| Fowlers Bay South Australia |
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Town of Fowlers Bay |
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Fowlers Bay
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| Population: | 125[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1890 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 5690 | ||||||
| Coordinates: | [2] | ||||||
| Elevation: | 3 m (10 ft) [3] | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Outback Areas Community Development Trust | ||||||
| State District: | Flinders | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Grey | ||||||
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Fowlers Bay, formerly Yalata, is a small coastal town in South Australia, located approximately 912 kilometres (567 mi) north west of the state capital, Adelaide. Situated on the Nullarbor Plain, it was once an active port and a gateway to the western reaches of the continent, but fell into decline in the 1960s. At the 2006 census, Fowlers Bay and the surrounding area had a population of 125.[1]
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The coastline around Fowlers Bay was first mapped in 1627 by François Thijssen, a Dutch sea captain. His ship was the Golden Seahorse (Gulden Zeepard).[4] Fowlers Bay was named by Matthew Flinders when he anchored his ship The Investigator in the waters on 28 January 1802, after his first lieutenant, Robert Fowler.
Edward John Eyre set up base camp here in 1840 during his epic journeys across the Nullarbor Plain. By this time the area was well-known to American and French whaling ships; Eyre documents seeing whalers in the area.[5]
In the 1860s, the first pastoral leases were established by William Swan and Robert Barr-Smith, forming Yalata station, a massive farming property, whose boundaries encompassed from the Head of the Great Australian Bight to Streaky Bay.[4]
The region was surveyed in March 1890 and proclaimed a town (under the name Yalata) in the Government Gazette in 1890, with the name changed to Fowler's Bay in 1940. Yalata now refers to a nearby township.
Today Fowlers Bay is located in the unincorporated area of South Australia (only 15% of the state is under Local Government). The town does not receive reticulated power or water. It is currently a popular overnight destination between Nundroo and Penong, and its good fishing facilities, attractive beaches and surrounding historical ruins gives the town some interest for tourists and sightseers. There are no sealed roads to Fowlers Bay and visitors should seek advice before driving across the saltwater bog behind the town.
Visually the town is dominated by a large sand dune that protects the town from the Southern Ocean.
The ruins of the homestead of the Yalata station can be found several kilometres from the town. There is a small cemetery on the outskirts of the town.
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