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Mallee Bound

Geranium

This pretty Mallee farming town was named after the wild geraniums that grow in abundance here. Settlement dates back to 1906, when the Government sank a bore. The railway brought more settlers and a schoolroom was built in 1929.

There are several good picnic spots, including the Railway Station Memorial Garden. Pick up a heritage walk brochure from the local shop and take a leisurely walk around the town. 

Halidon / Mindarie

With a local population of just 28, Halidon and Mindarie have a character of their own. The towns are best known for the annual September picnic races, the Mindarie-Halidon Cup which brings more than 2000 race-goers to the area.

Karoonda

An Aboriginal word meaning 'winter camp', Karoonda was surveyed in 1910 and by 1914 the town had grown to include an institute, various shops, a boarding house and 13-room hotel. By the 1920s it was a thriving railway town.

An important wheat and sheep-farming district, the big Merino ram that sits in the town's railway yard is testament to the importance of sheep farming in the area, particularly in the early pioneering days. Pioneer Park, which pays tribute to the district's early settlers, contains railway, farming and pioneering memorabilia; several bushwalks also begin in the park.

In November 1930 a large meteorite lit up South Australia's skies and landed two miles east of the town. The landing attracted worldwide interest and fragments can still be seen in the town council chambers.

Karoonda is also home to the Karoonda Farm Fair, a two-day festival held annually in April.

Lameroo

One of the larger towns in the Mallee area, Lameroo is a main service centre for the surrounding farming area. Although it was proclaimed in 1884, it wasn't until 1906 - when the railway opened - that the town took off. During World War II Lameroo was the site of a prisoner of war internment camp, and the mainly Italian prisoners were set to work on local farms.

Today, Lameroo welcomes visitors with lush lawned picnic areas, an 18-hole golf course and a comfortable hotel-motel.

The Mallee District National Parks and Wildlife SA office is located in Lameroo and has information on the various conservation parks and camping grounds in the area. The nearby Ngarkat group of Conservation Parks features 262,000 hectares of unspoilt natural habitat, and is home to walking trails, 4WD tracks and an abundance of native wildlife.

Lameroo celebrates its centenary in 2006; to see what's on, go to http://www.lameroocentenary.com/.

Peake

Settled in 1912 as a farming community, Peake was named after Archibald Henry
Peake, Premier of South Australia in 1909. Both the early settlers and the steam trains that passed through the town relied heavily on Polly's Well, which is now the starting point for a heritage walk.
Today, Peake has a tavern and general store.

Pinnaroo

Having started life as a sheep and wheat station, Pinnaroo is now a bustling service town and an interesting stop for visitors. Although the original station was deserted by the end of the 1880s, in 1903 the town was settled and its growth was encouraged by the coming of the railway in 1906. It quickly became the main service centre for the surrounding area, and enormous stacks of wheat lined the railway yards after each harvest.

Today, Pinnaroo has a good range of shops, a motel, pubs, a caravan park and farm-stays. Farming is still the main industry and the town's rolling landscape and excellent underground water supply have created a burgeoning agricultural industry, including cereals, potatoes, carrots, olives and grapes.

For an insight into the history of the area, visit the Mallee Tourist and Heritage Centre, which features fascinating historical collections. Pinnaroo is also the gateway to the unique landscape of the Mallee, and nearby Karte Conservation Park is a good spot to see the Mallee at its best. Wildflowers are abundant in spring, and there are good walking and 4WD tracks. The Scorpion Springs Conservation Park, part of the Ngarkat group of Conservation Parks, is located on the edge of Pinnaroo.

Wanbi

This tiny settlement's main landmarks are the towering grain silos. Stop for a beer and have a chat to a friendly Mallee local at the two-storey Wanbi Hotel.

MUST SEE, MUST DO

• Learn how newspapers used to be made at the Letterpress Printing Museum at Pinnaroo
• Head to a Mallee conservation park in search of the elusive malleefowl
• Drop into the Lameroo Craft Shop for home-made scones with jam and cream
• Take snaps of friends and family with the big ram at Karoonda
• Experience an Outback race day at the Mindarie-Halidon Cup in September