It opened one year ago this month and has been mired in allegations of abuse and delays in processing refugee applications.
Some staff say they are intimidated into keeping quiet about what goes on at the centre.
It is clear Woomera's residents are growing more desperate. In June they staged a peaceful protest against their conditions. In August their protest turned violent when about 80 detainees burnt buildings and injured security staff. There are two issues at stake. First is an apparent delay in investigating the assertions of child abuse.