In 1894, the explorer Edward John Eyre happened upon a pool of water, in an otherwise dry creek bed, between Mount Deception and Termination Hill. He followed the creek and recorded:

“... for seven miles among the hills, to a point where the scenery is peculiarly grand and sublime. The cliffs rose perpendicularly from the channel of the water course to a height from 600 to 800 feet, towering about us in awful and imposing prominences. At the base was large pool of clear, though brackish water.”

— Edward John Eyre 1894

Aboriginal people called this place “Alcaroona” meaning flowing water. The surveyor Samuel Parry shortened the name to Aroona on his map and the pool was destined to become the water supply for the future town of Leigh Creek.

Picnic at Aroona Waterhole in 1951

(Photographs from the Enid Blieschke Collection)

Building Aroona Dam, 1952-1955

Originally, Leigh Creek’s water was obtained from bores at Sliding Rock. This water had a high salinity and supply was inadequate to meet the needs of the growing town and mine so it was decided to build a reservoir at Aroona Gorge, just west of Copley. Construction began in 1952 and was completed in November 1955. The dam wall was 65 feet high making a reservoir capable of holding 1,650 million gallons of water.

Click Here to see the full construction of Aroona Dam

Natural seepage from the dam provided permanent water into the Aroona creek below the wall and
it was always a popular spot for weekend picnics, swimming and catching yabbies.