Accessible by 4WD only, the
Peake Ruins consists of many stone buildings. Note copper
mine ruins and dangerous shafts also remain.
HISTORY:
Prior to the first successful crossing of the Australian continent by a white man (
John McDouall Stuart in 1862),
Peake Station was the most remote outpost of
European settlement.
In 1862 the Station was known as Mt Margaret Station, the
homestead of which existed some 80km to the south east. In 1863 Stephen Jarvis commenced building an outstation of Mt. Margaret at Freeling Springs and called it the
Peake. By 1876 the Mt Margaret site was abandoned and the
Peake site became the station headquarters.
Between 1870 and 1891 the
Peake site was also an important repeater station on the OTL and in 1898 work commenced nearby on a large but ultimately futile copper mining operation and smelter.
The
Peake site has been essentially abandoned since ~1906 and is now an important state
heritage site. DO NOT TOUCH OR REMOVE ANYTHING!