Milparinka was the first proclaimed town of the Corner Country and one of the feature communities of the Sturt’s Steps Touring Route.
Milparinka Heritage Town lies adjacent to the ancient creek that was named by Charles Sturt after his brother Evelyn. It is a short drive from the Silver City Highway, just 40 kilometres south of Tibooburra.
At first Milparinka was a shanty collection of tents close to the water’s edge that was established for the many miners who came to the area in search of gold, but after being surveyed in the early 1880s more substantial buildings were built on the sandstone plateau to the west. By the late twentieth century all but the Albert Milparinka hotel remained intact. The courthouse and police station were substantially damaged and the post-office and bank were ruins.
Today the town has been revitalised through the efforts of an inspired community group which has overseen the restoration of most of the remaining heritage buildings and purpose-built new centres to create an award winning Heritage Precinct.
Attractions include a Visitor Information Centre in the Courthouse, surrounded by additional rooms and spaces which interpret much of the local and regional history and environment, such as local Aboriginal Heritage, Pioneer women’s stories, Sturt’s Expedition, the Kidman era, postal, telegraph and telephone history and the wild dog fence.
There are separate buildings for mining and pastoral history, as well as first-class geology and fossil collection.
For those interested in astronomy there is a dark sky park, while art lovers will enjoy the many original works used to illustrate the interpretive spaces as well as the sculptural pieces around the town.
Native Gardens and picnic areas have been created for visitors to the Precinct and caravan park to use.
The Precinct also utilises environmentally responsible practises such as the collection of rain water, and is surrounded by a green-belt of native shrubs and plants. A recently installed solar battery ensures continuous power.
Visitors to the area often base themselves for several days in the caravan park adjacent to the Heritage Precinct, and enjoy day trips to the significant heritage sites association with Sturt’s Expedition including Poole’s grave and Sturt’s cairn, or even further afield to Cameron Corner, Sturt National Park and Tibooburra.
