The Dead Heart of Australia

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my research for the common implications for the title of the midnight oil song, lead me to the original book of the almost same name, by noted geologist, J.W. Gregory, who made an expedition to Lake Eyre and surrounding districts in 1901.

google books did not have a review of the book, but google did provide me with a link to a wonderful online copy courtesy of openlibrary.org.

and, they _share_

furthermore, and most interestingly, if not ironically, his account begins with a chapter which describes the originary stories of the region as told by the local aborigines, who describe creatures called the Kadimakara who used to come down from the firmament of clouds which used to be supported by three very large gum trees. when these died or were killed, the other trees in the area also began to thin, and the sky opened up completely into what they called the ‘puri wilpenina’…

our recent trip there was in the air-conditioned comfort of a 4WD, in winter.

an image for you:

grid near Wilpena

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