Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve
Overview
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The main feature of this 340 hectare Reserve is the pillar of sandstone which towers 50 metres above the surrounding plain. Sandstone deposits were laid down in the area 350 millions years ago. Since then, wind and rain have eroded away the softer material, leaving this solitary column of pebbly sandstone.
John MacDouall Stuart, heading north on his earliest attempt to cross Australia, first recorded the pillar in April 1860 and named it after James Chambers, one of his South Australian sponsors.
How to Get There
Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve lies 160km south of Alice Springs, along the Old South Road on a turnoff to the west of Maryvale Station. The road is unsealed and may be closed after rain. After the Maryvale turnoff, a 4WD is required to negotiate the deep sand drifts and steep jump ups.
When to Visit
The cooler months from April to September are the best time to visit Chambers Pillar. However, central Australia receives most of its rain in this time, so check first with local authorities regarding the condition of the road.
What to See and Do
Walking tracks explore the prominent features of Chambers Pillar and the surrounding area. At sunrise and sunset, the Pillar glows like a burning ember as the rays of the sun strike its face.
Visitor Facilties
Camping and picnic facilities, gas barbecues, information, toilets and parking are available.
Please Remember
Please camp only in the camping area provided between Chambers Pillar and Castle Rock. Camping fees are payable. Please use the gas barbecues provided for all cooking requirements.
Fact Sheet
Recreational Activities
Along with photographic opportunities, recreational activities and facilities within the Reserve include:
- 4 x 4 Driving
- Camping Permitted
- Kiosk
- Picnic Tables
- Walking Tracks.
Scenic and Cultural Features
In the Dreamtime it is said the Gecko ancestor Itirkawara left the Finke River and journeyed north east. As he travelled he grew into a huge and powerfully built man of super human strength and with an extremely violent temper. On the way home to his birthplace he challenged and killed, with his stone knife, a number of ancestors.
Flushed with the ease of his success, he then disregarded the strict marriage code and took a wife from the wrong skin group. His enraged relatives banished him and the girl.
The two retreated into the desert, Itirkawara raging in fury, the girl shrinking from him in deep shame. Among the dunes they rested and turned into prominent rocky formations - Itirkawara into the Pillar, and the girl, still turning her face away from him in shame, into Castle Rock, around 500 metres away.
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Ranger Guided Activities
Campfire talk
- When: Saturdays 3 May to 4 October 2008
- Time: 7:30 pm for 45 minutes
- Meet: Chambers Pillar Campground
If the Pillar Could Talk - Relax by the campfire with a Ranger and journey into the Pillar’s remarkable past. Discover its significance to local Arrernte people and its unique link with the early explorers and pioneers of the Centre. Bring a chair.