The Arkaroo
Encyclopedia
In the dreamtime of Australian Aboriginal mythology
, the Arkaroo is a serpent who drank all the waters of Lake Frome
in South Australia
, the latter remaining a large salt pan most of the time. Heavily filled and tired, the Arkaroo retracted for a nap into the mountains west, carving by his body the valleys of what is known today as the Gammon Ranges in the northern Flinders Ranges
. He was attacked by other mystic beasts and let water on his rests, each position resulting in a waterhole, such as that of Arkaroola Springs and others. Today as in ancient times, rumblings of the Arkaroo can be heard in the mountains, which are scientifically explained by the seismic
activity of the ranges.
The Arkaroo has given origin of name to places in this region, namely Arkaroola Village, Arkaroola Creek, Arkaroola Springs and the Arkaroo Rock in Wilpena Pound
.
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal myths are the stories traditionally performed by Aboriginal peoples within each of the language groups across Australia....
, the Arkaroo is a serpent who drank all the waters of Lake Frome
Lake Frome
Lake Frome is a large endorheic lake in South Australia, east of the Northern Flinders Ranges. It is a large, shallow, unvegetated salt pan, 100 km long and 40 km wide, lying mostly below sea level and having a total surface area of 259,615 hectares...
in 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...
, the latter remaining a large salt pan most of the time. Heavily filled and tired, the Arkaroo retracted for a nap into the mountains west, carving by his body the valleys of what is known today as the Gammon Ranges in the northern Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
. He was attacked by other mystic beasts and let water on his rests, each position resulting in a waterhole, such as that of Arkaroola Springs and others. Today as in ancient times, rumblings of the Arkaroo can be heard in the mountains, which are scientifically explained by the seismic
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
activity of the ranges.
The Arkaroo has given origin of name to places in this region, namely Arkaroola Village, Arkaroola Creek, Arkaroola Springs and the Arkaroo Rock in Wilpena Pound
Wilpena Pound
Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains located north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in the heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park. The Pound is the most northern point with access via a sealed road in this part of the Flinders Ranges...
.