History
Because of its geographical similarities, the first European colonists likened the development potential of the site of Wellington to that of New Orleans. In 1839 the London-based Secondary Towns Association, represented in Adelaide by John Morphett and John Hill, authorised expenditure on the special survey a proposed town to be named Wellington, with prior consent of the Duke of Wellington himself.
Despite never having seen the land except on a map, the directors of the Association had great hopes for Wellington becoming an important town. The survey eventually provided for 700 lots in Wellington (west side of the Murray) and 300 lots in Wellington East (east side of the Murray), as well as rural sections. Messrs Cannan and Henderson carried out the survey in November 1840 and the first lots were sold in July 1841.
Township
Once established, Wellington became a busy ferry crossing point for several decades during the 1840s to 1870s. Servicing the local pastoral district, it soon had a school, police station, and hotels, but it never prospered beyond township status.
The government of South Australia has stated its intention to build a weir at or near Wellington, despite opposition from environmental groups. Under the plan, no water would flow from the Murray into the lower lakes or Coorong during drought or other periods of low flow.
The Murray River is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at 2,508 km (1,558 mi) extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest rivers of Australia. Together with that of the Murray, the catchments of these rivers form the Murray–Darling basin, which covers about one-seventh the area of Australia. It is widely considered Australia's most important irrigated region.
Tailem Bend is a rural town in South Australia, 85 kilometres south-east of the state capital of Adelaide. It is located on the lower reaches of the River Murray, near where the river flows into Lake Alexandrina. It is linear in layout since it is constrained by river cliffs on its western side and the Adelaide–Melbourne railway line is dominant on its eastern side. The town grew and consolidated through being a large railway centre between the 1890s and 1990s; now it continues to service regional rural communities. In the 2021 census, Tailem Bend and the surrounding area had a population of 1,705.
Lake Albert, also known by its Ngarrindjeri name, Yarli, is a notionally fresh water lake near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia. It is filled by water flowing in from the larger Lake Alexandrina at its mouth near Narrung. It is separated on the south by the Narrung Peninsula from the salt-water Coorong. The only major town on the lake is Meningie. Lakes Alexandrina and Albert are together known as the Lower Lakes.
Murray Bridge is a city in the Australian state of South Australia, located 78 kilometres (48 mi) east-southeast of the state's capital city, Adelaide, and 77 kilometres (48 mi) north of the town of Meningie. The city had an urban population of approximately 18,779 in June 2018, making it the fifth most populous city in the state after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Gawler and Whyalla.
Goolwa is a historic river port on the Murray River near the Murray Mouth in South Australia, and joined by a bridge to Hindmarsh Island. The name "Goolwa" means "elbow" in Ngarrindjeri, the local Aboriginal language, and the area was known as "The Elbow" to the early settlers.
The Rural City of Murray Bridge is a local government area of South Australia, centred on the regional city of Murray Bridge and stretching south to Lake Alexandrina.
Kingston On Murray is a town on the south bank of the Murray River in the Riverland region of South Australia. Its name is ultimately derived from Charles Kingston who was Premier of South Australia from 1893 to 1899. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 257.
Blanchetown is a small township in South Australia, on the (west) bank of the Murray River, 130 kilometres (81 mi) northeast of Adelaide. The Blanchetown Bridge is the westernmost of the four crossings of the Sturt Highway over the Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important transportation centre on the lower Murray. In the early 21st century, Blanchetown has been described as "a strange mixture of historic buildings and temporary shacks built by holidaymakers on the banks of the river". Blanchetown is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland district.
Langhorne Creek is a town in South Australia, located approximately 55 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. At the 2021 census, Langhorne Creek had a population of 444 residents.
Currency Creek is a township and locality in South Australia on the western shore of Lake Alexandrina about 6 km north of Goolwa, beside a seasonal stream bearing the same name – Currency Creek – which flows into Lake Alexandrina. The locality includes the headland named Finniss Point which separates the mouths of Currency Creek and the Finniss River.
Milang is a town and locality located in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of Lake Alexandrina about 71 kilometres (44 mi) south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of the municipal seat of Goolwa.
Mannum is a historic town on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, 84 kilometres (52 mi) east of Adelaide. At the 2016 census, the urban area of Mannum had a population of 2,398. Mannum is the seat of the Mid Murray Council, and is situated in the state electoral district of Hammond and the federal Division of Barker.
Monarto South is a locality in South Australia 16 km (9.9 mi) west of the Murray River and 65 km (40 mi) south east by road from Adelaide. The Monarto South railway station is north of the South Eastern Freeway between the Callington and Murray Bridge exits, but the locality spans south of the freeway to Chaunceys Line Road and Ferries McDonald Conservation Park.
Jervois is a town in South Australia, on the right (western) bank of the lower Murray River. At the 2006 census, Jervois and the surrounding area had a population of 283. Jervois is predominantly a farming community, especially dairy farming on the floodplain and gently rising ground behind it.
Narrung is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated at the northern extent of the Narrung Peninsula, which separates The Coorong from Lake Albert adjacent to The Narrows which separates Lake Albert from the larger Lake Alexandrina. The area of Narrung includes the Aboriginal (Ngarrindjeri) community of Raukkan.
Walker Flat is a small town on the Murray River in South Australia. It is one of the crossings of the river by cable ferry. The school opened in 1948 but has since closed. Walker Flat is located approximately 104 kilometres (65 mi) from the Adelaide city centre.
Goolwa North is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 66 kilometres south of the state capital of Adelaide and 2.5 kilometres northeast of the centre of the municipal seat of Goolwa overlooking the following water bodies in the Murray River system - Currency Creek to the north and the channel known as Goolwa or the Lower Murray to the south-east.
Tolderol is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 67 kilometres south of the Adelaide city centre, 32 kilometres north-east of the centre of Goolwa and 32 kilometres south-west of the centre of Murray Bridge on the west coastline of Lake Alexandrina.
Meningie West is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state’s south-east about 99 kilometres (62 mi) south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-west of the municipal seat in Tailem Bend.
Wellington East is a locality in the Murray Mallee on the east of the Murray River in South Australia where the river opens into Lake Alexandrina, the largest of the lakes at the end of the Murray-Darling system.
