Chook pen or ?? at Cadelga Ruins, South Australia
We’ve run our eye over “one or two” variations of the Australian chook pen over the years, but the structure at Cadelga Ruins on the road between Birdsville (Qld) and Innamincka (SA) is not what it first appears.
We are reliably informed that the structure was a meat house constructed by the early pastoralists.
The timber and wire skeleton was covered in green thatching to protect a fresh carcass from the harsh outback sun and even harsher insects.
As an alternative to the modern refrigerator, it’s reported that carcasses would be aged (dried) for a couple of days in summer and up to a couple of weeks in winter before consumption.
Located in the Sturt Stony Desert, Cadelga Ruins was originally called Cadelgo Downs when it was taken up by Robert Frew from Cunnamulla in 1877. However it was incorporated into Cordillo Downs, home to the famous Cordillo Downs shearing shed, in 1903 and used as an outstation.
By the early 1930’s when times were extremely tough due to drought and depression, Cadelga was abandoned although there are reports that the homestead may have been used until the 1950’s.
The old homestead is located on the banks of Cadelga Waterhole (Uloonanera), which was brimming with water when we visited in May 2023.
Three marked graves near the old homestead seem to sum up the extremes of attempting to settle in this area of outback Australia:
- A 33-year old man who died of thirst in 1885,
- Jack Hisgrove who died of thirst in 1896, and
- William Robertson who drowned in Cadelgo Waterhole in 1902.
by Michael Guest in Latest News
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