Wilpena Heritage

Wilpena Station, Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia, Australia

Old Wilpena Station is one of South Australia's most significant pastoral settlement sites due to its well-preserved condition, wealth of heritage and spectacular natural setting. An important pioneering pastoral run, Wilpena Station was established in 1851 and had a working life of 135 years, before slipping into retirement. This heritage listed site is a valuable archive of pastoral history in the Flinders Ranges and is culturally significant for both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians with the site holding a continued cultural significance for the Adnyamathanha people. Wilpena Station remains the most complete group of early station buildings surviving in South Australia in an authentic pastoral landscape. As I arrived early on this morning, it was hard not to be impressed by the magnificent stands of river red gums that surround Wilpena Creek and the old Wilpena Station. Surrounded by stunning views of Wilpena Pound in the distance it was easy to step back 160 years to the early settlement days of pastoral runs in the area. I really wanted to capture the heritage feeling of this site - those early settlers, enduring harsh conditions, a world of improvisation, dogged with self-sufficiency in a stunning landscape. As the early light reached the outlying buildings, it was hard not to feel some connection to the days gone by at this site.

AWARDS

2013 | Silver Award - Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA)

2013 | Silver Award - NSW/ACT Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Professional Photography Awards

2013 | Bronze award - Epson International Pano Awards