Mt Wood homestead ruins Sturt NP NSW

P9090504 We drove in here and parked, then looked around and saw all the nails, and some handmade, scattered around, so we carefully backed out retracing our tracks. Some tourist swing in, wheel around and never see the bits of wire and nails waiting to stick into a tyre, some don't even get out of the car! Which we can never understand! Video made to DVD 23/7/14 B2/155 copy for Ken & June. Ex Tape 19 Other tapes B1/78 copies on VHS 15A www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nationalparks/parkhome.aspx?id... still looking for a date,, but must be over 50 years ago! Native Plants and Animals The area of Sturt National Park was grazed for over 100 years prior to its reservation. During that period many native plants and animals suffered serious decline. The park is an island of regenerating native plant communities surrounded by pastoral lands. As such it is valuable habitat and a scientific reference area in the Corner Country. Rare and endangered plant and animal species known to occur in the park are then flame spider-flower (Grevillea kennedyana), grey falcon (Falco hypoleucos), Australian bustard (Ardeotis australis) and brolga (Grus rubicundus). Most of the known populations of Grevillea kennedyana occur in the park. The park has large numbers of the red kangaroo, (Macropus rufa), and the most westerly occurrences of the eastern grey kangaroo, (Macropus giganteus). Cultural Value The park has an exceptionally high density and variety of Aboriginal sites including hearths, middens, ceremonial sites, quarries and abundant stone artifacts, suggesting that a considerable number of people once occupied the area. The park therefore has special significance for Aboriginal people and value for research into Aboriginal use of arid areas. The park was the setting for important events in the history of early exploration of inland Australia. Charles Sturt, after whom the park is named, is the most prominent of these explorers. He traversed large sections of the land now reserved as park as part of his exploration of what is now the Simpson Desert to the north and west. A pastoral infrastructure of homesteads, shearing sheds and quarters, tanks, bores and fences was inherited with the six stations purchased to create the park. Most of the structures of Binerah Well and Mount King stations have been removed but Mount Wood, Olive Downs, Whitta Brinnah and Fort Grey have been retained for park management purposes. The structures are of varying degrees of historical importance. Mount Wood was a major western station and is of considerable historic significance while Olive Downs was associated with the Kidman family for much of its pastoral history. The Wild Dog Fence, which aims to restrict the movement of wild dogs into NSW, borders the park on its northern and western boundaries. This is the longest fence in the world and of considerable social interest. Cameron Corner is also of historical and social interest. It is the point where the boundaries of NSW, Queensland and South Australia meet and where surveyor John Cameron placed a marker in 1880. Mount Wood homestead and shearers quarters, Olive Downs homestead, Whitta Brinnah homestead and Fort Grey homestead ruin date from early settlement of the area between 1880 and 1890 but have had a number of alterations or additions. Other structures which are of historical interest include Horton Park outstation, other buildings in the homestead and shearing areas, yards, fences, bores and tanks. There are also a large number of relics including machinery and rubbish dumps. The Mount Wood, Olive Downs, Whitta Brinnah and Fort Grey homesteads are occupied by Service Staff and have been maintained as residences. Various facilities have been added for management purposes. The Olive Downs Mens Quarters is used for visitor accommodation. Renovation of Narcowla Hut and either the Olive Downs or Mount Wood Shearers Quarters for visitor accommodation is proposed. from www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/parks/pomfinalsturt.pdf