Tracks of the Simpson Desert – What’s in a name?

Old Andado Station

An insight into the provenance the 'Simpson Desert Tracks'

There has been plenty of discussion with regard to names and origins of the tracks through the Simpson Desert with plenty of conflicting Information. Endevouring to sort fact from fiction my researched revealed the following for those interested in how the great tracks of the Simpson came to be there and how they were named.

Early Exploration

The aboriginal people who lived in and around the Simpson Desert would without doubt have been first to explore and cross the desert, probably hundreds or thousands of times over the millennia. Strong proud people who have adapted to one of the harshest environments over many centuries, they have the tenacity, skills and knowledge to find the food and water necessary for such a hardened lifestyle. This included the knowledge of where to find hand-dug wells called ‘Mikiri’. And indeed, the first European to cross the dessert did so with the aid of an Aboriginal Bushman Peter Ains in 1936. These early crossings did not leave tracks and are not named.

A number of early explorers and surveyors penetrated or skirted the Simpson Desert, beginning with Charles Sturt in 1845 and James Lewis in 1874-75. Among the early surveyors was Augustus Poeppel who surveyed the 26th parallel to the junction of the borders of Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia in 1880. Surveyors Cecil Twisden Bedford in 1884, David Lindsay and Peter Warburton in 1866 also intruded on the desert.

Warburton Track

Named after the Australian explorer Peter Egerton Warburton (1813-1889).

The Warburton track links the Birdsville Track with the K1 Line and Rig Road importantly allowing access from the South into the Simpson Desert.

In 1866 he examined the area around the northern shores of Lake Eyre. This track and the Warburton River (Creek) were named after him.

Knolls Track

Named after the geological feature teh Approdinna Attora Knolls

The Knolls Track runs NNW from the Rig Road to the French Line past the Eastern end of the WAA Line.

The fragile gypsum outcrops of Approdinna Attora Knolls are of great Aboriginal and scientific importance. They were once the highest dune crests in this area. The first European to visit the Knolls was Surveyor David Lindsay on January 11th 1886. With the aid of aboriginal guides the party survived by finding 9 lifesaving ‘Mikiri Wells’. Using camels, Lindsay crossed from Dalhousie Springs to the Queensland Border and returned without a full crossing as the land to East had already been surveyed. Another couple of days travelling East and he would have been in the record books 50 years before Colson's Crossing. Knolls track does not follow the route taken by Lindsay et al.

Colson Line

Named after Edmund Albert "Ted" Colson (1881-1950)

The Colson Track Runs NNW from the Rig Road at Lynnies Junction on the WAA Line through to ‘Numery Station’, East of Alice Spring and was reportedly constructed in the early 1960s to give access from Alice Springs to the oil exploration parties in The Simpson Desert.

Colson was a bushman, pastoralist and pioneer born in South Australia. With the aid of Aboriginal Bushman and explorer Peter Ains, he made the first and one of the most remarkable crossings of the Simpson desert by a European. Colson had taken over the abandoned station of ‘Bloods Creek’ near Abminga. Ever the opportunist, in 1936 Colson had seen good rains falling to the East and with Ains mobilised 5 camels and traversed the 26th parallel (NT/SA border) to Poeppels Corner. Then on to Birdsville where they stopped for a couple of beers (3 days) and set off home. This track also does not follow the route actual Colson and Ains took.

Madigan Line

Named after Cecil Thomas Madigan (1889-1947)

The Madigan Line runs from ‘Old Andado Station’ in the West, past the Queensland Border and South to Birdsville.

The Madigan Line follows the route explorer Cecil Madigan forged on his famous and well organised expedition of 1939 when he became the second European to complete a full crossing of the Simpson Dessert, Unlike many of the Simpson Desert tracks there are many places on the Madigan Line where there now is no discernible track.

Madigan is also responsible for naming the ‘Simpson Desert’ after his sponsor for the 1939 expedition, Alfred Allen Simpson (yes washing machines!). Simpson’s son Robert was the radio operator on this expedition. This track closely follows Madigan’s route and his numbered camps.

Seismic Shot-lines and oil exploration tracks

Shot-lines in the Simpson desert were tracks made during mining exploration by forging tracks (often with bulldozers), along which seismic measurement are taken to determine what may lay under the surface of the earth. There are literally hundreds of shot-lines across all parts of the Simpson Desert and most have now been lost to the wandering sands of the desert.

I spoke to Ian Campbell of the South Australian Dept. of Energy and Mining told me how these lines got their name.

Many of the earlier shot lines were often simply named after the location then a number signifying what line it was.

In the ‘60’s the names would be the year of registration followed by numbers or letter signifying which line then the interval number. For example, ‘63-B3’ was shot in 1963 and it was their B line (second) and the third interval.

In the 70s and ‘80s the names became more arbitrary. With the date still appearing at the beginning then a sequential lettering to denote which line. Much like number plates. Example 74-WAA first line cut by that particular operator, the next shot-line would 74-WAB then 74-WAC etc.

During the 60s,70s and ‘80s many more tracks were built by the oil exploration companies to gain access to the shot-lines, drill holes and to allow access for their equipment ‘Rigs’

It is interesting to note that Reginald Claude “Reg” Sprigg (AO) (1919-1994) and Esmond Gerald “Tom” Kruse (MBE) (1914-2011) played major roles in the development of these tracks.

As well as his fame for the first motorised crossing of the Simpson in 1962, Reg Sprigg was heavily involved in early oil exploration.

Tom Kruze gained fame as the ‘Birdsville Mailman’ but also ran a contracting company building many of these tracks for the oil companies.

French Line

Named after The French Petroleum (TOTAL)

This line closely follows the shot-lines and tracks forged by CGG in 1963 for Total. Shot-lines. 63-B1, 63-B2, 63-B3.

This track runs an almost direct route from Dalhousie Springs to Poeppels Corner, following a similar route taken by Sprigg a year earlier.

In 1963 a Brisbane-based seismic survey operator, the Paris-based Compagnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG) was given the job by French Petroleum (TOTAL) to chart the Simpson Desert for geophysical prospects, and work began in April 1963 near the Hamilton Creek region of northern South Australia. With Land Rovers, supply trucks and Blitzwagon semi-trailers, work commenced on a B-line on 1st July 1963 at Dalhousie Springs in South Australia and ended at Poeppels Corner early in September and on to Eyre Creek and Birdsville.

The French Line is now the most popular crossing of the Simpson Desert and closely follows the French Petroleum shot-lines.

K1 Line

Named after the Shot-line 64-K1 forged by CGG for Aquitaine Mining (ELF) in 1964.

The K1 Line (track) used today is a continuation of the 64-K1 shot-line and heads SSE from Poeppels Corner to the Warburton Track.

The actual shot-line 64-K1 is a long line that heads NNW from Poeppels Corner (Yes North)

The SARIG data (South Australian Resources Information Gateway) does not show the shot-line going South into South Australia. The K1 line (track) does follow the same line coordinates as the 64-K1 Shot-line, SSE all the way to Warburton Track.

The tracks North of Poeppels Corner, now listed on Hema and Google maps as K1 line is to east of the 64-K1 shot-line. The road that follows the 64-K1 shot-line from Poeppels NNW is still used today.

WAA line

Named after Shot-line 74-WAA, forged by Seismograph Service Ltd for Delhi Petroleum in 1974.

The WAA line runs East - West from Knolls Track to Rig Road.

Delhi Petroleum Delhi part of Delhi-Taylor Oil Corporation of Dallas, Texas. formed a joint-venture with Santos (South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search). Beach Petroleum Ltd which was the company formed by Reg Sprigg and closely related to Santos as consulting geologists and became intwined with the Santos history. Santos now owns Delhi Petroleum.

The WAA line is now popular with desert travellers and follows Shot-line 74-WAA closely.

QAA Line

Named after Shot-line 79-QAA which runs from near Windorah through Birdsville and then through to just West of the NT Border was constructed in 1979 by Delhi Petroleum.

The QAA Line (Track) runs from Birdsville to West of the NT border. Some maps show the QAA line following Shot-Line 79-QAA and then running South (K1 line) down to Poeppels Corner.

This track was left open at the request of locals to provide access through the desert from Birdsville to Poeppels Corner and closely follows the Shot-line 79-QAA to just West of the Northern Territory border.

Rig Road

Named as the track or road used to bring the ‘Rigs’ in by the Delhi Petroleum forged in the ‘70s.

In many places Rig Road follows the following Shot-lines

74-WAC Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

74-WAD Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

74-WAE Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

76-WBB Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

76-WBG Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

76-WBJ Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

76-WBL Delhi (Seismograph Service Ltd)

79-WDC Delhi (Geophysical Exploration Services)

80-WHR Delhi (Geophysical Exploration Services)

80-WHR Delhi (Geophysical Exploration Services)

80-WFJ Delhi (Geophysical Exploration Services)

82-WKN Delhi (Geophysical Exploration Services)

84-WMM Delhi (Norpac)

It is likely some of these shot-lines were constructed after the Rig Road was built.

Erabena Track

Named after the Erabena Ridge which is on the NT-SA border east of Poeppels Corner, where the ‘Erabena Drill Hole’ was sunk by Delhi Petroleum in 1981.

Erabena Track runs NNW from the Rig Road through to North of the NT-SA Border.

Erabena Anticline Structure or ‘flank’ on Erabena Ridge holds great scientific value, geologically and for oil exploration.

Hay River Track

Taking its name from the Hay River which was named by explorer William Christie Gosse (1842-1881) after Alexander Hay (politician) in 1873. Interestingly Hay was both Gosse’s father in-law and brother in-law being the father of his wife Agnes and the husband of his sister, also Agnes.

The Hay River track runs from Birdsville, QLD to the Plenty Highway near ‘Jervois Station’, NT.

May 1999 Jol Fleming (of Finke Desert Race fame) forged Hay River ‘jaunt’ from Jervois to Poeppels Corner, with four 4WD’s and a quad bike. He then worked with the traditional owner Lindsay Bookie (Batton Hill) to open access for the ‘southerners’ to the desert and the culture of the traditional aboriginals. The track was opened to the public in 2000. Permits were required.

This track closely follows Fleming’s route and intersects with the Madigan line at camp 15.

Conclusion

Without the input of the Aboriginal People, early surveyors, mining exploration and some very gutsy explorers traversing the Simpson Desert today would be very different. I take my hat off to all involved.