Freshwater systems are immensely important in the arid environments of central Australia because they support much of the region’s aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Although the terrestrial wildlife that occurs in the central Australian arid zone is well adapted to cope with the extreme climatic variability that characterises this region, many species will be vulnerable in an increasingly warmer world. Understanding how and when terrestrial wildlife use arid zone waterbodies is essential for the development of evidence-based climate adaptation and conservation programs. Temporally extensive datasets are needed to understand the role that waterholes play in supporting terrestrial wildlife under highly variable and changing climatic conditions. This study describes the information provided by a long-term camera trapping project undertaken at four waterholes in Watarrka National Park, in central Australia. Starting with a pilot study at a perennial groundwater-fed spring in December 2013, remotely-triggered Reconyx HyperFire cameras have been continuously deployed to record the aquatic habitats present and the terrestrial species visiting thewaterholes. All the sites are located on headwater streams and represent a range of water regimes, from permanently wet to almost always dry. Over a million images have now been obtained, and over 85 species of terrestrial vertebrates have been recorded. These include dingoes, wallabies, many avian species, and some reptiles and frogs. Aerial invertebrates have been recorded, including dragonflies, butterflies and wasps. Although relatively rare, feral cats and red foxes (a feral species in Australia) have also been recorded. For some avian species both competition for water and the risk of predation at waterholes appears to increase as air temperatures rise. Accordingly, climate conservation strategies that need to be considered include the provision of artificial water resources to mitigate competition for water, and restoration of fringing vegetation to provide cover from predation for smaller avian species.