Secret Rocks, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Secret RocksSouth Australia |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Secret Rocks
Location in South Australia
|
|||||||||||||||
| Established | 2013 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5600 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
|
||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Pastoral Unincorporated Area | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Far North | ||||||||||||||
| County | York | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Giles | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Footnotes | Coordinates Adjoining localities |
||||||||||||||
Secret Rocks is a special place in South Australia, located on the Eyre Peninsula. It's about 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of the town of Kimba. It is also about 227 kilometers (141 miles) northwest of Adelaide, the state capital.
This area was officially named Secret Rocks on April 26, 2013. Its name comes from an old farm area that was also called Secret Rocks.
Today, Secret Rocks is mostly a protected area known as the Secret Rocks Nature Reserve. This means the land is kept safe to protect its natural environment. A historical site there, the Refuge Rockholes Historic Reserve (Secret Rocks), is even listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. This shows how important it is.
Secret Rocks is part of the Pastoral Unincorporated Area in South Australia's Far North region. It falls under the federal Division of Grey and the state electoral district of Giles.
The Story of Secret Rocks
The history of Secret Rocks is linked to a famous explorer named Edward John Eyre. In 1841, he was on a difficult journey from Western Australia to Adelaide. His group was struggling through a very dry and tough landscape.
Finding Water at Refuge Rocks
On September 22, 1841, Eyre and his team were very tired. They had traveled through thick bushes and sandy hills. Their horses and wagons were sinking deep into the soft ground. There was no grass for the horses to eat, and they were worried about finding water.
Suddenly, a local boy with Eyre said he saw rocks in the distance. Eyre looked with his telescope but wasn't sure. The boy insisted, so Eyre went with him to check.
After walking about seven miles, they reached a sandy hill. To Eyre's great joy, the boy was right! They found bare granite rocks near the top of the hill. These rocks had many holes filled with water. At the bottom of the hill, there was also a spring with fresh water and good grass.
Eyre quickly went back to his group and led them to these hills. He named them "Refuge Rocks." He called them this because they were a safe place, a "refuge," in their difficult journey. He hoped they would be a refuge for future travelers too. This important discovery saved his expedition.
