Devils Marbles and Wolfram Mines Country
Wauchope, is a stopover between Tennant Creek and Wycliffe Well on the Stuart Highway. The Davenport Range can be seen in the distance and the Devils Marbles are only 13kms away.
Wauchope was named after John Wylie Wauchope, a member of the overland telegraph line construction party.
Wolfram was discovered east of Wauchope around 1917. Wolfram is a black shiny metal, heavier than lead that is used for hardening steel. Wolfram was mined spasmodically for many years, but labour shortages caused problems. Indentured Chinese worked the mines, but conditions were poor and they left.
It was an important commodity during the war years. Italian prisoners of war mined the wolfram during the war. By this time a hotel had been built and there was some relaxation.
The convoys travelling along the Stuart Highway were not permitted to stop there.
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