Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy () is a town in northern South Australia, 846 km (526 mi) north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. The town is sometimes referred to as the "opal capital of the world" because of the quantity of precious opals mined there. A blower truck is raised above the town sign, representing the importance of opal mining to the town's history. Coober Pedy is also renowned for its below-ground dwellings, called "dugouts", which are built in this fashion due to the scorching daytime heat.

The name "Coober Pedy" is thought to derive from the Kokatha-Barngarla term kupa-piti, which translates to "whitefellas' hole", but in 1975 the local Aboriginal people of the town adopted the name Umoona, which means "long life" and is also their name for the mulga tree.

History

Aboriginal people have a longstanding connection with the area, which is considered by the people of the Western Desert to be the traditional lands of the Arabana people, although Kokatha and Yankunytjatjara people are also closely attached to some ceremonial sites in the area. The name of the town (decided in 1920) is thought to derive from the words in the Kokatha language, kupa piti, usually translated as "whitefella" and "hole in the ground", or guba bidi, "white man's holes", relating to white people's mining activities. Further investigation into the words by linguists shows that kupa may have originated from the Parnkalla language and that piti may be the Kokatha word specifically created for "quarry" (a white man's activity).

In 1858, Scottish-born John McDouall Stuart was the first European explorer to pass near the site of Coober Pedy.

On 1 February 1915, Wille Hutchison discovered the first opal in the area, after which the town was established. Opal miners started moving in around 1916.