The Binns Track is a series of sealed and gravel roads and four-wheel drive tracks each with their own
well-known road names. By following the Binns Track you can travel from the edge of the
Simpson Desert in South Australia, to
Timber Creek in the Northern Territory’s top end. Altogether the Binns Track covers nearly 2,200 kilometres.
The track between Mt Dare on the edge of the
Simpson Desert to
Alice Springs has long been known as the Old
Andado Track so that is the dual name for this section of the track. This the most southern part of the larger tourist route known as the Binns Track.
The route traverses fascinating terrain that includes mountain ranges, rocky gibber plains, desert sand dunes and floodplains. It truly is a breath taking experience and one that you will not expect to see in Central Australia.
This trek can be done in either order and links up
well with other ExplorOz
Treks.
This section is recommended for 4WD's only. Towing of heavy duty offroad vans and camper trailers however is fine.
Be aware that the track north from Mt Dare crosses into Northern Territory and over the normally dry
Finke River. The direct route to Old
Andado is subject to flooding and track damage caused by heavy rain events. Therefore, it may be necessary to use the longer route through New Crown to reach
Old Andado homestead.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
Mac Clarke Conservation Reserve
One of Australia's rarest trees, the Waddy Tree (Acacia Peuce) is found in this reserve. It can only be found in 3 isolated stands on the edge of the
Simpson Desert in the Northern Territory and in Queensland. The other 2 locations are on the
Bedourie Road and near Montague Downs, QLD. Each site has up to several hundred trees, scattered over a few square kilometres. Even though the tree may live to over 500 years old, there are little signs of regeneration at the
Andado and
Birdsville sites. The waddy tree has a very dense hard wood and was used by aboriginals for weapons and early surveyors used the timber as
miles markers when making state boundary surveys in the 1880's.
History
The Old Andado Homestead was built in the mid 1920's by the McDill Brothers, Robert and George. They erected the original two room section as an addition to the earlier mud brick living quarters on the occasion of George's wedding. The iron and other materials used in the house were carted to Andado on a camel team from Oodnadatta by the then carriers Bagot and Marsh. The materials were dismantled from the house of Mrs McDill, Robert and Georges' mother.
Andado changed hands a number of times and in 1955 Mr H Overton, a part owner of Clifton Hills station formed a partnership with Mac Clarke, forming the Andado Pastoral Company. In 1958, the first of several new residences built 16kms west of Old Andado were completed forming the new and now Andado Station. Members of the Clarke family remained in the old homestead and in 1969; the Clarke family acquired the station outright, securing Freehold Lease no 778.
Mac Clarke died in 1979 and Molly stayed on to manage the property. Molly died in 2012 however a volunteer caretaker system has been in place to keep up preservation of the site and to enable campers to visit between May and October each season. An announcement by the family in July 2018 stated that the station would be leased to a tourism business to ensure that camping and access to the old homestead will be ongoing and managed professionally. To this day, visitors have continued to gain access via this route and there is good signage and local information to help you find your way.
The most important other bit of history to take place at Old Andado was that Dr Cecil Madigan started his 1939 Simpson Desert Scientific Expedition from Old Andado.
TrekID: 120