Parachilna, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ParachilnaSouth Australia |
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Selection of meats provided at the hotel
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 Parachilna
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1889 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5730 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACDT (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Pastoral Unincorporated Area | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Far North | ||||||||||||||
| County | Taunton | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) |
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| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Locations Adjoining localities |
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Parachilna (/ˌpærəˈtʃɪl[unsupported input]/ PARR-ə-CHIL-nə) is a small country town in South Australia. It was first mapped out in 1863. This happened because it was close to a government water well, which was very important in the dry Australian outback.
Today, Parachilna is known for its famous Prairie Hotel. You can also find a railway station, an airstrip, and a few other buildings there. The town is located on the main road and railway line that connects Port Augusta and Leigh Creek. If you travel east from Parachilna, you can go through Parachilna Gorge to reach the town of Blinman in the Flinders Ranges. The town is surrounded by a large area of land called Motpena station, which is used for raising livestock.
The Name Parachilna
The name Parachilna comes from the Aboriginal word patajilnda. This word means "place of peppermint gum trees." The slight difference in spelling happened because of a mistake when the name was first written down.
History and the Railway
The railway station in Parachilna was finished in 1881. It was part of a new railway line that went to Leigh Creek through Beltana. This railway was very important for transporting goods and people.
The Prairie Hotel is the most important building in Parachilna. It has been there since the time when trains were the main way to travel. The hotel is located right in front of the railway line and the old station building, which is no longer used. The hotel building is made of sandstone and limestone. Parts of it have been kept as they were, while other parts have been fixed up and made bigger.
The Old Ghan Line
The railway line that passes through Parachilna used to carry passengers. It connected Adelaide to Marree. From Marree, it linked up with the old Ghan line, which went all the way to Oodnadatta and Alice Springs. Today, no passengers travel on this line. Most visitors to the hotel arrive by car or bus.
The Prairie Hotel
The Prairie Hotel is famous for its unique food. It serves meats from animals like camel, goat, and pig. These animals are considered "feral," meaning they live in the wild and are not native to Australia. The hotel also serves kangaroo and emu, which are native Australian animals.
Inside the hotel, you can see Australian Aboriginal art decorating the lounges and dining room. There are also displays of very old fossils. These fossils are called Ediacaran biota. They are some of the earliest known complex life forms on Earth and were found nearby.
Filming Location
The area around Parachilna was used as a filming location for the Australian movie, Rabbit Proof Fence. This film tells the true story of three Aboriginal girls who escaped from a government settlement in the 1930s.
Historic Cottages
The historic Parachilna Fettlers' Cottages Ruins are also in the area. These old cottages are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. This means they are protected because they are important to the history of South Australia. "Fettlers" were railway workers who maintained the tracks.
Government and Community Services
Parachilna is part of the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia. This means it doesn't have its own local council like most towns. Instead, a state government agency called the Outback Communities Authority provides services to the community. These services include things like road maintenance and other local needs.
In Popular Culture
The town of Parachilna also gave its name to a 2013 album by the musician Andy Irvine.
