SARail & telegraph
Oodnadatta
For decades, this was the end of the line.
1890Town surveyed and proclaimed
WHAT STARTED IT
Oodnadatta was laid out as the northern railhead of the railway from South Australia. Its location near water and established travel routes made it a base for onward transport into Central Australia.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Cameleers carried supplies beyond the rails. The line extended to Alice Springs in 1929, and the replacement railway eventually bypassed Oodnadatta altogether.
TURNING POINTS
1890The town is surveyed and proclaimed.
1891The railway reaches Oodnadatta.
1980The old rail service ends.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A small outback community and stop on the Oodnadatta Track. Aboriginal community life, pastoral services and travellers remain important after the railway’s departure.