Woomera Marine Centre: Lisa is amazed by for of the marvels of the sea in the Outback region of South Australia

There was a time when the vast outback of south Australia played an important role in the Cold War. The British military tested weapons of mass destruction out here as prototypes for intercontinental ballistic missiles were fired into the gibber desert. The town of Woomera was purpose built and was one time home to as many as seven thousand people.

There's not a lot to hit out here - and that was part of the attraction. In the early 1950s Woomera was the second busiest launch site in the world after Cape Canaveral, in Florida. So this far inland, the last thing you'd expect to find is a Marine Centre and Fish Farm - but there is one.

Woomera's not generally known for its marine life but in the local Marine Centre it's easy to forget you're in the outback - a long way from the ocean. The centre is run by students from the Woomera Area School as part of their Aquaculture and marine studies. They have a roster for feeding the fish, cleaning the tanks and running the gift shop.

The variety of fish is amazing with cold water, tropical and salt-water species on show. The centre is designed to give the students very hands on contact with marine science and local tourism projects.

Amelia Bannerman, student: "The idea came from our principal, Stuart Knox. He was looking at the history of Woomera and found about a million years ago there was an ocean here. So he decided to bring that back to show everybody what it was like…"

But remarkably, the Woomera Area School's fascination with water doesn't end with the Marine Centre - there's also a fish farm at the local Area School.

Led by teacher Andrew Hudson, the aquaculture course has seen the former Physics Lab transformed into a fish farm of containing six 20-thousand litre tanks. The latest crop was barramundi but the kids have produced rainbow trout and even marron.

The project runs the full school year with fish reaching ideal plate size come the summer break. That's when the only 'down side' of the project comes around - after all, who wants to fillet 500 fish? Nevertheless, the job gets done and the local families and clubs dine on barramundi with the satisfaction of knowing that it was grown locally.

The Woomera Marine Centre is in the middle to town at is open Monday t0 Saturday from 11 til 3.30 or by appointment. If you have any furhter questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Woomera Marine Centre
Open Mon - Sat 11.00am - 3.30pm or by appointment
Ph 8673 7287

Published 22 February 2009