Port MacDonnell, South Australia
| Port MacDonnell South Australia | |||||||||||||
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 View West to Port Macdonnell from Racecourse Bay | |||||||||||||
  Port MacDonnell | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°03′0″S 140°41′0″E / 38.05000°S 140.68333°ECoordinates: 38°03′0″S 140°41′0″E / 38.05000°S 140.68333°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 623 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5291[2] | ||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | District Council of Grant[3] | ||||||||||||
| Region | Limestone Coast[4] | ||||||||||||
| County | County of Grey[3] | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mount Gambier [5] | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Barker[6] | ||||||||||||
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| Footnotes |
Locations[2] Climate[7] Adjoining localities[3] | ||||||||||||
Port MacDonnell is the southernmost town in South Australia. The small port located on the Great Australian Bight in the Limestone Coast region about 477 kilometres (296 mi) southeast of Adelaide and 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of Mount Gambier in the District Council of Grant local government area had a population of 623 in the 2006 census.[1]
Once a busy shipping port, the town now relies heavily on its fishing and summer tourism industries, particularly rock lobster harvest industry, proclaiming itself "Australia's Southern Rock Lobster Capital".[8]
History
The area was originally inhabited by the Bungandidj Aborigines.
The first Europeans to see the area were led by explorer Lieutenant James Grant in HMS Lady Nelson on 3 December 1800.[9] In 1860 the area was proclaimed an official port, was given a name, and was surveyed. It is named after Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell who was Governor of South Australia from 1855 to 1862.[10]
In the 1880s, it was one of Australia's busiest ports, shipping large quantities of wheat and wool to Europe.
The port was, however, exposed to the weather and the site of many shipwrecks.[11] Across the border in Portland, Victoria, 85 km southeast, is a much more sheltered port.
Geography
The town of Port MacDonnell is set on flat swampy land in a bay between rocky capes of spectacular wave eroded formations the most spectacular being those to the near west at Cape Northumberland. The port's harbour itself is formed by a large artificially constructed rock breakwater, while the coastline is sandy beaches and rock outcrops providing shelter to the port from the rough seas. The rock provides substantial habitat for the southern rock lobster which is the town's main industry and colonies of little penguin.
Lighthouse
Cape Northumberland has a prominent lighthouse which dates to 1882. An earlier 1858 lighthouse was the first in South Australia however was demolished after it was in danger of collapse. A monument marks the site.[12]
Governance
Port MacDonnell is located within the federal division of Barker, the state electoral district of Mount Gambier and the local government area of the District Council of Grant.[6][5][3]
References
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Port MacDonnell (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- 1 2 "Postcode for Port Macdonnell, South Australia". postcodes-australia.com. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Search result for "Port MacDonnell(Locality Bounded)" (Record no SA0002700) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities", "Place names (gazetteer)" and "Development Plan Layers"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ↑ "Limestone Coast SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- 1 2 "District of Mount Gambier Background Profile". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Federal electoral division of Barker" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ↑ "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics Mount Gambier Aero (nearest weather station)". Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ↑ http://portmacdonnell.sa.au/
- ↑ "Port MacDonnell". Walkabout. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 2006-07-27.
- ↑ "Port MacDonnell". Place Names Online. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 2006-07-27.
- ↑ "SHIPWRECK LANE.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 20 December 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
- ↑ http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lights/sa/Cape%20Northumberland/Cape%20Northumberland.htm#History