Protecting rockholes with the “Patjarr Spider”
To protect important waterholes and rockholes on the sites
around Warburton in Western Australia and in the Anangu
Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia, Traditional Owners
have been making ‘waterhole spiders’ and other structures.
So far Patjarr Spiders have stopped any camels from
falling into rockholes where they have been built.
Patjarr Spiders can be made from locally available materials.
Typically an old Toyota wheel rim is used in the centre/top
of the structure. Brackets are welded to the hub to attach
8 legs made of standard 50 mm box tube steel. A sheet of
tin can be added to the top of the spider to reduce
evaporation. The Spider can be chained for cross bracing and
to stop native animals falling in.
The Patjarr Spiders are named after the community where
they were designed and first made. The Patjarr Spider is
designed to stop camels from getting into a rockhole, so they
don’t get stuck and die. The camel can still drink until the
water gets too shallow. The main thing is to stop them from
dying, not to prevent them from drinking.
The structures fit straight over small rockholes or
gnamma holes. They do not require any drilling or other
damage in order to fit over the holes.
For more information about Patjarr Spiders contact Andrew Drenen - Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Unit phone: 08 8954 0044
Photo: Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Unit
Toyota wheel rim
Brackets
Box tube steel legs
Chain
Photo: Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Unit
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