Limestone Coast

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Limestone Coast
South Australia
Blue Lake, Mount Gambier.jpg
Blue Lake, Mount Gambier
Australia South Australia location map.svg
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Limestone Coast
Coordinates 37°S140°E / 37°S 140°E / -37; 140 Coordinates: 37°S140°E / 37°S 140°E / -37; 140
Population64,585 (2006 ABS data) [1]
LGA(s) City of Mount Gambier
District Council of Grant
District Council of Robe
Kingston District Council
Naracoorte Lucindale Council
Tatiara District Council
Wattle Range Council
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s) Barker
View across the plains near Naracoorte from Russet Ridge Winery Vines near Naracoorte2.jpg
View across the plains near Naracoorte from Russet Ridge Winery

The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early twenty-first century for a South Australian government region located in the south east of South Australia which immediately adjoins the continental coastline and the Victorian border. The name is also used for a tourist region and a wine zone both located in the same part of South Australia.

Contents

Extent

The Limestone Coast is a South Australian Government Region which consists of land within the following local government areas located in the south east of the state: the City of Mount Gambier and the District Councils of Grant, Kingston, Robe, Tatiara and Naracoorte Lucindale and the Wattle Range Council, and the extent of "coastal waters" up to three nautical miles seaward of the low water mark between the border with Victoria in the east and the northern boundary of the Kingston District Council in the north-west. [2] [3]

Industry regions with the same name

Limestone Coast Tourism Region

The words 'Limestone Coast' also used in the name of a tourism region which occupies a similar part of South Australia. The tourism region consists of the following local government areas: the City of Mount Gambier, The Coorong District Council, the District Councils of Grant, Kingston, Robe, Tatiara and Naracoorte Lucindale, and the Wattle Range Council. [4]

Limestone Coast Wine Zone

The words 'Limestone Coast' also used in the name of a wine zone which occupies a similar part of South Australia. The wine zone is the land south of a line located at appropriately 36 degrees 50 minutes south, i.e. in line with Cape Willoughby at the east end of Kangaroo Island. [5] The zone includes the following wine-growing regions: Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Robe and Wrattonbully.

Location and description

From the Victoria border to the Younghusband Peninsula this area has been settled since colonisation by mainly European settlers in the 1840s, displacing an indigenous population that had resided in the region for thousands of years. The region currently supports farming, viticulture, forestry and tourism. Towns include Bordertown, Keith, Millicent, Mount Gambier, Penola, and Naracoorte and the coastal resorts of Beachport, Kingston SE and Robe.

Much of the Limestone Coast is low-lying, and was inundated by sea as recently as 2 million years ago. It had previously also been flooded 15–20 million years ago. The plains are lined by rows of low sandhills parallel to the coast, created at times when the coastline was at that level. Prior to European settlement, much of the land between the sandhills was swamp fed by streams and subject to inundation. A network of drains totalling 1450 km has been constructed to channel the water away through the sandhills to the ocean. Important areas of wetland remain including the lakes and lagoons such as the southern end of the Coorong and Bool Lagoon. Meanwhile, areas of upland in the Limestone Coast include the volcanic craters of Mount Gambier.

The Mediterranean climate of this coast is cool and moist with wet winters.

History

There are deep limestone deposits created from the coral and other sealife. The limestone in Victoria Fossil Cave and the other Naracoorte Caves contains are Australia's biggest source of fossils and a World Heritage Site.

Ecology

Flora

The natural vegetation was woodland of River Red gum and other eucalyptus trees. [6]

Fauna

Although there are few purely endemic species the coast is rich in wildlife including possums, Cercartetus pygmy possums, Petaurus Gliding possums, and other marsupials many of which do not spread further west than here. Endemic species include reptiles such as the striped legless lizard (Delma impar) and invertebrates like an endemic cave cricket. The Naracoorte caves are occupied by the common bent-wing bat.

The lakes and lagoons are particularly important habitats for waterbirds such as black swan, grey teal, Pacific black duck, and especially the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) which winters here along with many other birds including the red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis), sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), and curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea).

Most of the original habitat has been cleared for agriculture and only fragments remain (particularly in areas of wetland) with Coorong National Park and Canunda National Park being the largest areas. Therefore, most indigenous wildlife has also disappeared or been severely reduced in number with introduced species of animals an ongoing threat to that which remains. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Naracoorte Caves National Park Protected area in South Australia

Naracoorte Caves National Park is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia (Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List, along with Riversleigh. The park preserves 6 km2 of remnant vegetation, with 26 caves contained within the 3.05 km2 World Heritage Area. Out of the 28 known caves in the park, only four are open to the public. Other caves are kept away from the public eye as they are important for scientific research and also for the protection of the caves and their contents. Many of the caves contain spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Naracoorte, South Australia Town in South Australia

Naracoorte is a town in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, approximately 336 kilometres south-east of Adelaide and 100 kilometres north of Mount Gambier on the Riddoch Highway (A66).

Kingston SE Town in South Australia

Kingston SE formerly Kingston is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's south-east coastline on the shores of Lacepede Bay. It is located about 240 kilometres southeast of the state capital of Adelaide and 138 kilometres north-west of the centre of the city of Mount Gambier. At the 2016 census, Kingston SE had a population of 1,648.

Electoral district of MacKillop

MacKillop is a single-member electoral district for the South Australian House of Assembly. It was named in 1991 after Sister Mary MacKillop who served the local area, and later became the first Australian to be canonised as a Roman Catholic saint. MacKillop is a 25,313 km² rural electorate in the south-east of the state, stretching south and west from the mouth of the Murray River to the Victorian State border, but excluding the far-southern point of the state,. It contains the Kingston District Council, Naracoorte Lucindale Council, District Council of Robe, Tatiara District Council, Wattle Range Council, as well as parts of The Coorong District Council. The main population centres are Bordertown, Keith, Kingston SE, Meningie, Millicent, Naracoorte, Penola and Robe.

The Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. One unusual aspect of the league is that it includes clubs from both South Australia and Victoria. The 2018/19/20/21 league medalist was Nick Mosey.

Naracoorte Lucindale Council Local government area in South Australia

The Naracoorte Lucindale Council is a local government area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Limestone Coast region in the south-east of the state adjacent to the Victorian border.

Lucindale, South Australia Town in South Australia

Lucindale is a small town in the south-east region of South Australia. The town is located 345 kilometres (214 mi) south east of the state capital, Adelaide. At the 2006 census, Lucindale had a population of 301. The town is best known for hosting the annual South East Field Days, attracting over 26,000 visitors every March.

Binnum, South Australia Town in South Australia

Binnum is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia.

Frances, South Australia Town in South Australia

Frances is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located about 291 kilometres (181 mi) south-east of the state capital, Adelaide and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of the municipal seat of Naracoorte in the state's Limestone Coast region and adjoining the border with the State of Victoria.

Hynam is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's south-east within the Limestone Coast region on the border with the state of Victoria about 302 kilometres south east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 11 kilometres east of the municipal seat of Naracoorte.

Kybybolite Town in South Australia

Kybybolite is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's south-east within the Limestone Coast region on the border with the state of Victoria about 301 kilometres south east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 19 kilometres north-east of the municipal seat of Naracoorte.

Victoria was an electorate in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1857 until 1902 and from 1915 to 1993.

Limestone Coast zone (wine)

Limestone Coast zone is a wine zone located in the south east of South Australia. It extends south of a line of latitude approximately in line with Cape Willoughby at the east end of Kangaroo Island and it is bounded by the continental coastline and the border with Victoria. It consists of the following wine regions all of which have received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI): Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Robe, Padthaway, Wrattonbully and a small number of vineyards located outside the above regions. The zone received AGI in 1996.

Wrattonbully is a locality located within the Naracoorte Lucindale Council in the Limestone Coast in the south east of South Australia about 327 kilometres south east of the Adelaide city centre. Wrattonbully gives its name to the wine region surrounding it, the Wrattonbully wine region.

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 Mount Gambier railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network. Opened in stages from 1881, it was built to narrow gauge and joined Mount Gambier railway station, which was at that time the eastern terminus of a line to Beachport. It connected at Naracoorte to another isolated narrow gauge line joining Naracoorte to Kingston SE, and to the broad gauge Adelaide-Wolseley line at Wolseley, at around the same time that was extended to Serviceton to become the South Australian part of the interstate Melbourne–Adelaide railway. Since its closure in 1995 following the standardisation of the interstate main line, there have been varying calls for standardisation of the railway between Wolseley and Heywood.

County of Robe Cadastral in South Australia

The County of Robe is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia. It was proclaimed by and named for Governor Frederick Robe in 1846. It covers a portion of the state's south-east from the west coast at Robe to the border with Victoria on the east. This includes the following contemporary local government areas of the state:

County of MacDonnell Cadastral in South Australia

The County of MacDonnell is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia. It was proclaimed in 1857 and named for the South Australian Governor at the time of proclamation, Richard Graves MacDonnell. It is located in the upper south-east of the state from the Limestone Coast at Kingston to the Victorian border. This includes the following contemporary local government areas of the state:

Struan is a locality located within the Naracoorte Lucindale Council in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.

Mount Light is a locality located within the Naracoorte Lucindale Council in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.

References

  1. ↑ "Age-Sex Population Projections by South Australian Government Region, 2006-2026". SA Government, Department of Planning and Local Government. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Limestone Coast, South Australian Government Region" (PDF). The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Search results for "Mount Gambier, GTWN" with the following datasets selected – "Local Government Areas", "SA Government Regions" and "Gazetteer"". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "Tourism Regions, South Australia 2013" (PDF). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "Wine Regions". Wine Australia Corporation. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Naracoorte woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  7. ↑ "Naracoorte woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
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