Place Names Register Extract

Olia Chain

Extract date: 04/06/2026

Name Olia Chain
Type Designation Range
Place Id 17345
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -25° 27' S (Decimal degrees -25.45)
Longitude: 130° 07' E (Decimal degrees 130.1333)
Locality / Suburb  
  Petermann
Local Government Area  
  MacDonnell Shire Council
History/Origin Although the area of the Olia Chain was passed through by Ernest Giles and Tietkens in early 1875, they made no mention of a name for the range of hills. Several mineral prospecting expeditions passed through the region during the early twentieth century.

Donald Mackay in his Diary of an expedition to Central Australia, 1926 on "page 17" under a hand-drawn map of the surrounds of Tornpakura Hill, Mackay writes "The hills NW of Stevenson's Peak known as Olia". Unfortunately Mackay does not elaborate further on the nomenclature.

Herbert Basedow in his Notes to Accompany the Map of the Mackay Exploring Expedition in Central Australia, 1926 makes clearly indicates on the map...Katamala Cone, Olia Chain, Tornpakura Hill...Stevenson's Peak, Ngaloaranna Hill, Butler's Dome, Foster Cliff, Von Doussa Hill, Gordon Hill.

Michael Terry in his Untold Miles - Three Gold Hunting Expeditions amongst the Picturesque Border-Land Ranges of Central Australia makes reference in the appendices nomenclature on page 270, that Olla Chain was named by Mackay; Derivation: Native Name.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

The Northern Territory Gazetteer is maintained by the Place Names Section,
Department of Lands, Planning and Environment.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

© Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory of Australia does not warrant that the information in this extract or any part of it is correct or complete and will not be liable for any loss damage or injury suffered by any person as a result of its inaccuracy or incompleteness. You are encouraged to notify any error or omission in the material by calling the Place Names Section.