| Ungarra South Australia |
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Ungarra
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| Population: | 241 (2006 Census)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 5607 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 114 m (374 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | 28 km (17 mi) North West of Tumby Bay | ||||||
| LGA: | District Council of Tumby Bay | ||||||
| State District: | Flinders | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Grey | ||||||
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Ungarra is a small agricultural based town located in the north eastern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia approximately 600 km from the state's capital, Adelaide and around 80km north of Port Lincoln. At the 2006 census, Ungarra had a population of 241.[1]
The name 'Ungarra' is derived from a nearby waterhole of the same name which is located just to the south of the township. It has a Mediterranean climate and receives on average just over 400mm of rainfall every year
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Settlers started farming the area in the early 1900s as the railway from Port Lincoln reached Ungarra in 1909. This provided an incentive for the clearing of what was generally mallee/Melaleuca mix of native vegetation for the growing of Wheat. This railway is still in operation and the branchline extends to Buckleboo in the normal but now is only operational to Kimba. An important local historic location in the nearby Moody Rock and Tanks where water was collected from a natural outcropping of granite and stored in a large tank for the require water for steam trains. Ownership of this site current resides with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and it is a popular picnic location particularly in spring. On the southern entrance to the township, the stands the Pioneer Memorial Park, with an iconic old windmill that still stands in tribute to the settlers who helped develop and settle the area a little over a hundred years ago. Ungarra celebrated its century in 2008 in Pioneer Memorial Park within the township. In its heyday, Ungarra sported a bank, a bakery, a school up to year 10, and general store and two churches. While the builds for many of these enterprises still stand, only the school(R-7) and one of the churches is still in operation is still in operation. The agricultural production around the area has expanded from the original wheat and now includes barley, lupins, faba beans, field peas,and canola. There is also a vibrate livestock industries particularly sheep based.
The town has a number of facilities, including sporting grounds and a primary school as well as a lawn bowl rink and soldier memorial hall. The town is part of a popular tourist drive that can be done from Tumby Bay, with no camping or accommodation available within the town. Other conveniences include public toilets and payphone. The town also has clearly visible grain silos operated by Viterra which while being quite for most the year spring into life in the November-December period each year
Ungarra is served by a freight only station of the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Eyre Peninsula Railway.While having a number of unsealed roads running into Ungarra, it is connected to Lipson and the Lincoln Highway via a sealed all weather road the sealing of which was only completed completed in 2004.
A proposed 27km branchline connects Ungarra with the proposed iron ore port of Sheep Hill which is 20km northeast of Tumby Bay.
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