The historic settlement of Beltana is located near Warioota Creek in the western fringe of the Flinders Ranges, around 540km north of Adelaide. The State Heritage Area includes the township and the nearby cemetery and railway structures.
Beltana is historically important for its links with the Overland Telegraph, the Transcontinental Railway, mining, outback services and the Australian Inland Mission. The town was also an important hub for camel-based transport during the 19th century.
People of Aboriginal, Afghan and European descents all regard Beltana as an important place in their cultural heritage.
The slow growth of Leigh Creek, 40km north, in the 1940s and 50s caused a decline in Beltana as the sparsely populated North Flinders region could not support two rival centres so close to each other.
The rugged visual setting and the small, simply designed buildings are an example of early settlement in South Australia. The existing buildings and ruins dotted about the area - once the homes and workplaces of early pastoralists, miners, developers and settlers - suggest a fascinating story of hardship and survival.
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