Madigan’s
Camp sites are references to explorer and geologist Cecil Thomas Madigan who, leading a party of nine men made an epic crossing of the North
Simpson Desert, by camels, in 1939. Madigan took 35 days to make his west/east crossing.
Madigan's
Camp sites were all marked with small plaques on yellow painted star pickets in 1994 by Owen Correa Outback Expeditions. These day's 4WD
explorers have begun to retrace Madigan's route of this 1939 expedition - thereby following Madigan's Line. It's is done from west to east due to the steep eastern sides of the dunes until you get to about
Camp 15, which is on the
Hay River Track.
Camp 1A is actually just the location of where you'll now find the
plaque. The actual site of
Camp 1 is on private property and is inaccessible so the
plaque was moved to this more accessible site.
Note that the Madigan Camps are not necessarily indicative of good
camp sites for travellers, but are historical points from C.T. Madigan 1939 Expedition.