In the dreamtime of

Australian Aboriginal mythology Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the Aboriginal Australian languages, language groups across Australia in their Aboriginal ce ...

, the Arkaroo is a serpent who drank all the waters of

Lake Frome Lake Frome / Munda is a large endorheic lake in the Australian state of South Australia to the east of the Northern Flinders Ranges. It is a large, shallow, unvegetated salt pan, long and wide, lying mostly below sea level and having a total s ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, the latter remaining a large salt pan most of the time. Heavily filled and tired, the Arkaroo retracted for a nap into the mountains west, carving by his body the valleys of what is known today as the

Gammon Ranges Gammon may refer to: People * Archer T. Gammon (1918–1945), United States Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient * James Gammon (1940–2010), American actor * James Gammon (engraver) (), English engraver * Kendall Gammon (born 1968), Ame ...

in the northern

Flinders Ranges The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about north of Adelaide. The ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. The Adnyamathanha people are the Aboriginal group who have inhabi ...

. He was attacked by other mystic beasts and let water on his rests, each position resulting in a waterhole, such as that of

Arkaroola Arkaroola is the common name for the ''Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary'', a wildlife sanctuary situated on of freehold and pastoral lease land in South Australia. It is located north of the Adelaide city centre in the Northern Flinders Rang ...

Springs and others. Today as in ancient times, rumblings of the Arkaroo can be heard in the mountains, which are scientifically explained by the

seismic Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...

activity of the ranges. The Arkaroo has given origin of name to places in this region, namely

Village, Arkaroola Creek, Arkaroola Springs and the

Arkaroo Rock In the dreamtime of Australian Aboriginal mythology, the Arkaroo is a serpent who drank all the waters of Lake Frome in South Australia, the latter remaining a large salt pan most of the time. Heavily filled and tired, the Arkaroo retracted for a ...

Wilpena Pound Wilpena Pound – also known by its Adnyamathanha language, Adnyamathanha name of Ikara, meaning "meeting place" – is a natural amphitheatre of mountains located north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in the heart of the Ikara-Flinders ...

References

* Sprigg, R.C., 1984: "Arkaroola - Mount Painter in the Northern Flinders Ranges, S.A.: The Last Billion Years". Gillingham Printers Pty Ltd, Underdale, Australia {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkaroo Australian Aboriginal legendary creatures Flinders Ranges Far North (South Australia) Legendary serpents