Wilmington, South Australia
| Wilmington South Australia | |||||||||||||
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  Wilmington | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°38′49″S 138°05′45″E / 32.64694°S 138.09583°ECoordinates: 32°38′49″S 138°05′45″E / 32.64694°S 138.09583°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 497 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5485 | ||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | District Council of Mount Remarkable | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Stuart | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||
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Wilmington is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia.[2] The town is located in the District Council of Mount Remarkable local government area, 305 kilometres (190 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide. At the 2006 census, Wilmington had a population of 220.[1]
Originally named "Beautiful Valley",[3] Wilmington is a farming community, known for sheep, wheat and barley, but more recently the temperature conditions and rainfall have contributed to the increasing popularity of the planting of olive groves.
The town has a post office, hotel, two caravan parks, take-away shop, two service stations, primary school, kindergarten, museum and op shop.
It borders the Mount Remarkable National Park and the beautiful Alligator Gorge is a 10-minute drive from Wilmington.
Wilmington is a popular place to stay due to its proximity to the tourist areas of the Flinders Ranges, most notably Wilpena Pound.
Wilmington was established as a stop over route for grain and wool being delivered by horse and cart from Port Augusta on its way to Adelaide. The historic Wilmington Coaching Stables on Fourth Street survive and are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[4]
The town and surrounding areas formerly had their own municipality, the District Council of Wilmington, which merged into the current District Council of Mount Remarkable in 1980.[5]
Transport
Wilmington was the northern terminus of the Wilmington railway line from 1915 when the line was built until it closed in 1969.
Wilmington is on the Horrocks Highway at the junction where Main North Road turns west to pass through Horrocks Pass, and Horrocks Highway continues north to Quorn, South Australia. South of Wilmington, the same road carries both names to Gawler on the northern outskirts of Adelaide.
Terka
A town was surveyed in 1924 adjacent to the Terka railway siding six kilometres south of Wilmington, which was named from a nearby homestead. The town was "declared ceased to exist" in 1983 and is now considered to be part of the area of Wilmington.[6]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmington, South Australia. |
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Wilmington (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
- ↑ "Yorke and Mid North SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ↑ "Death of Sir John Bice". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 November 1923. p. 1 Edition: Home. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ↑ "Former Coaching Stables, Wilmington". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2004/2005" (PDF). District Council of Mount Remarkable. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ↑ "Placename Details: Terka". Property Location Browser. Land Services, Government of South Australia. 12 May 2011. SA0048147. Retrieved 27 February 2016.