[4] The soak is a permanent clay pan waterhole surrounded by sand dunes, first discovered by Europeans when Ernest Giles used it in 1875.

[5] It was around this time that a severe drought[6] led many desert people to migrate closer to the waterhole, increasing pressure on the limited water resources now largely reserved for use by trains.

[9] The mission was visited twice by Norman Tindale and was home for many years to Daisy Bates, both concerned with understanding and protecting Aboriginal culture.

The historic Ooldea Soak and Former United Aborigines Mission Site and Daisy Bates' Campsite are both listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.

[4] In 2023, Bangarra Dance Theatre performed a work choreographed by their artistic director, Kokatha woman Frances Rings, called Yuldea, which tells the story of the colonisation of the area from an Aboriginal perspective.