| Roxby Downs South Australia |
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Roxby Downs
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| Population: | 4,055(2006 Census)[1] |
| Established: | 1987 |
| Postcode: | 5725[2] |
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Municipal Council of Roxby Downs |
| State District: | Giles |
| Federal Division: | Grey |
Roxby Downs () is a mining town in outback South Australia, 563 kilometres north of the state capital Adelaide. The town has a highly transient population of around 4,000 people, almost one third of whom are under the age of fifteen[3].
Roxby Downs is often referred to as the most 'modern town of the outback' and has numerous leisure and community facilities including swimming, cinema, cultural precinct, community radio, shopping centre, schools, TAFE, cafes and sporting clubs and facilities. There are merely two neighbouring towns in the area: Andamooka, an opal mining town approximately 30km to the east, and Woomera, 84km south of Roxby Downs.
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The town of Roxby Downs was built in 1987 (land survey commenced in November 1986) to service the Olympic Dam mine and processing plant, located 16 kilometres north of the site of the town. Roxby Downs was officially opened on 5 November 1988. The opening was celebrated with a "town party" held on the main oval and sponsored by the then owners of the operation Olympic Dam Project (O.D.P.). The town is subject to a specific Indenture Act and is administered by the Municipal Council of Roxby Downs in the form of an appointed Administrator.[4]
Roxby Downs is unique in South Australian history. Never before has a township and its administration been set up from scratch as a joint venture between the state government and a mining company. O.D.P. provided the infrastructure for the town including the housing, lighting, electricity, water, etc. The state government provided the recreation facilities, educational facilities, policing and the town administration. In 2005 a community management structure was initiated to implement a Community Plan developed during 2004 and 2005.[5] The structure consists of a series of volunteers committees, appointed by the Administrator, known as the Community Board and Community Forums.
Roxby Downs is in the state electoral district of Giles and federal Division of Grey.
On 28 March 2010, Sodexo and Billycart Kids sponsored the first Roxby Billycart Bash, in Roxby Downs. The event saw over a hundred downhill racers hurtle down the only hill in town in home made or purchased billycarts.[6] The event raised money for the Roxby Downs Health Service Auxiliary.[7]
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