[5] The first European was Charles Sturt who camped at nearby Preservation Creek[6] (Mount Poole) for six months during 1845,[7] and in 1861 the Burke and Wills expedition passed to the east,[8] through what is now the Pindera Downs Aboriginal Area.

By the late 1870s most of north-west New South Wales had been ‘claimed’ as pastoral properties though access to permanent water in the more arid country continued to be the key factor for establishing sheep stations.

The discovery of gold in the Grey Range near Mount Poole about 30 kilometres south-west of present day Tibooburra, provided the impetus for an improvement in water supplies.

Drought, invasion by rabbits and depletion of native vegetation led to this rapid decline in carrying capacity for sheep and the belated realisation that the ancient, nutrient poor ecosystem was unsuited for this type of activity.

[12] Today the entire parish is within Sturt National Park, and is also within a smaller Conservation area listed by the NSW Heritage office.