Jump to content

Eyre Peninsula

Coordinates:34°S136°E/ 34°S 136°E/-34; 136
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the peninsula in South Australia. For other uses, seeEyre Peninsula.

Eyre Peninsula
South Australia
Near Lipson Cove
Eyre Peninsula is located in South Australia
Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula
Coordinates34°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)SeeLocal government areas
RegionEyre Western[2]
Far North[3]
State electorate(s)Flinders[4]
Giles[5]
Federal division(s)Grey[6]
FootnotesPopulation[1]
Area[1]
Coordinates[7]

TheEyre Peninsulais a triangularpeninsulainSouth Australia.It is bounded by theSpencer Gulfon the east, theGreat Australian Bighton the west, and theGawler Rangesto the north.

Originally called Eyre's Peninsula,[8]it was named after explorerEdward John Eyre,who explored parts of the peninsula in 1839–41. The coastline was first charted by the expeditions ofMatthew Flindersin 1801–02 and French explorerNicolas Baudinaround the same time. Flinders also named the nearbyYorke's PeninsulaandSpencer's Gulphon the same voyage.

The peninsula's economy is primarily agricultural, with growingaquaculture,mining, and tourism sectors. The main towns arePort Lincolnin the south,WhyallaandPort Augustain the northeast, andCedunain the northwest. Port Lincoln (GalinyalainBarngarla), Whyalla and Port Augusta (Goordnada) are part of theBarngarlaAboriginal country.[9]: 230 Ceduna is withinWirangucountry.

Naming and extent[edit]

The peninsula was named after explorerEdward John Eyreon 7 November 1839 byGeorge Gawler,the secondGovernor 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 fromCape Catastropheto the western point ofDenial 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 fromYorkey Crossingto the northernmost point ofDenial Bay."[7]

Population[edit]

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, isindigenous.[1]

Eyre Peninsula towns and cities with a population of more than 500 (Australian census 2011)

Economy[edit]

Primary industries[edit]

The major industry isfarming—cereal crops,sheep,andcattlein the drier north, and more water-intensive activities such asdairy farmingand a growingwineindustry in the south. Many coastal towns have commercial fishing fleets, the largest at Port Lincoln. The town has previously harbored a largetuna-fishing fleet, which is gradually transforming its practice tofish farmingwith the growth of sea cageaquaculturefor tuna andyellowtail kingfish.[11]Oyster farmingwas established in the 1980s and occurs in several sheltered bays, includingCoffin Bay,[12]Franklin Harbour (nearCowellin Spencer Gulf) andSmoky Bayoff the west coast.

Mining[edit]

Banded iron formation,South Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula. Orangish-brown = quartz mixed withlimonite.Silvery-gray =hematite.

Since 1919,gypsumhas been mined atLake MacDonnell,the largest deposit of gypsum in the southern hemisphere, and is shipped fromThevenard.As of 2022,production is over 1 million tonnes per annum.[13]

Iron oreis mined byArriumin theMiddleback RangenearIron Knob,inland fromWhyalla.Some of the product issmeltedto produce feedstock for theWhyalla Steelworks.Increasing volumes of iron ore are also being exported from Whyalla directly to customers in Asia.

Unusual herringbone crystals ofevaporitegypsum,from Sinclairs Gap Lake,Middleback Range,Eyre Peninsula. Size: 10.8 x 9.8 x 6.0 cm.

There is a commercialnephritejademine nearCowell,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, includinggraphite,coal,anduranium,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'sWilcherry Hill,Centrex Metals'sFusion Magnetite ProjectandIron Road Limited'sCentral Eyre Iron Project.

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

Tourism[edit]

Cage-diving with great white sharks is possible for tourists off Eyre Peninsula.
Murphy's Haystacksare 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 thesouthern bluefin tunaandyellowtail kingfish,which are farmed in Port Lincoln andArno Bay,andPacific oysters,which are grown in Coffin Bay, Cowell, Denial Bay, Smoky Bay, and Streaky Bay. Other seafood offerings includeabalone,King George whiting,mussels,western king prawnsandblue 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.

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

FromWhyalla,visitors can snorkel or dive offPoint Lowlyto witness the mass breeding aggregation ofgiant 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 ofAustralian sea lions,or enter a shark cage to observegreat white sharksoffshore near theNeptune Islands.

Ceduna lies to the east of theNullarbor Plain,which is crossed by a stretch of theEyre Highwayrunning parallel to theGreat Australian Bight.Oyster farm tours can be experienced atSmoky 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 withAustralian sea lionsandbottlenose dolphinsin the sheltered waters ofBaird Bayand observesouthern right whales(and occasionally humpback whales) from the shore or by boat fromFowler's Bayfrom May to October.

Murphy's Haystacksare a unique geographical feature located betweenStreaky BayandPort Kenny.

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

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

Transport[edit]

Road[edit]

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. TheEyre Highway(Route number A1) runs east–west across the north side of the peninsula, while theFlinders Highway(Route number B100) andLincoln Highway(Route number A100) follow the west and east coasts, meeting at Port Lincoln in the south. TheTod Highway(Route number B90) bisects the peninsula, running south–north from Port Lincoln through the town ofLockto meet the Eyre Highway atKyancutta.TheBirdseye Highway(Route number B91) bisects the peninsula fromEllistonon the west coast and Flinders Highway through Lock andCleveto the Lincoln Highway near Cowell.[15]

Rail[edit]

The isolatedEyre Peninsula Railwayserves the peninsula. Peaking at 777 kilometres in 1950, radiating out from the ports atPort LincolnandThevenard,today, only one 60-kilometre section remains open. It is operated byOne Rail Australia.It has always been isolated from themain network.A proposal to link it with the rest of the network atPort Augustawas rejected in the 1920s[16][17]and again in the 1950s.[18][19]

From 1966 until 1989,BHPoperated theCoffin Bay TramwayfromCoffin Bayto Port Lincoln.[20]

TheBHP Whyalla Tramwayoperated from the iron ore mines in the Middleback Ranges to the smelter and port atWhyalla.TheWhyalla railway lineto Port Augusta are also connected to the national rail network.

Sea[edit]

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[edit]

To facilitate prospective mines, new freight corridors and ports have been proposed to export minerals via Spencer Gulf. New port proposals are in place atPort Bonython,Lucky Bay,Cape HardyandSheep Hill(Lipson Cove). A proposal to export iron ore from Port Lincoln byCentrex Metalswas approved but abandoned after strong public opposition.[22]Port Bonython Fuels,a future fuel distribution hub, has been approved to be constructed atPort Bonythonto 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[edit]

Potable water is scarce on the peninsula. Presently, water is pumped several hundred kilometres from theMurray Riverto the town of Whyalla through theMorgan-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 theTod 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 andcontaminationfrom agricultural chemicals.SA Waterhas investigated potential locations for seawaterdesalinationplants to address futurewater securityproblems.

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 byArrium,and plants are proposed for Point Lowly andLipson Coveto serveBHPandCentrex Metals,respectively.

Administrative divisions[edit]

Local government areas[edit]

The peninsula includes thelocal government areasofCeduna,Cleve,Elliston,Franklin Harbour,Kimba,Lower Eyre Peninsula,Port Lincoln,Streaky Bay,Tumby Bay,WudinnaandWhyalla,as well as the western portion of theCity of Port Augusta.[24][2]The area at the northern end of the peninsula is within thePastoral Unincorporated Areaof South Australia where municipal services are provided by theOutback Communities Authorityto communities, includingIron Knob.[2][25]

State and federal electorates[edit]

The peninsula is within the boundaries of the federal division ofGreyand the state electoral districts ofFlindersandGiles.[6][4][5]

Regions[edit]

The peninsula is within the extent of the following two South Australian government regions - theEyre Westernand theFar North.[2][3]

Conservation[edit]

Little penguinsnest in Eyre Peninsula's coastal protected areas.

Protected areas[edit]

As at 2016, the followingprotected areaswere located within the peninsula:[26]

Disasters[edit]

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

Bushfires on southern Eyre Peninsula in 2005

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

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

Physiography[edit]

The area is also known as theEyre Coastal Plain,is part of theEyre Yorke Blockbioregion,and is a distinct physiographic section of the largerEucla Basinprovince, which in turn is part of the largerWest Australian Shielddivision.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Regional Development Australia Whyalla & Eyre Peninsula Fact Sheet"Archived17 May 2013 at theWayback MachineSouth Australian Centre for Economic Studies,South Australia (2012).
  2. ^abcd"Eyre Western SA Government region"(PDF).The Government of South Australia.Retrieved10 October2014.
  3. ^ab"Far North SA Government Region"(PDF).Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.Retrieved10 October2014.
  4. ^ab"District of Flinders Background Profile".Electoral Commission SA.Retrieved9 September2015.
  5. ^ab"District of Giles Background Profile".ELECTORAL COMMISSION SA.Retrieved20 August2015.
  6. ^ab"Federal electoral division of Grey, boundary gazetted 16 December 2011"(PDF).Australian Electoral Commission.Retrieved20 August2015.
  7. ^ab"Search result for" Eyre Peninsula (Peninsula) "(Record no SA0023359)".Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure.2011. Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2016.Retrieved5 October2015.
  8. ^"EYRE'S PENINSULA".Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1889 - 1931).17 October 1905. p. 8.Retrieved27 December2020.
  9. ^Zuckermann, Ghil'ad(2020),Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond,Oxford University Press.ISBN9780199812790/ISBN9780199812776
  10. ^Manning, Geoffrey H (2006),Manning's Place Names of South Australia from Aaron Creek to Zion Hill,Gould Genealogy & History, p. 146,ISBN978-0-947284-60-2
  11. ^Potential $2 million boost for yellowtail kingfish industry with new feeding regimeABC News,18 April 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ^Coffin Bay oyster growers back in businessPIRSA,Government of South Australia, 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  13. ^Lake macdonnellMining 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 fromthe original(PDF)on 9 September 2014.Retrieved30 August2015.
  16. ^Kimba RailwayThe Transcontinental9 July 1920 page 1
  17. ^Kimba-Port Augusta RailwayThe Register16 August 1922 page 3
  18. ^No Railway Link with West CoastQuorn Mercury24 June 1954 page 1
  19. ^Extension of Railway OpposedWhyalla Times2 July 1954 page 1
  20. ^Going, Going, Gone - Coffin Bay TramwayCatch Pointissue 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.Retrieved5 October2015.
  25. ^"Communities".Outback Communities Authority. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2016.Retrieved5 October2015.
  26. ^"Protected Areas of South Australia September (Map) 2016 Edition"(PDF).Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.Retrieved27 December2016.
  27. ^"Shipwrecks and sea rescue: Shipwrecks, Introduction".State Library of South Australia. April 2014.Retrieved6 September2017.
  28. ^"SHOCKING BLASTING FATALITY".Adelaide Chronicle.Vol. LXIV, no. 3, 404. South Australia. 17 December 1921. p. 64.Retrieved26 September2016– via National Library of Australia.
  29. ^"FATAL ACCIDENT".Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell).Vol. VIII, no. 440. South Australia. 15 November 1918. p. 2.Retrieved26 September2016– 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]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toEyre Peninsula.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eyre_Peninsula&oldid=1215657829"