Grindell’s Hut is located in the heart of the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park on a hillside with spectacular views over the valleys and foothills of the Illinawortina Pound and the Blue Range. The McLachlan Pastoral Company built the hut in the 1950’s as a boundary rider’s hut and Outstation for the Balcanoona Pastoral Lease. The original hut built in the late 1800s by Grindell still stands just behind the newer hut.
The traditional owners of the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park are the Adnyamathanha people who continue to have strong ties with their country, ancestors, law and culture. Traditional owners co-manage the Park with the South Australian Government through the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park CoManagement Board. The Adnyamathanha name Vulkathunha was officially assigned to the Park in May 2003 and the word literally means ‘old lady’ and reflects a significant Adnyamathanha story connected with this country.
The more recent history of the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges has included mining, smelting and pastoralism. Illinawortina Pound, adjacent to Grindell’s Hut, is in the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges and can be accessed via Copley. The park is approximately 365 kilometres North of Port Augusta with the last 100km on unsealed roads with many rough creek crossings.