and it’ll all become clear(er).

Once you start playing the movie it will pause throughout so you can read the explanations.

Just click on the movie to continue.

I’ll add a few pointers for other bits and pieces later. If you want to see another’ how-to’ video leave a comment.

Orroroo local Luke Tapscott and his best mate Jack Trengove both studying the last couple of years at PAC, will begin their AFL careers together in Melbourne at Melbourne FC.

Luke has created a reputation for himself at North Adelaide. Picked in last night’s AFL draft, Luke’s pretty pleased that he’s been snapped up. If the footy blogs are anything to go by, there are plenty of  pleased Demons supporters and a few disappointed rivals.

A cause for celebration in Orroroo the pub was jumping during the draft. One of the local kids, Amelia, daughter of one of Luke’s early football mentors, Justin Duffy, reporting to me that everyone was at the ‘campdraft’.

“Carrieton Campdraft?” I asked, puzzled, “That was a few weeks ago”.

“Draft?, draft?, Oh, AFL draft“, she laughed.

Well the laughter and partying went on into the night over at the Tapscott’s place, I guess Luke had a few of his old Orroroo mates around as well as family and other well-wishers. And we all do wish him well.

Well done Jeff and Joylene; though for parents, interstate is always a long way away!

Congratulations Luke! Better get used to Mexican food!