A group of curious objects sit high upon the landscape in Mortana close to Streaky Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. They’re extremely old and have recently – geologically speaking – emerged from among the sand dunes.

Granite Giants

A string of giant rock domes stand above the surrounding plains looking like nothing else around. Isolated in the middle of a field the granite rock domes originated deep underground around 1,500-million years ago as volcanic magma slowly cooled forming a vertical band of rock containing large crystals of quartz and orthoclase. As an extremely hard rock the granite was able to withstand the erosive effects of rain and wind far greater than the surrounding bedrock and eventually leaving the granite isolated on a hilltop. Further erosion by the elements over hundreds of thousands of years have split and rounded the rock into the series of boulder-like forms we see today. They are believed to have taken on their current shape around 100,000 years ago.

What’s in a Name

Curiously named, Murphy’s Haystacks, as legend has it, received their title from a Scottish agricultural expert who advocated harrowing of the land to increase productivity. While travelling close-by for the first time in a horse drawn coach, the Scotsman happened to mention to the coach driver that the farmer must have harrowed his land to create so much hay. Subsequently the coach driver repeated the tale to his passengers each time he drove by.

In that age hay was piled high into stacks and the bigger the stacks the better the farmer must have worked his land. The Scotsman must have been observing either from some distance away, had very poor eyesight or had been on the road for too long that day to have believed the features were anything other than stone. But, as the land was at that time owned by a Mr. Murphy, the name stuck.

Isolated Mountains

The rocks are technically termed inselbergs or monadnocks – a form of isolated rock hill, ridge or small mountain. To add complication, being comprised of granite also allows the features to be known as bornhardts.

Take a Hike

There are far more inselbergs than initially visible from the road and exploring a little further along the pathway is worthwhile to see inselbergs in their earlier states of formation.

The land Murphy’s Haystacks lay within is privately owned and a small donation is requested to help maintain the pathway. A gravel car park is provided close to the haystacks and is suitable for a small number of vehicles towing a caravans.

If the light is right, and sadly it wasn’t during our visit, you could create some impressive sunrise or sunset photographs of the Haystacks. They would be particularly interesting as part of an astrophotograph with the Milky Way high above giving them the unworldly look they appear to have even during the day.

They are a curiosity and at any time of the day they certainly stand out from the surrounding landscape. Worthy of a visit for sure.