Hatches Creek is about 270 km south east of Tennant Creek in the Davenport Ranges and is accessed via Epenarra Station or turn off north of Barrow Creek.
Now it is a family community of about 35 Aboriginal people and has no police station or clinic.
The history can be found in more detail on Michael Hesters website which is summarised below.
Wolfram leases began to be taken out in the area in 1913. At the end of WWI the mining declined until just before WWII as Wolfram is a key ingredient for war production. Many indentured Chinese labourers evacuated from Nauru were involved in the mining. The Pioneer mine at Hatches Creek operated up until 1970.
Old Police Station Waterhole (marked as Policeman's Waterhole on maps) is about half way between Hatches Creek and Kurundi on the Frew River. It was established in 1920 - before Tennant Creek and was an outstation of the Heavytree Gap Police Station and Goal in Alice Springs.
A story about Hatches Creek Police Station in 1948 by Joan Deans - this article opens in a new window.
More details from Joan Deans return to Hatches Creek - this article also opens in a new window.
The June 1968 Citation Magazine also has an article by Joan that talk about life at Hatches Creek.
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There is a beautiful gorge near Hatches Creek. Basil Courts, an ex-policeman from Tennant Creek is one of the few people to have walked it.
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