Point Lowly

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Point Lowly
South Australia
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Point Lowly
Coordinates 32°59′58″S137°47′7″E / 32.99944°S 137.78528°E / -32.99944; 137.78528 Coordinates: 32°59′58″S137°47′7″E / 32.99944°S 137.78528°E / -32.99944; 137.78528
Population25 (2016 census) [1]
Postcode(s) 5600
Time zone ACST (UTC+9:30)
 • Summer (DST) ACDT (UTC+10:30)
LGA(s) City of Whyalla
State electorate(s) Giles [2]
Federal division(s) Grey [3]
Suburbs around Point Lowly:
Port Bonython Point Lowly North Spencer Gulf
Port Bonython Point Lowly Spencer Gulf
Whyalla Spencer Gulf Spencer Gulf
The giant Australian cuttlefish breed each winter in a mass aggregation near Point Lowly. Sepia apama 2.jpg
The giant Australian cuttlefish breed each winter in a mass aggregation near Point Lowly.
Southern right whales are occasional visitors to Point Lowly. Southern right whale caudal fin-2 no sky.JPG
Southern right whales are occasional visitors to Point Lowly.

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 [4] and the mass breeding aggregation of Australian giant cuttlefish which occurs inshore each winter.

Contents

Point Lowly was named by Matthew Flinders during explorations in 1802. It also bears the lesser-known alternative name of Cap Lafontaine, [5] given by French explorer Nicolas Baudin during his explorations in the same period.

A boat-ramp exists north of the lighthouse for the benefit of commercial aquaculture operations and recreational users. Waters near Point Lowly include several popular grounds for snapper fishing. [6] The fishing of snapper in all South Australian waters is prohibited from 1 November through 15 December. [7]

Wildlife

Diving and snorkelling during the giant Australian cuttlefish aggregation each winter is a popular recreational activity. The Northern Spencer Gulf population has been in steady decline for over a decade. Their decline is the subject of local and international concern. As of October 2013, research into the possible causes of the decline by SARDI, the EPA and University of Adelaide is ongoing. [8]

Visiting southern right whales and humpback whales can occasionally be sighted from Point Lowly during winter months. [9]

Development

The Government of South Australia plans to develop a large section of the peninsula into the Port Bonython Minerals Precinct. The proposals include an iron ore export port, a seawater desalination plant for BHP's use and Port Bonython Fuels, a fuel distribution hub owned by Mitsubishi. As of July 2015, Port Bonython Fuels is under construction, the desalination plant has been deferred and the iron ore export wharf is yet to receive necessary state and federal environmental approvals.

Industrialization plans near Point Lowly have been met with public opposition from several community groups based in nearby Whyalla. Groups include Save Point Lowly, [10] the Cuttlefish Coast Coalition and the Alternative Port Working Party. [11] Their concerns relate to the cumulative impacts of these developments which could displace or deter other users and degrade the peninsula's environmental and social value.

Point Lowly was first made accessible by road from Whyalla in 1948. [12] It was previously accessible by a rough track. [13] Shack sites were made available in the late 1940s, with three applications received by 19 December 1947. [14]

Landforms

The Point Lowly peninsula is a low plateau, sloping NW - SE, in the Simmens quartzite member, of the Neoprotorozoic Tent Hill formation. The southern shore of the peninsula features 20 metre high bluffs over sloping shore platforms and small beaches. The bluffs and cliffs of the eastern side of the peninsula slope down to pebble beaches with some sand at high tide.

To the north, Fitzgerald Bay acts as a sand trap, shown by the storage of Holocene sands in wide nearshore low tide sandflats. Small areas of sand ridges exist at the head of the bay, where Holocene sand grit has been mixed with the Pleistocene red sands from the Gulf floor. The beach here is narrow high tide reflective in morpho-dynamic terms. Volcanics are exposed in cliffs and platforms at Backy Point. Small areas of sand dune are found near Point Lowly and at Weeroona Bay. At the Weroona Bay dunes backshore low cobble ridges occur, possibly formerly covered by white Holocene sands that are now immediately inland. No dating is available for these deposits; however, further north in the Gulf similar deposits are Pleistocene in age. [15]

Shared use

A variety of people and entities utilize the Point Lowly peninsula. These include:

Related Research Articles

Whyalla City in South Australia

Whyalla was founded as "Hummocks Hill", and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Gawler and along with Port Pirie and Port Augusta is one of the three towns to make up the Iron Triangle. As of June 2018, Whyalla had an urban population of 21,742, having declined at an average annual rate of -0.75% year-over-year over the preceding five years. It is a seaport located on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula and is known as the "Steel City" due to its integrated steelworks and shipbuilding heritage. The port of Whyalla has been exporting iron ore since 1903.

Spencer Gulf 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.

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

Giant cuttlefish Species of cephalopod known as the giant cuttlefish and Australian giant cuttlefish

Giant cuttlefish also known as the Australian giant cuttlefish, is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and over 10.5 kg (23 lb) in weight. Using cells known as chromatophores, the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing color in an instant. The giant cuttlefish is native to temperate and subtropical waters of Australia, from Brisbane in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia and Tasmania to the south. It occurs on rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sand and mud seafloor to a depth of 100 metres. In 2009 the species was listed at Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to an observed declining trend at that time.

City of Whyalla Local government area in South Australia

The City of Whyalla is a local government area in South Australia, located at the north-east corner of the Eyre Peninsula. It was established in 1970, replacing the town commission, which had been running the town previously. The district is mostly industrial, with many large companies having factories in the city.

Port Bonython Suburb of City of Whyalla, South Australia

Port Bonython is the location of a deepwater port, gas fractionation plant and diesel storage facility west of Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. It lies 16 km east-northeast of Whyalla, South Australia and approximately 370 km north-west of the State's capital city, Adelaide. The existing wharf is 2.4 kilometres long and is capable of berthing small Capesize ships with a maximum capacity of 110,000 tonnes. The wharf was established in 1982 and named after John Bonython, the founding chairman of Santos. The structure is leased to Santos by the Government of South Australia and is used for the export of hydrocarbon products. An oil spill at Port Bonython in 1992 resulted in loss of bird life and damage to mangrove habitats to the west and southwest of Port Pirie.

The Hundred of Cultana is a cadastral unit of hundred located on the upper Eyre Peninsula in South Australia just north of Whyalla. It is one of the seven Hundreds of the County of York. It was proclaimed in 1940 by Governor Malcolm Barclay-Harvey and named for a Cultana Hill, the term Cultana deriving from a local indigenous term.

Point Lowly Lighthouse Lighthouse

The Point Lowly lighthouse was constructed in 1883 to guide ships safely through Spencer Gulf en route to Port Augusta and Port Pirie in South Australia. It was upgraded several times before being deactivated in 1993. It was reactivated in 1995 and is a tourist attraction for the Whyalla area and an icon of the Point Lowly area.

Curlew Island is a low mangrove-dominated island located near the head of Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It lies between Port Augusta and Point Lowly and is adjacent to the Playford B Power Station. Several ships ran aground in the shallow waters surrounding the island during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Several recreational boating accidents have also occurred in the vicinity. The locality is known for its fishing and for occasional whale sightings in the winter.

The Port Bonython oil spill occurred on 30 August 1992, when the fuel tank of the tanker Era was pierced by the bow of the tugboat Turmoil during berthing operations in upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Wind and swell were high and 296 tonnes of bunker fuel were released into Spencer Gulf. The incident resulted in 500 oiled birds and damage to 15 km of mangrove and seagrass habitat south-west of Port Pirie.

The False Bay is an 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) wide south-southeasterly facing bay in South Australia's upper Spencer Gulf region. It extends from the Whyalla steelworks at the southern end to Black Point at the eastern end. It features very wide, low gradient tidal, sand and salt flats which are up to 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) wide. Five very low energy, rarely visited beaches are accessible to the public. The two boundary beaches are accessible by vehicles from the Port Bonython Road while the central three are surrounded by salt and tidal flats and tidal creeks. False Bay's beaches are not patrolled but are rated among the state's least hazardous.

The Alternative Port Working Party is a community action group based in Whyalla, South Australia on the shore of northern Spencer Gulf. Its membership includes a number of retired engineers with experience in mining, shipping and bulk commodities handling and its chief spokesperson is Sid Wilson. Since its formation, the group has advocated for a 'best of both' scenario for the nearby Point Lowly peninsula; one which represents the interests of both the local economy and residential, recreational and tourist use of the peninsula. They believe that the chosen locations for proposed facilities in the Port Bonython and Point Lowly area present unacceptable compromises, and thus have recommended a number of alternatives.

Save Point Lowly is a community action group based in Whyalla, South Australia. The group was formed circa 2008 to present an alternative vision for the future of the Point Lowly area north-west of Whyalla and resist plans for heavy industrialization. The group aspired to raising the profile of the Point Lowly area, including the giant Australian cuttlefish aggregation, which the group believes is under threat from a number of industrial proposals including: a seawater desalination plant for BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine, a diesel distribution hub, a technical ammonium nitrate plant and an iron ore export facility. Collectively these development have been referred to by the Government of South Australia as the Port Bonython Minerals Precinct. The group's spokesperson and chairman is Andrew Melville-Smith who is a practising veterinarian and resident of Whyalla.

Stephen Charles Donnellan is the Chief Research Scientist of the Evolutionary Biology Unit at the South Australian Museum. He is also an Affiliate Professor at the University of Adelaide. Donnellan moved from New South Wales to South Australia in 1985 to undertake research recovering the evolutionary history of Australia's lizards. This work led to the establishment of a comprehensive collection of reptile and frog tissues from Australia and New Guinea. In 1990 Donnellan joined the South Australian Museum's staff and established the DNA laboratory there. His research since has focused on the evolution and biogeography of Australasian fauna. Donnellan has used molecular genetic methods to examine issues in the population genetics, phylogeography and phylogenetic relationships of vertebrates and selected invertebrate groups. Many of his research projects have been supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC). His work has been published in numerous scientific journals, including Biological Conservation, Evolution, International Journal for Parasitology, PLOS One, Restoration Ecology, Zoologica Scripta and Zootaxa.

Port Bonython Fuels is a fuel importation and diesel distribution hub at Port Bonython on the Point Lowly peninsula in South Australia's upper Spencer Gulf region. The development was designed to supply the State's expanding oil, gas and mineral resources sectors' operations in the north and west of the state. It allows South Australia to import fuel from ships carrying cargoes in excess of 100,000 tonnes- approximately four times the size of vessels currently importing diesel via Port Adelaide. The project is owned by Petro Diamond Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation. The first stage of the project was officially opened in May 2016.

Cultana is a locality on the northeastern part of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is much larger than the original locality, and includes the Australian Army's Cultana Training Area. It includes the former Baxter Detention Centre which operated from 2002 to 2007. It spans the Lincoln Highway and Iron Knob to Whyalla Road, as well as being bordered by the Eyre Highway east of Iron Knob.

Blanche Harbor is a locality in South Australia located on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula overlooking Spencer Gulf about 260 kilometres north north-west of the Adelaide city centre and about 20 kilometres south of the centre of Port Augusta.

County of York (South Australia) Cadastral in South Australia

The County of York is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia. It was proclaimed by acting Governor Samuel Way in 1895 and named for King George V who was known at the time as the Duke of York. It covers a portion of the state on the Eyre Peninsula east coast at the latitude of Whyalla. It stretches westwards to the eastern boundary of Lake Gilles Conservation Park

County of Manchester is a cadastral unit located in the Australian state of South Australia that covers land both located in the north-east of Eyre Peninsula and to the peninsula's north. It was proclaimed in 1891 and named after George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester who was the father-in-law of the Earl of Kintore GCMG, the Governor of South Australia at the time.

Fitzgerald Bay is a large bay located between Point Lowly and Backy Point in South Australia's upper Spencer Gulf. The bay's shoreline consists mostly of pebble beaches and sparse grey mangroves. In the 2000s the bay was used for the farming of yellowtail kingfish until their closure circa 2011 in response to high levels of fish mortality. Understanding of the environmental impacts of yellowtail kingfish farming is limited. As of 2021, fish farming has not returned to Fitzgerald Bay, but aquaculture zones remain in place, and Clean Seas is authorised to restock fish farms there. There are approximately forty shacks and coastal homes sparsely distributed along the fringe of Fitzgerald Bay whose interests are represented by the Cultana Jenkins Shackowners' Association.

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Point Lowly (state suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 December 2020. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ "District of Giles Background Profile". ELECTORAL COMMISSION SA. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Federal electoral division of Grey, boundary gazetted 16 December 2011" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Lighthouses of Australia Inc. "Lighthouses of South Australia - Point Lowly Lighthouse" Archived 20 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  5. ↑ Property Location Browser Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine , Government of South Australia (accessed 2013-12-20)
  6. ↑ Boatpoint.com.au "Fishing Whyalla (September 2007)" Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  7. ↑ SA Government PIRSA Fisheries "Annual Snapper fishing closure starts November 1" Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  8. ↑ "Where did all the cuttlefish go?" ABC Environment, 2013-10-12 (Accessed 2013-12-20)
  9. ↑ Atlas of Living Australia "Point Lowly" Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  10. ↑ Ooi, Esther "The Point Lowly desal plant that's got SA squabbling" Crikey, Australia (2011-05-23). Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  11. ↑ Moscaritolo, Maria "Port plan is compromised: Engineers" Adelaide Advertiser , South Australia (2011-09-20).
  12. ↑ "ROAD TO CAMP SITE". Whyalla News . 16 January 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "ROAD TO LIGHTHOUSE". Whyalla News. 19 September 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "PROPOSED CAMP AREA Three Apply for Shack Sites". Whyalla News. 19 December 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  15. ↑ Eyre Peninsula Natural Resource Management Board "Eyre Peninsula Coastal Action Plan, Volume 2" Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  16. ↑ Australian Government Department of Defence "Cultana Training Area Expansion Project" Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  17. ↑ Santos Limited] "Our Activities - Port Bonython" Archived 4 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2013-11-06.
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