Wallaroo, South Australia
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Wallaroo () is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. It is 152 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns, historically famous for their shared copper mining industry, Kadina and Moonta being the other two. Together they are known as "Little Cornwall". It is about 8 kilometres west of Kadina and 18 kilometres north of the town of Moonta. Kadina and Wallaroo are both growing to the point where they are expected to merge.
The population of Wallaroo is about 3000. The name Wallaroo is thought to come from 'wadla waru' (the indigeneous tribe of Narungga), meaning "Wallaby urine".
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[edit] History
Wallaroo's primary importance historically was to be a port for Moonta's copper production.
Prior to European Settlement, Wallaroo was occupied by the indigeneous tribe of Narungga. Matthew Flinders was the first European to visit the location of present day Wallaroo. On 15 March 1802 when he sailed by he stated that 'the immediate coast ... which extends several leagues to the north of the point, is low and sandy, but a few miles back it rises to a level land of moderate elevation, and is not ill-clothed with small trees.' Wallaroo was first settled in 1851 by a sheep grazier, Robert Miller. In 1857, Walter Watson Hughes purchased the land and named the land 'Walla Waroo'. The name was subsequently changed to "Wallaroo" (which is what the town became known as) so the name could fit on to bales of wool. Wallaroo was established on Wallaroo Bay by 1861 and was proclaimed as a town in 1862. It was Yorke Peninsula's most important port until 1923, when Port Pirie was established. Wallaroo was connected to Kadina by horse-drawn tramway in 1862 and from Moonta in 1866. A connection to Adelaide was complete by 1880. A jetty was built in 1861 for ships to take copper. Trading however prospered and other items were brought into the area from Wallaroo such as coal, timber and food. A copper smelter was also built at Wallaroo in 1861 which also smeltered gold and lead. Distilled sulphuric acid was also produced and superphosphate was manufactured between the 1890s and 1920s. By the 1920s Wallaroo's population was 5000. The Narungga had a healthy population during the early years but the population has since dwindled. The smelters were closed down in 1923 due to low copper prices.
[edit] Geography and climate
Wallaroo exists in a semi-arid location, above Goyder's Line. Wallaroo is surrounded by scrub mulga. It is located on the foreshore and is 13 metres above sea level. Wallaroo has a dry mediterranean climate with seasonal temperatures a few degrees above Adelaide's temperatures. The temperature ranges are similar to those of Kadina's and the weather patterns are similar to those of Kadina's and Adelaide's.
Wallaroo's surrounds are used for growing barley and other crops such as legumes, canola, chickpeas and field peas. Barley from the region nearer Kadina is considered to be some of the best in the world.
[edit] The Town Today
Wallaroo exports various agricultural products such as fertiliser. To this day, it still handles grains through conveyer jetties and silos. One of the large mining chimneys still stands, aptly named the ‘big stack’. There is also an interesting Heritage and Nautical Museum with information about the ships that sailed to the area. There is also a Heritage Walk around the town, exposing more about the town’s history.
Wallaroo is currently undergoing massive expansion due to the new housing development by the name of Copper Cove on the former area of Office and North Beach.
Wallaroo offers a number of places to stay including several hotels and a campsite. Most of the hotels have their own restaurants, and there are also a few cafes and snack bars in the town.
The popular Kernewek Lowender Cornish festival is held every odd year in May in Kadina (as well as Moonta and Wallaroo where each location holds the festival for one day).
The Lions Club of Yorke Peninsula Rail has recently started operating tourist services between Wallaroo, Kadina and Bute on some Sundays on the previously disused railway line.
[edit] Governance
The District Council of Copper Coast governs Kadina at the municipal level. Wallaroo lies in the state electoral district of Goyder and the federal electoral Division of Grey.
[edit] References and external links
- District of Copper Coast - Wallaroo
- Wallaroo
- General Yorke Peninsula information
- Another Yorke Peninsula website
