The Flinders Ranges near Hawker

Hawker (including Cradock and Yourambulla Caves)
Interesting historic railway town on the edge of the desert.
Located 374 km north of Adelaide Hawker is a tiny settlement which describes itself 'The Hub of the Flinders Ranges'. This piece of self-promotion is based on the fact that it is at the junction of roads from Port Augusta, Marree, Orroroo and Wilpena Pound.

Hawker, named after George Charles Hawker (one-time Speaker of the House in the South Australian parliament), was established in 1880. In that same year the railway arrived. Prior to 1880 there had been a settlement a few kilometres north at Wonoka which was a coaching stop on the route to Blinman. With the arrival of the railway the people of Wonoka moved south to Hawker.

Throughout the 1880s the town became the hub for the wheat farming in the area. The wheat was recognised as some of the best in South Australia and bullock teams brought it to the railhead for shipment to the flour mills to the south. The success of wheat farming was always on a knife edge. The rainfall in the Hawker area is as low as 175-300 mm per annum and the climatic zone is officially described as semi-arid. Consequently a few years of serious drought were enough to wipe out a number of substantial wheat farms which had briefly prospered in the area.

Hawker's moment of glory was connected to its importance as a rail centre. This is powerfully recalled in a plaque beside the railway line which declares: 'This avenue was established to mark the site of the north-south railway line which reached Hawker in 1881 and carried passengers, wheat, wool, stock and supplies to and from Hawker until 1970. During World War II the line became a vital link between Adelaide and Darwin. 18 000 servicemen plus hundreds of thousands of tonnes of military stores and equipment passed through Hawker on their way to the front'.

Things to see:  

The old Hawker railway station

Driving around the Town
In essence Hawker is one of those towns which is simply worth driving around. It is so isolated, and so removed from the rest of the world, that each street produces little surprises. For example there is some interesting old farm equipment in the grounds of the Outback Motel including an interesting old wooden dray with wooden wheels. Then there's the historic railway station (which dates from 1880) with its water tower and station crane now stuck at the edge of town and looking suitably forlorn. In Heysen Avenue there's an extraordinary house which has been made of pressed metal and corrugated iron. The Hawker Hotel (formerly known as the Royal Hotel) dates from 1882 and is located at Elder Terrace. Even Hawker Motors, the local Automobile Association representatives, on the corner of Cradock and Wilpena Roads, has a display of gemstones, memorabilia and Aboriginal artefacts.

Jarvis Hill Lookout
Located 6.5 km south west of the town this lookout includes a walking trail. The lookout provides an excellent view over the surrounding countryside. It is worth visiting in summer time to see how marginal this land really is.

Yourambulla Caves
Located on 10 km south of Hawker on the Quorn road, the Yourambulla Caves have some excellent examples of Aboriginal rock art. Most of the 'paintings' were executed in black pigment and are of a non-figurative nature. There are some emu tracks and some of the paintings have been done in red ochre. It is always best to try and visit caves such as this with a local Aboriginal guide. Contact FRAY Aboriginal Cultural Tours - (08) 8648 4122, fax (08) 8648 4333.

The old Kanyaka Homestead Ruins, near Hawker

Kanyaka Ruins
Located south of Hawker on the road to Quorn, the Kanyaka Ruins are definitely worth visiting. A strange collection of ruins dating back to 1851 when Kanyaka Station was a huge wheat property (984 square kilometres) on the limits of the desert. At the time it supported a station population of nearly 70 families (working on farms at the time was labour intensive) but the inevitable droughts drove the people away so that all that is left are the ruins of the buildings. The buildings include remnants of a stable and harness room, a woolshed and an overseer's cottage. Detailed information about the ruins and their history is provided on a number of excellent information plaques which include photographs of the buildings before they became ruins.

St Gabriel's Church, Cradock

Cradock
Cradock is nothing more than a broken down petrol station, a pub and one house. Further along the road is a beautiful old church, St Gabriel's Church, which was built in 1882 and is now part of the National Heritage.

	Tourist Information
	Hawker Tourist Information Centre Hawker Motors Cnr Wilpena & Cradock Rds Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4014 Facsimile: (08) 8648 4283
	Motels
	Hawker Motel/Hotel Elder Tce P.O. Box 130 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4105 Rating: **
	Outback Chapmanton Motor Inn 1 Wilpena Rd Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4100 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Cradock Hotel South of Hawker Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4212
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Mt Little Homestead Bed & Breakfast Leigh Creek Rd P.O. Box 129 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4206 Rating: ***
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Yappala Station Holiday Units P.O. Box 35 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4164
	Cottages & Cabins
	Emohruo Cabin Warcowie Rd Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 6282 Rating: **
	Flinders Ranges Caravan Park Hawker Leigh Creek Rd P.O. Box 55 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4266 Facsimile: (08) 8648 4366 Rating: ***1/2
	Hawker Caravan Park Chaceview Tce P.O. Box 170 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4006 Facsimile: (08) 8648 4139 Rating: ***1/2
	Henschke Cottage Leigh Creek Rd P.O. Box 129 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4206 Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Flinders Ranges Caravan Park Hawker Leigh Creek Rd P.O. Box 55 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4266 Facsimile: (08) 8648 4366 Rating: ****
	Hawker Caravan Park Chaceview Tce P.O. Box 170 Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4006 Facsimile: (08) 8648 4139 Rating: ***1/2
	Mt. Little Station - Henschke House Leigh Creek Rd Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4206
	Restaurants
	Hawker Hotel/Motel Elder Dve Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4102
	Outback Chapmanton Motor Inn 1 Wilpena Rd Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4100
	The Old Ghan Restaurant & Gallery Leigh Creek Rd Hawker SA 5434 Telephone: (08) 8648 4176