A Special Place Traditional Cache

This 'Special Place' on the bank of the Murray River at Berri commemorates the legendary talents of the Aboriginal police tracker, Jimmy James. Jimmy, one of the Pitjantjatjara tribesmen, became one of the first trackers enlisted by the South Australian Police when he was called in to help track down the culprit in the Pine Valley station murder case (1958). The skills of the trackers were legendary:

From those prints he is able to say with pin point accuracy how long ago they were made. Also, if the person who made them was carrying anything, and incredibly, if they are looking left or right as they walk. (The Sunday Mail, 5th September 1982.)

Another impressive success was in 1966 when Jimmy found nine year old Wendy Pfeiffer alive after she had been abducted and assaulted near Mylor. Overall, Jimmy was involved in more than a hundred cases over four decades. He was recognised for his services by being named the South Australian Aboriginal of the Year in 1983 and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1984. Jimmy's contribution to South Australia was recognised with a plaque in the Jubilee Walk on North Terrace in 1986. One of his most treasured possessions, though, was a gold medallion presented to him by Wendy's parents for finding their daughter. (More anecdotes can be found in 'Tracks' written by his friend, the Riverland CIB Detective Sergeant Max Jones.)

After suffering a series of strokes, Jimmy died in 1991 (thought to be aged 78) and was buried on the mission he helped found, in the Gerard Reserve Cemetary, at Winkie. The granite memorial on the bank of the Murray River stands as a tribute to the 'master of the art of tracking'.

Please take the time to wander along the river approximately 100 metres to the east of GZ to see the memorial and a beautiful part of the river. We did not want to just stash a box under a bush here, so the cache is located on the structure at GZ.

You may want gloves and you will probably need the hint. Good luck!