Strathalbyn, South Australia

Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. The town has a population of 3894 people.^[1]

History and Culture

The town was founded in 1839. Strathalbyn was once connected by broad gauge horse tram to Goolwa and Victor Harbor from 1869, and the line was extended to Mount Barker and Adelaide and upgraded for steam engines from 1884. It was cut off again in 1995 when the main line was converted to standard gauge. SteamRanger still run historic tourist trains on the isolated broad gauge line, including stops at Strathalbyn.

Strathalbyn has 4 pubs on the centre of town, The Victoria, The Robin Hood, The Terminus, and the Commercial. It is also host to an annual collectors, hobbies and antique fair, held the third weekend of August every year. Other popular events are the Strathalbyn Rotary Club's renowned Duck Race,^[2], the Strathalbyn Show, and the collaborative Street Parade and Carols by Candlelight. There are also markets on every Sunday at the railway station.

Geography

Strathalbyn is 60 km southeast of Adelaide on the banks of the River Angas. The Children's Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the river in the park.

Mining Industry

Small lead, zinc, gold and copper mines operated in the area in the later part of the 19th century, but these have all been long closed, and did not have a significant effect on the development of the town.^[3] In 2008, mining company Terramin established an underground zinc mine with the decline portal and much of the above-ground operation situated in a quarry east of the town, injecting an estimated $29 million dollars into the local economy and creating around 100 jobs.^[4] The mine will yield zinc and lead, with small quantities of silver, gold and copper and is expected to operate for seven years.^[5] This proposal is opposed by "The Residents For A Future Strathalbyn Inc." who are concerned about ecologically unsustainable development within their district. ^[6]

References