Officer Creek, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Officer Creek is an ephemeral
watercourse which runs from the Musgrave Ranges
in the north-west of South Australia
through the Aboriginal
community of Kaltjiti
in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
. With the Ammaroodinna and Currie Creeks, it forms part of the Warburton River Basin
.
Officer Creek is usually a dry sandy bed and only flows at times of very high rainfall.
interior, Ernest Giles
and another party member, William Tietkens, encountered 200 male Aborigines
. The Europeans fired shots, allegedly in retaliation for the throwing of spears. The Europeans escaped unharmed - there is no mention of Aboriginal
casualties. Giles later acknowledged that Aboriginal
aggression was usually due to white trespass on black land. Giles named the river where this occurred "The Officer", by which it was known until the 1930s when it was renamed Officer Creek. Officer Creek took its name from the surname of one of the donors towards Giles' expedition that he wished to honour in that way.
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
watercourse which runs from the Musgrave Ranges
Musgrave Ranges
Musgrave Ranges is a mountain range in Central Australia, straddling the boundary of South Australia and the Northern Territory , extending into Western Australia. It is between the Great Victoria Desert to the south and the Gibson Desert to the north...
in the north-west of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
through the Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
community of Kaltjiti
Kaltjiti, South Australia
Kaltjiti is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" ....
in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara is a large Aboriginal local government area located in the remote north west of South Australia...
. With the Ammaroodinna and Currie Creeks, it forms part of the Warburton River Basin
Warburton River
Warburton River is a freshwater stream in the far north of South Australia that flows in a south westerly direction and discharges into the eastern side of Lake Eyre. It is one of the state's largest rivers, and is part of the Diamantina catchment...
.
Officer Creek is usually a dry sandy bed and only flows at times of very high rainfall.
History
In September 1873 during his second trip into the South AustralianSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
interior, Ernest Giles
Ernest Giles
William Ernest Powell Giles , best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led three major expeditions in central Australia.- Early life :...
and another party member, William Tietkens, encountered 200 male Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. The Europeans fired shots, allegedly in retaliation for the throwing of spears. The Europeans escaped unharmed - there is no mention of Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
casualties. Giles later acknowledged that Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
aggression was usually due to white trespass on black land. Giles named the river where this occurred "The Officer", by which it was known until the 1930s when it was renamed Officer Creek. Officer Creek took its name from the surname of one of the donors towards Giles' expedition that he wished to honour in that way.