Oak Valley, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oak Valley South Australia
Oak Valley Location in South Australia
LGA(s)	Maralinga Tjarutja
Region	Eyre Western
State electorate(s)	Giles
Federal Division(s)	Grey

Oak Valley is a special community in South Australia. It is the only town in the Maralinga Tjarutja Aboriginal Council area. About 128 people live here, mostly Aboriginal people. Oak Valley is named after the beautiful desert oaks that grow nearby. It is located at the edge of the Great Victoria Desert.

About Oak Valley

Oak Valley is a unique community in South Australia. It is the main town for the Maralinga Tjarutja Aboriginal Council. This council manages local affairs for the Aboriginal people living on their traditional lands. The community is named after the many desert oak trees in the area. It sits on the southern edge of the vast Great Victoria Desert.

A New Beginning: History of Oak Valley

Oak Valley was started in 1984. It was built with money given to the Maralinga people. This money was compensation because their lands were used for British nuclear tests. These tests happened between 1956 and 1963. Living in areas affected by these tests has been a concern for many years.

In 2003, a new school opened in Oak Valley. The Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, and Education Minister Trish White were there. This new school replaced an older building.

Land Handback and Conservation

In May 2004, a very important event happened. Premier Rann returned a huge amount of land to the Maralinga Tjarutja and Pila Nguru people. This land was about 21,000 square kilometres. It is located about 1,000 kilometres northwest of Adelaide. It also borders Western Australia.

This large area of land was first called the Unnamed Conservation Park. Now, it is known as Mamungari Conservation Park. It includes the beautiful Serpentine Lakes. This was the largest land return since 1984. Back then, Premier John Bannon returned other Maralinga lands.

At the 2004 ceremony, Premier Rann spoke about a promise he made. He had promised this land return in 1991. At that time, he was the Aboriginal Affairs Minister. He had helped pass laws to return lands, including the sacred Ooldea area. This area also included the camp of Daisy Bates.

Cultural Showcase

Images from Oak Valley and the Maralinga lands were featured in an art show. This exhibition was part of the 2002 Adelaide Festival. It helped share the stories and beauty of the area.

Getting There

Oak Valley is quite far from major towns. Here are some driving distances:

• Ceduna to Oak Valley – 516 kilometres (about 7 hours drive)
• Yalata to Oak Valley – 315 kilometres (about 5 hours drive, via Ooldea)
• Port Lincoln to Oak Valley – 919 kilometres
• Adelaide to Oak Valley – 1288 kilometres