Oodla Wirra, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oodla Wirra South Australia
Halfway Hotel at Oodla Wirra
Oodla Wirra Location in South Australia
Established	1889
Elevation	505 m (1,657 ft)
Location	259 km (161 mi) N of Adelaide
LGA(s)	District Council of Peterborough
Region	Yorke and Mid North
County	Herbert
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Localities around Oodla Wirra: Dawson Nackara Oodla Wirra Ucolta Parnaroo

Oodla Wirra (which used to be called Penn) is a small town in the northern part of South Australia. You can find it on the Barrier Highway, roughly halfway between the big city of Adelaide and Broken Hill. It's a historic spot that played an important role in travel and transport.

A Town with Two Names

Oodla Wirra has a unique story about how it got its name! When the railway line was being built in 1880, a special stop was made for trains. This stop was called Oodla Wirra.

Soon after, a town was planned and built near this railway stop. But here's the tricky part: the new town was named Penn. So, for many years, you had a railway station called Oodla Wirra and a town next to it called Penn. This was a bit confusing for everyone! To fix this, in 1940, the town was officially renamed Oodla Wirra. This made sure the town and the railway station had the same name.

The Railway's Big Role

Oodla Wirra was once a very important railway town. It was located on a special narrow-gauge railway line. This line connected Port Pirie to Cockburn. From Cockburn, another railway, called the Silverton Tramway, continued all the way to Broken Hill.

This railway was vital for moving goods and people across the country. However, later on, the Australian Government decided to upgrade the railway. They replaced the narrow-gauge line with a wider, standard-gauge line. The new, wider railway track was built a bit differently. It ended up passing south and east of Oodla Wirra. This meant the town was no longer directly on the main railway route.

Mining and Local Businesses

In 1889, something interesting was mined near Oodla Wirra. It was ironstone flux. Flux is a material that helps metals melt more easily when they are being processed. This ironstone flux was dug up from an old silver mine that hadn't worked out. It was then brought to Oodla Wirra. From there, it was loaded onto trains and sent to the smelters in Port Pirie. Smelters are places where metals are heated to separate them from other materials.

Over time, Oodla Wirra also became home to other important businesses. It had a flour mill, which would grind grain into flour. There was also a school for the children in the area. And, of course, the famous Halfway Hotel. This hotel got its name because it was indeed about halfway between Adelaide and Broken Hill, making it a perfect stop for travelers.