Eyre Peninsula

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Eyre Peninsula
South Australia
Staying Still 78 - Threshold.jpg
Near Lipson Cove
Australia South Australia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Eyre Peninsula
Coordinates 34°S136°E / 34°S 136°E / -34; 136
Population58,700 (2011) [1]
 • Density0.3443/km2 (0.8917/sq mi)
Area170,500 km2 (65,830.4 sq mi)
LGA(s) See Local government areas
Region Eyre Western [2]
Far North [3]
State electorate(s) Flinders [4]
Giles [5]
Federal division(s) Grey [6]
FootnotesPopulation [1]
Area [1]
Coordinates [7]

The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north.

Contents

Originally called Eyre's Peninsula, [8] it was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who explored parts of the peninsula in 1839–41. The coastline was first charted by the expeditions of Matthew Flinders in 1801–02 and French explorer Nicolas Baudin around the same time. Flinders also named the nearby Yorke's Peninsula and Spencer's Gulph on the same voyage.

The peninsula's economy is primarily agricultural, with growing aquaculture, mining, and tourism sectors. The main towns are Port Lincoln in the south, Whyalla and Port Augusta in the northeast, and Ceduna in the northwest. Port Lincoln (Galinyala in Barngarla), Whyalla and Port Augusta (Goordnada) are part of the Barngarla Aboriginal country. [9] : 230  Ceduna is within Wirangu country.

Naming and extent

The peninsula was named after explorer Edward John Eyre on 7 November 1839 by George Gawler, the second Governor of South Australia. [10]

The peninsula's coastline boundary was defined in 1839 as "Spencer's Gulf in its whole length, to the southern ocean from Cape Catastrophe to the western point of Denial Bay." Its northern boundary was described in 1978 as follows: "no official boundary [has] ever [been] proclaimed but the common sense choice would be to draw a straight line from Yorkey Crossing to the northernmost point of Denial Bay." [7]

Population

As at 30 June 2010, the peninsula had a population of 58,700 people. The peninsula is home to 3.6% of South Australia's population. An estimated 2,500 people, 4.4% of the population, is indigenous. [1]

Eyre Peninsula towns and cities with a population of more than 500 (Australian census 2011) Map of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, showing places with a population of more than 500.jpg
Eyre Peninsula towns and cities with a population of more than 500 (Australian census 2011)

Economy

Primary industries

The major industry is farming — cereal crops, sheep, and cattle in the drier north, and more water-intensive activities such as dairy farming and a growing wine industry in the south. Many coastal towns have commercial fishing fleets, the largest at Port Lincoln. The town has previously harbored a large tuna-fishing fleet, which is gradually transforming its practice to fish farming with the growth of sea cage aquaculture for tuna and yellowtail kingfish. [11] Oyster farming was established in the 1980s and occurs in several sheltered bays, including Coffin Bay, [12] Franklin Harbour (near Cowell in Spencer Gulf) and Smoky Bay off the west coast.

Mining

Banded iron formation, South Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula. Orangish-brown = quartz mixed with limonite. Silvery-gray = hematite. Banded iron formation (BIF) (Lower Middleback Iron-Formation, Paleoproterozoic, 1.81 or 1.859-1.945 Ga; hillslope 3 km west of Iron Duke Mine, South Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia) 2 (15059380105).jpg
Banded iron formation, South Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula. Orangish-brown = quartz mixed with limonite. Silvery-gray = hematite.

Since 1919, gypsum has been mined at Lake MacDonnell, the largest deposit of gypsum in the southern hemisphere, and is shipped from Thevenard. As of 2022, production is over 1 million tonnes per annum. [13]

Iron ore is mined by Arrium in the Middleback Range near Iron Knob, inland from Whyalla. Some of the product is smelted to produce feedstock for the Whyalla Steelworks. Increasing volumes of iron ore are also being exported from Whyalla directly to customers in Asia.

Unusual herringbone crystals of evaporite gypsum, from Sinclairs Gap Lake, Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula. Size: 10.8 x 9.8 x 6.0 cm. Gypsum-137964.jpg
Unusual herringbone crystals of evaporite gypsum, from Sinclairs Gap Lake, Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula. Size: 10.8 x 9.8 x 6.0 cm.

There is a commercial nephrite jade mine near Cowell, and jade souvenirs can be purchased in the town.

The peninsula has many small inactive mines and quarries. It is considered prospective for a variety of minerals, including graphite, coal, and uranium, with many deposits being proven in recent years.

The 2000s saw increased mineral exploration activity on the peninsula. In 2013, some of the more advanced mine development projects included: Ironclad Mining's Wilcherry Hill, Centrex Metals's Fusion Magnetite Project and Iron Road Limited's Central Eyre Iron Project.

Existing rail, power, and water supply infrastructure shortfalls continue to hamper new project development.[ citation needed ]

Tourism

Cage-diving with great white sharks is possible for tourists off Eyre Peninsula. Great white shark south africa.jpg
Cage-diving with great white sharks is possible for tourists off Eyre Peninsula.
Murphy's Haystacks are a unique geological feature. Murphys Haystacks DSC04622.JPG
Murphy's Haystacks are a unique geological feature.

The Eyre Peninsula is promoted by Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula as the 'Seafood Frontier' due to the variety of seafood species in the region, both farmed and wild-caught. Key species are the southern bluefin tuna and yellowtail kingfish, which are farmed in Port Lincoln and Arno Bay, and Pacific oysters, which are grown in Coffin Bay, Cowell, Denial Bay, Smoky Bay, and Streaky Bay. Other seafood offerings include abalone, King George whiting, mussels, western king prawns and blue swimmer crabs.

Many natural heritage attractions can be found in the peninsula's three national parks, numerous conservation parks, and along the peninsula's extensive coastline.

Ecotourism operators offer visitors opportunities to experience many of the peninsula's iconic marine species either in or on the water.

From Whyalla, visitors can snorkel or dive off Point Lowly to witness the mass breeding aggregation of giant Australian cuttlefish, which occurs there from May to August each year.

From Port Lincoln, tourists can swim in a cage with southern bluefin tuna, with a colony of Australian sea lions, or enter a shark cage to observe great white sharks offshore near the Neptune Islands.

Ceduna lies to the east of the Nullarbor Plain, which is crossed by a stretch of the Eyre Highway running parallel to the Great Australian Bight. Oyster farm tours can be experienced at Smoky Bay, allowing visitors to see where oysters are grown. Recreational fishing for species such as King George whiting and blue swimmer crabs does not require a licence, although size, bag, and boat limits may apply. [14]

On the west coast, tourists can snorkel with Australian sea lions and bottlenose dolphins in the sheltered waters of Baird Bay and observe southern right whales (and occasionally humpback whales) from the shore or by boat from Fowler's Bay from May to October.

Murphy's Haystacks are a unique geographical feature located between Streaky Bay and Port Kenny.

Artifacts from the Peninsula's pioneer and, to a lesser extent, indigenous heritage can be seen at a network of museums operated by the National Trust of South Australia, which include the Mount Laura Homestead Museum in Whyalla, the Tumby Bay National Trust Museum and the Koppio Smithy Museum. The Whyalla Maritime Museum's nautical theme commemorates the former Whyalla shipyards. Its displays include the World War II corvette HMAS Whyalla, which sits in dry-dock and is visible from the Lincoln Highway.

Fishing charters are offered to depart from many coastal towns, including Whyalla, Cowell, Tumby Bay, and Port Lincoln.

Transport

Road

Highway map of South Australia, including highways on the Eyre Peninsula identified by their route number SESouthAutraliaHighways.png
Highway map of South Australia, including highways on the Eyre Peninsula identified by their route number

Major population centres on the peninsula are connected by a network of highways. The Eyre Highway (Route number A1) runs east–west across the north side of the peninsula, while the Flinders Highway (Route number B100) and Lincoln Highway (Route number A100) follow the west and east coasts, meeting at Port Lincoln in the south. The Tod Highway (Route number B90) bisects the peninsula, running south–north from Port Lincoln through the town of Lock to meet the Eyre Highway at Kyancutta. The Birdseye Highway (Route number B91) bisects the peninsula from Elliston on the west coast and Flinders Highway through Lock and Cleve to the Lincoln Highway near Cowell. [15]

Rail

The isolated Eyre Peninsula Railway serves the peninsula. Peaking at 777 kilometres in 1950, radiating out from the ports at Port Lincoln and Thevenard, today, only one 60-kilometre section remains open. It is operated by One Rail Australia. It has always been isolated from the main network. A proposal to link it with the rest of the network at Port Augusta was rejected in the 1920s [16] [17] and again in the 1950s. [18] [19]

From 1966 until 1989, BHP operated the Coffin Bay Tramway from Coffin Bay to Port Lincoln. [20]

The BHP Whyalla Tramway operated from the iron ore mines in the Middleback Ranges to the smelter and port at Whyalla. The Whyalla railway line to Port Augusta are also connected to the national rail network.

Sea

A car and passenger ferry links the Eyre peninsula at Lucky Bay to the Yorke Peninsula at Wallaroo. [21]

Proposed future expansion of transport systems

To facilitate prospective mines, new freight corridors and ports have been proposed to export minerals via Spencer Gulf. New port proposals are in place at Port Bonython, Lucky Bay, Cape Hardy and Sheep Hill (Lipson Cove). A proposal to export iron ore from Port Lincoln by Centrex Metals was approved but abandoned after strong public opposition. [22] Port Bonython Fuels, a future fuel distribution hub, has been approved to be constructed at Port Bonython to aid the development of the mining industry. Once constructed and operational, fuel will be delivered to towns and mine sites by road tankers up to A-triple class.[ citation needed ]

Sheep Hill/Port Spencer will be completed by 2023. [23]

Water supply

Potable water is scarce on the peninsula. Presently, water is pumped several hundred kilometres from the Murray River to the town of Whyalla through the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline. Underground water resources are suffering from gradually increasing salinity. The only reliable surface flows are from the Tod River and its main tributary, Pillaworta Creek, which are captured by the Tod Reservoir. The reservoir was built to augment the groundwater supply of Port Lincoln and was constructed in the early 1920s. It was taken offline in the early 2000s due to concerns over rising salinity and contamination from agricultural chemicals. SA Water has investigated potential locations for seawater desalination plants to address future water security problems.

As of January 2014, no plants are proposed to be built for domestic or agricultural supply, though one currently exists and two have been proposed to serve the mining industry exclusively. The existing plant is located at Whyalla and is operated by Arrium, and plants are proposed for Point Lowly and Lipson Cove to serve BHP and Centrex Metals, respectively.

Administrative divisions

Local government areas

The peninsula includes the local government areas of Ceduna, Cleve, Elliston, Franklin Harbour, Kimba, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay, Tumby Bay, Wudinna and Whyalla, as well as the western portion of the City of Port Augusta. [24] [2] The area at the northern end of the peninsula is within the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia where municipal services are provided by the Outback Communities Authority to communities, including Iron Knob. [2] [25]

State and federal electorates

The peninsula is within the boundaries of the federal division of Grey and the state electoral districts of Flinders and Giles. [6] [4] [5]

Regions

The peninsula is within the extent of the following two South Australian government regions - the Eyre Western and the Far North. [2] [3]

Conservation

Little penguins nest in Eyre Peninsula's coastal protected areas. Lipson Island Conservation Fairy Penguin.jpg
Little penguins nest in Eyre Peninsula's coastal protected areas.

Protected areas

As at 2016, the following protected areas were located within the peninsula: [26]

Disasters

The peninsula coastline is littered with shipwrecks from the 19th and 20th centuries. [27]

Bushfires on southern Eyre Peninsula in 2005 Bushfires on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia January 11 2005.jpg
Bushfires on southern Eyre Peninsula in 2005

In the 1920s, seven people were killed during the construction of the Tod Reservoir, north of Port Lincoln. [28] [29]

In January 2005, nine people were killed in the major Eyre Peninsula Bushfire. [30]

Physiography

The area is also known as the Eyre Coastal Plain, is part of the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion, and is a distinct physiographic section of the larger Eucla Basin province, which in turn is part of the larger West Australian Shield division.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Gulf</span> Large inlet in South Australia

The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and Eyre Peninsula in the west to Cape Spencer and Yorke Peninsula in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Lincoln</span> City in South Australia

Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf. It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located approximately 280 km (170 mi) as the crow flies from the state's capital city of Adelaide.

Lincoln Highway is a highway in South Australia which links the cities of Port Augusta and Port Lincoln located on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula over a distance of 315 kilometres. Lincoln Highway – along with Flinders Highway – presents an alternative but somewhat longer coastal route between Ceduna and Port Augusta, compared to the more direct route along Eyre Highway. It is designated route B100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flinders Highway, South Australia</span>

Flinders Highway connects the South Australian towns of Ceduna and Port Lincoln, a distance of 396 kilometres (246 mi) Flinders Highway – along with Lincoln Highway – presents an alternative but somewhat longer coastal route between Ceduna and Port Augusta, compared to the more direct route along Eyre Highway. It is designated route B100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in South Australia</span> Rail transport in South Australia

The first railway in colonial South Australia was a line from the port of Goolwa on the River Murray to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot, which first operated in December 1853, before its completion in May 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula</span> Local government area in South Australia

The District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula is a local government area located on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The district covers the southern tip of the peninsula, except for the small area taken up by the City of Port Lincoln.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tumby Bay, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Tumby Bay is a coastal town situated on the Spencer Gulf, on the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Port Lincoln. The town of Tumby Bay is the major population centre of the District Council of Tumby Bay, and the centre of an agricultural district farming cereal crops and sheep, as well as having established fishing and tourism industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Neill, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Port Neill is a small coastal town on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia about 3 km off the Lincoln Highway between the major towns of Whyalla and Port Lincoln. It is 576 km by road from Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoky Bay, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Smoky Bay is a town and locality located in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Previously used as a port, the town is now a residential settlement and popular tourist destination known for its recreational fishing, with a boat ramp and jetty located in the town.

Port Spencer is a proposed grain export port development project in South Australia. The project site, previously known as Sheep Hill, is on Lower Eyre Peninsula adjacent to Lipson Cove on the western shore of Spencer Gulf.

This article describes the railway stations on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia that were located on the lines of the Port Lincoln Division of the former South Australian Railways (SAR). Few of them were staffed. All stations were closed in 1968 when the SAR withdrew all passenger services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Lowly</span> Suburb of Whyalla, South Australia

Point Lowly is the tip of a small peninsula north north-east of Whyalla in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. The wider peninsula is shared by a combination of defence, industrial, residential, recreational and tourism interests. Port Bonython lies immediately to the north-west and is marked for future industrial expansion, driven by anticipated growth in the State's mining industry. The icons of the peninsula are the historic Point Lowly Lighthouse and the mass breeding aggregation of Australian giant cuttlefish which occurs inshore each winter.

Cape Hardy is a 20 m (66 ft) high, dune-capped granite headland on the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula and which protrudes into Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is located between the towns of Port Neill and Tumby Bay, 10 km (6.2 mi) north-northeast of Lipson Cove.

Koppio is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located on the Eyre Peninsula about 256 kilometres (159 mi) west of the state capital of Adelaide and about 32 kilometres (20 mi) north of Port Lincoln, and within the Tod River catchment area. While long-established agricultural activities dominate the region is also prospective for graphite and iron ore. The Koppio Smithy Museum is a local tourist attraction replete with buildings and artifacts representing the early pioneer heritage of Eyre Peninsula.

Transport in South Australia is provided by a mix of road, rail, sea and air transport. The capital city of Adelaide is the centre to transport in the state. With its population of 1.4 million people, it has the majority of the state's 1.7 million inhabitants. Adelaide has the state's major airport and sea port.

In South Australia, one of the states of Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, desert or mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as common land use. South Australia is divided by numerous sets of regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.

The Middleback Range is a mountain range on the eastern side of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The Middleback Range has been a source of iron ore for over a century, particularly to feed the Whyalla Steelworks. Mines in the region were first developed by BHP from the 1890s and are now owned and operated by Liberty House Group.

Sylvia Jessie Catherine Birdseye (1902–1962) was the first woman to hold a commercial bus driving licence in South Australia. She initiated a regular mail and passenger service between Adelaide and the Eyre Peninsula in 1928.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Regional Development Australia Whyalla & Eyre Peninsula Fact Sheet" Archived 17 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, South Australia (2012).
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Eyre Western SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Far North SA Government Region" (PDF). Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 "District of Flinders Background Profile". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 "District of Giles Background Profile". ELECTORAL COMMISSION SA. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Federal electoral division of Grey, boundary gazetted 16 December 2011" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Search result for "Eyre Peninsula (Peninsula)" (Record no SA0023359)". Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure. 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "EYRE'S PENINSULA". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931). 17 October 1905. p. 8. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  9. ↑ Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2020), Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond, Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199812790 / ISBN   9780199812776
  10. ↑ Manning, Geoffrey H (2006), Manning's Place Names of South Australia from Aaron Creek to Zion Hill, Gould Genealogy & History, p. 146, ISBN   978-0-947284-60-2
  11. ↑ Potential $2 million boost for yellowtail kingfish industry with new feeding regime ABC News, 18 April 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Coffin Bay oyster growers back in business PIRSA, Government of South Australia, 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Lake macdonnell Mining Link, 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Recreational fishing, South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA). Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  15. ↑ A.J. Millazzo, Delegate of the Commissioner of Highways (28 February 2011). "Naming of State Rural Roads - Eyre Peninsula" (PDF). Government of South Australia. Rack Plan 997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  16. ↑ Kimba Railway The Transcontinental 9 July 1920 page 1
  17. ↑ Kimba-Port Augusta Railway The Register 16 August 1922 page 3
  18. ↑ No Railway Link with West Coast Quorn Mercury 24 June 1954 page 1
  19. ↑ Extension of Railway Opposed Whyalla Times 2 July 1954 page 1
  20. ↑ Going, Going, Gone - Coffin Bay Tramway Catch Point issue 144 July 2001 pages 28/29
  21. ↑ https://spencergulfsearoad.com [ bare URL ]
  22. ↑ "Port Lincoln protest over ore plan" The Advertiser, South Australia (12 June 2008). Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  23. ↑ "New grain port given go ahead, but concerns remain for penguin colony". ABC News. 5 May 2022.
  24. ↑ "Councils". Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Communities". Outback Communities Authority. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Protected Areas of South Australia September (Map) 2016 Edition" (PDF). Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  27. ↑ "Shipwrecks and sea rescue: Shipwrecks, Introduction". State Library of South Australia. April 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  28. ↑ "SHOCKING BLASTING FATALITY". Adelaide Chronicle. Vol. LXIV, no. 3, 404. South Australia. 17 December 1921. p. 64. Retrieved 26 September 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  29. ↑ "FATAL ACCIDENT". Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell). Vol. VIII, no. 440. South Australia. 15 November 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  30. ↑ Fawcett, R.J.B.; Thurston, W.; Kepert, J.D.; Tory, K.J. (2013), The Eyre Peninsula Fire of 11 January 2005: an ACCESS case study, Melbourne: Bushfire CRC [Cooperative Research Centre]
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