Streaky Bay, South Australia

Streaky Bay is a coastal town on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia just off the Flinders Highway 303 km north west of Port Lincoln and 727 km by road from Adelaide.

The town of Streaky Bay is the major population centre of the District Council of Streaky Bay, and the centre of an agricultural district farming cereal crops and sheep, as well as having established fishing and tourism industries.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Economy
4 Community
5 Government
6 Transport
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

The first European to sight the area was Dutch explorer Pieter Nuyts, in 1627 in the Golden Zeepaard. A monument has been erected on the median strip in Bay Road.

In 1802 Matthew Flinders named Streaky Bay whilst on his voyage in the Investigator. In his log of February 5, 1802, he describes:

"And the water was much discoloured in Streaks ... and I called it Streaky Bay"^[1]

It is now known thought these streaks are caused by the release of oils by certain species of seaweed in the bay.^[2]

In 1839, Edward John Eyre, the renowned explorer, established a small base about 3 kilometres from the Streaky Bay Township which he used as a store for his overland expeditions to Point Bell. This site, known as Eyre's Waterhole, can still be seen today just off the road to Port Kenny. Wheat growing began in the 1880's and by 1906, 31,000 bags of wheat and 470 bales of wool had been exported from Streaky Bay by ship. By this time a telegraph office had been established and regular mail deliveries were made from Port Lincoln.

Pastoralists moved into the area from 1854. The town was officially proclaimed in 1872, originally called Flinders, but was changed in 1940 to Streaky Bay to reflect local usage of the name.^[3]

In September of 1918, a massive Blue Whale over 26 metres long, was cast onto rocks on Gibson's Peninsula. Its skeleton is still on display in the South Australian Museum.^[4]

[edit] Geography

Streaky Bay and the surrounding district show a great variety of landscapes, from largely untouched native scrubland and farming country to cliffs and extensive surf beaches. The inland areas of the district are largely dominated by pastoral country; however areas such as the Calpatanna Waterhole Conservation Park located 30 km SE of Streaky Bay represents an example of the original coastal and salt lake environments, where wildlife still abounds.^[5] Possibly the areas most interesting geological features are Murphy’s Haystacks. These pink granite formations have been dated at 1590 million years old.^[6]

The features that most commonly draw tourists however, are along the immense stretch of coastline surrounding the bay. The Bay itself is relatively protected and quiet stretches of beach can be found along most of its length. However, where the coastline is exposed to the swells of the Southern Ocean, cliffs are exposed, along with sheltered areas that harbour large rockpools, such as Smooth Pool and The Granites.^[7]

Streaky Bay has a mild climate with the average a few degrees above Adelaide in summer and winter with an average rainfall of 378 mm per year.^[8]

[edit] Economy

Agriculture and fishing have long been the primary industries of the Streaky Bay region, with modern aquaculture now playing a large part in the local economy. The local economy is strongly dominated by agriculture, with an emphasis on wheat, barley and other cereals as well as sheep. Due to the relatively arid conditions, dryland farming techniques are successfully applied. Recent diversification has seen the successful testing of Damara sheep, Boer goats and olives which all offer potential future investments.^[9]

Commercial fishing has played a major role in the economy of the area since the early 1900’s, with Snapper and King George Whiting being the main targets of fishermen. More recently, aquaculture of oysters and abalone has also expanded and thrived in the waters of Streaky Bay.^[9]

Tourism is an ever growing component of the local economy, with town numbers swelling during the summer holidays and at Easter. Tourists are attracted by the many natural attractions of the area as well as a host of recreational activities. The most popular of these is undoubtedly recreational fishing, with hundreds of anglers flocking to the area to sample the renowned whiting on offer. Beach, rock and boat fishing are available, with a recently built boat ramp to cater for the boaters wishing to explore the area. Whiting, Snapper and Blue Swimmer Crabs^[10] are the most commonly targeted species, with many more available. Other activities include hiking, surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving, with guided charters being available.

[edit] Community

The town of Streaky Bay at the time of the 2001 census was 2010^[11] and the population of the town itself was around 1200.^[9] The vast majority of residents were born in Australia; with around 100 having been born overseas, primarily in the U.K.. Christianity is the main religion of the district, this also being reflected in the number of churches in the area. There are a variety of active sports clubs in the area, including football, cricket, bowls, netball and golf as well as a swimming pool.^[9] The district has strong health and education services in the form of the Streaky Bay Hospital, the local Area School and public library.^[9]

[edit] Government

Streaky Bay and its districts, including settlements such as Sceale Bay comprise the District Council of Streaky Bay local government area.^[12] Streaky bay is included in the State Electoral District of Flinders^[13] and the Federal Division of Grey.^[14] The current mayor of Streaky Bay is Ian Gunn.^[15]

[edit] Transport

Transport to and from Streaky Bay is usually done by car via the Flinders Highway, but Bus services to and from Adelaide do operate,^[16] as does the Streaky Bay Airport. The Streaky Bay Airport is situated approximately 10 kilometres to the east of the town (Streaky Bay to Port Lincoln Highway). The facilities are open 24 hours a day with pilot activated, fully automated lighting facilities available.^[9] Although the town does not have regular air transport, residents are able to access flights from either Ceduna or Port Lincoln airports.

[edit] References

^ Streaky Bay, District Council (2006-05-02), Streaky Bay: Our History [link accessed 2007-06-23]
^ Tourism, Eyre Peninsula (2007-01-29), Eyre Peninsula Tourism (Streaky Bay) [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Streaky Bay And Districts (2006-03-23), History of Streaky Bay [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Australian Government (2001-09-01), Whale and dolphin conservation [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ National Parks and Wildlife Servive, Calpatanna Conservation Park draft [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Twidale, Rowl & Elizabeth M Campbell, Geology of Murphy's Haystacks [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Streaky Bay Tourism, Along the Coast [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Bureau of Meteorology, Climate statistics for Streaky Bay [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f District Council of Streaky Bay, Town profile [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Eyre Peninsula Tourism, Eyre Peninsula Fishing Code
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001 Census Quickstats: Streaky Bay [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ District Council of Streaky Bay, District Townships
^ State Electoral Office, Map of Flinders Electorate [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Australian Electoral Commission, Map of Division Of Grey [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ District Council of Streaky Bay, Elected Members [link accessed 2007-03-26]
^ Premier Stateliner, Streaky Bay Bus Service [link accessed 2007-03-26]