First discovered by SA explorer Richard Thilwell Maurice during his earlier expeditions, he used the
well as a watering point on expeditions between 1897 and 1902, provided valuable detail of South Australia's far west and establishing with a degree of certainess, the locations of many
rock holes and native wells. He also made valuable collections of ethnographic materials and photographed the Aboriginal people of the area. His observations of the flora and fauna of the area are greatly valued by biologists. In his 1902 expedition, Maurice travelled north via Tallaringa
native well, to Oolarinna in
the Everard Ranges. The expedition travelled through
the Musgrave Ranges, to Uluru where dray tracks left by Gosses original expedition of the 1870's were still visible after nearly 30 years. From
Kata Tjuta Maurice skirted the south side of
Lake Amadeus and then to the
Cleland Hills. In the
Tanami Desert, six of his 14 camels died from eating the poison bush Gastrolobium and the remaining seven were badly affected. By abandoning some of the gear the expedition reached the
Sturt Creek station on 25 August 1902 after four months travel. At
Wyndham the party had successfully crossed the continent.
The
well was dediscovered by Len Beadell during his grading of the
Anne Beadell Highway. It is situated approximately 30kms from the
western boundary of
Tallaringa Conservation Park, on the
Anne Beadell Highway and is
well sign posted. This is a reasonable camping spot although don't expect too much from the
well.