The old equipment opposite the pub at Carrieton

Carrieton (including Johnburg)
Small township on the edge of the desert between Peterborough and Hawker
The tiny settlement of Carrieton is located 133 km east of Port Augusta and 303 km north of Adelaide via the Barrier Highway. It is a tiny little town with a population of around 200 people in the middle of nowhere. It has been nominated a tidy town because, with few people around, once clean it remains clean. Although, in fairness, it is also true that being on the edge of the Flinders Ranges the locals take pride in the beauty of the location. It won tidiest and best presented small town in South Australia in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

Carrieton was named after Lucy Caroline, one of the daughter's of the South Australian Governor Jervois (1877-1883). It is a name of high incongruity. This tiny township being named after a member of the British upper class who spent only a short time in South Australia before marrying the implausibly named William Purey-Cust and returning to England where her husband became a Canon of Lincoln Cathedral.

Carrieton officially came into existence in 1878. At the time the area was characterised by extensive stands of timber and native scrub which included native pine, black oak and mallee. Although it was always marginal land the area around Carrieton has a long history of sheep and cattle grazing. In 1881 the railway from Orroroo to Quorn opened to traffic and this saw the area prosper. The railway closed in 1970 and slowly the facilities - there were three churches - started to close. By 1968 the area has been so sparsely populated that it has been unable to field either a football or a cricket team.

There is nothing of great importance here now but there is still a strong sense of civic pride. There are a number of rundown old buildings and a pub. Opposite the pub are a number of old wagons from what was once a wagon making factory.

It is worth registering that this is truly marginal land. Johnburg, for example, lies some 40 km north of Goyders Line (the measure of land suitable for agriculture) and over the past century has experienced an average of only 272 mm of rainfall with 55 of those years being below the average. This means that in periods of drought (one drought lasted for a decade between the 1920s and 1930s) cropping has been impossible and the farmers have been unable to make a living.

Things to see:  

Aboriginal carvings
Well worth inspecting are the Aboriginal carvings (of unknown age and origin) which can be found exactly 9 km north-east of Carrieton on the Belton Road. The carvings are on the right hand side of the road. For more information ask at the Carrieton District Council offices.

A derelict house at Johnburg

Johnburg
The road from Carrieton to Johnburg is pleasant and scenic although in summer there is a real feeling that this is dry, marginal land beyond Goyders Line. It is fascinating to see a substantial town like Johnburg which has simply died. The town was named after Major John Jervois the second son of the South Australian Governor Jervois (1877-1883). Johnburg was proclaimed in 1879 and settlement occurred immediately. The good season 1879-1880 was followed immediately in 1880-1881 by drought which had a debilitating effect on the future of the town.

	Tourist Information
	Flinders Ranges & Outback Information Carrieton SA Telephone: 1800 633 060 Facsimile: (08) 8223 3995
	Hotels
	Carrieton Hotel Main St Carrieton SA 5432 Telephone: (08) 8658 9007 Rating: *
	Restaurants
	Carrieton Hotel Main St Carrieton SA 5432 Telephone: (08) 8658 9007