Port Broughton, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Port Broughton is a small South Australia
n town located on the Yorke Peninsula
on the east coast of Spencer Gulf
. It is situated about 170 km north west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie
At the 2006 census
, Port Broughton had a population of 908.
The close proximity (two hours drive from Adelaide) makes it a popular tourist destination, with the number of people in town swelling to over 4000 in the summer holidays.
, however the local conditions were unsuitable and the land was divided up into acre
lots and sold.
Port Broughton was surveyed in 1871 to service the surrounding wheat
and barley
growers on the recommendation of Captain Henry Dale. It is on a sheltered inlet called Mundoora Arm Inlet at the extreme northern end of Yorke Peninsula
. The town is named after the Broughton River
(named by Edward John Eyre
after William Broughton
), the mouth of which is about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of the township.
railway line from Mundoora
, 16 km inland and uphill. The railway, officially opened on 11 March 1876, brought the grain down to the port. Horses were used to tow the empty wagons uphill, but they were sent downhill powered only by gravity, with a driver to operate the brakes. The passenger service ceased on 17 September 1925, but the grain traffic continued. During January, 1926, a Fordson rail tractor displaced the animal power. From 1931, the railways contracted out the service to a private operator.
The service ceased altogether on 3 August 1942, but the tractor continued to shunt wheat wagons between the station yard and the jetty until moved elsewhere. Ketch
es carried the grain from the jetty 8 kilometres out into the gulf where the larger windjammer
s were anchored to carry the grain back to England
. The windjammers ceased to call in 1949.
, Port Broughton's coastline is relatively protected, resulting in large expanses of shallow water and seagrass
es, tidal flats and vast areas of mangroves that flank the inlet on which the town is built. The small town of Fisherman's Bay lies 5km north of Port Broughton and has much the same coastal features. The Broughton River lies further north toward Port Pirie, where its estuary
is located. Further inland, most of the land is fairly featureless farming country, with only fragments of the original vegetation
remaining.
has largely been driven agriculture
, in particular cereal
crops. Commercial fishing
is also an important part of the economy, with scalefish
and Blue Swimmer Crabs
accounting for much of the catch. Port Broughton supports a prawn
ing fleet.
Like many towns on the Yorke Peninsula
, Port Broughton is a prime tourist destination, with activities such as fishing
, crabbing and a variety of watersports being popular. The town has a boat ramp for such activities. The town has two caravan parks and a number of units, as well as a motel. Nearby Fisherman's Bay has many shack
s belonging to holiday-makers, as well as its own small boat ramp.
was 908 (Port Broughton district population 1547). The majority of the population (784) were Australian born, with the majority of immigrants coming from the United Kingdom
. The census also found that over half the population of Port Broughton is over 55, suggesting the town is popular with retirees. Christianity
is the dominant religion
in the region, and is well serviced by a number of churches.
The town has a number of sporting clubs including Cricket
and Netball
clubs, and an Australian rules football
club playing in the Northern Areas Football Association
as the Broughton-Mundoora Eagles.
Port Broughton Area School and Port Broughton District Hospital & Health Service provide the towns educational and medical needs respectively
. The mayor currently is Dean Dolling. It is in the state
electoral district of Frome
and the federal
Division of Grey
.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n town located on the Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
on the east coast of Spencer Gulf
Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the...
. It is situated about 170 km north west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Port Broughton had a population of 908.
The close proximity (two hours drive from Adelaide) makes it a popular tourist destination, with the number of people in town swelling to over 4000 in the summer holidays.
History
The land around Port Broughton was initially used for grazingGrazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
, however the local conditions were unsuitable and the land was divided up into acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
lots and sold.
Port Broughton was surveyed in 1871 to service the surrounding wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
growers on the recommendation of Captain Henry Dale. It is on a sheltered inlet called Mundoora Arm Inlet at the extreme northern end of Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
. The town is named after the Broughton River
Broughton River
The Broughton River is a river in South Australia which flows from its confluence with Crystal Brook to the Spencer Gulf. Its mouth is located approximately north of Port Broughton and south west of Port Pirie....
(named by Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
after William Broughton
William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton was the first Bishop of Australia of the Church of England....
), the mouth of which is about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of the township.
Transport
Built in 1876, the 'T'-shaped jetty was serviced by an isolated narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railway line from Mundoora
Mundoora, South Australia
Mundoora is a settlement in South Australia. In 1876, Mundoora was connected to Port Broughton by a horse drawn railway. This has since fallen into disuse. At the 2006 census, Mundoora had a population of 248.-References:...
, 16 km inland and uphill. The railway, officially opened on 11 March 1876, brought the grain down to the port. Horses were used to tow the empty wagons uphill, but they were sent downhill powered only by gravity, with a driver to operate the brakes. The passenger service ceased on 17 September 1925, but the grain traffic continued. During January, 1926, a Fordson rail tractor displaced the animal power. From 1931, the railways contracted out the service to a private operator.
The service ceased altogether on 3 August 1942, but the tractor continued to shunt wheat wagons between the station yard and the jetty until moved elsewhere. Ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
es carried the grain from the jetty 8 kilometres out into the gulf where the larger windjammer
Windjammer
A windjammer is the ultimate type of large sailing ship with an iron or for the most part steel hull, built to carry cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century...
s were anchored to carry the grain back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The windjammers ceased to call in 1949.
Geography
Lying on the eastern side of Spencer GulfSpencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the...
, Port Broughton's coastline is relatively protected, resulting in large expanses of shallow water and seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
es, tidal flats and vast areas of mangroves that flank the inlet on which the town is built. The small town of Fisherman's Bay lies 5km north of Port Broughton and has much the same coastal features. The Broughton River lies further north toward Port Pirie, where its estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
is located. Further inland, most of the land is fairly featureless farming country, with only fragments of the original vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
remaining.
Economy
Since its establishment, Port Broughton's economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
has largely been driven agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, in particular cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
crops. Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
is also an important part of the economy, with scalefish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and Blue Swimmer Crabs
Portunus pelagicus
Portunus pelagicus, also known as the flower crab, blue crab, blue swimmer crab, blue manna crab or sand crab, is a large crab found in the intertidal estuaries of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Middle-Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The name "flower crab" is used in east Asian...
accounting for much of the catch. Port Broughton supports a prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
ing fleet.
Like many towns on the Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
, Port Broughton is a prime tourist destination, with activities such as fishing
Recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival....
, crabbing and a variety of watersports being popular. The town has a boat ramp for such activities. The town has two caravan parks and a number of units, as well as a motel. Nearby Fisherman's Bay has many shack
Shack
A shack is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S...
s belonging to holiday-makers, as well as its own small boat ramp.
Community
The recorded population the township of Port Broughton at the time of the 2006 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
was 908 (Port Broughton district population 1547). The majority of the population (784) were Australian born, with the majority of immigrants coming from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The census also found that over half the population of Port Broughton is over 55, suggesting the town is popular with retirees. Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is the dominant religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in the region, and is well serviced by a number of churches.
The town has a number of sporting clubs including Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
clubs, and an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club playing in the Northern Areas Football Association
Northern Areas Football Association
The Northern Areas Football Association is an Australian rules football competition based in the Mid North region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League....
as the Broughton-Mundoora Eagles.
Port Broughton Area School and Port Broughton District Hospital & Health Service provide the towns educational and medical needs respectively
Government
Port Broughton is the seat of the District Council of Barunga WestDistrict Council of Barunga West
The District Council of Barunga West is a local government area in South Australia. The council covers an area at the north of Yorke Peninsula in the Mid North and includes the townships of Alford, Bute, Fishermans Bay, Kulpara, Melton, Mundoora, Port Broughton, Tickera and Wokurna.The council...
. The mayor currently is Dean Dolling. It is in the state
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
electoral district of Frome
Electoral district of Frome
Frome is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after Edward Charles Frome, the third surveyor-general of South Australia. The electorate is based around the industrial city of Port Pirie and the agriculture areas of Clare and Gilbert...
and the federal
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Grey
Division of Grey
The Division of Grey is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who was Governor of South Australia 1841-45 ....
.