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55-626: Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia , 223 km (139 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide . Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an expansive history which dates back to 1845. Port Pirie was the first proclaimed regional city in South Australia, and is currently

110-470: A TAFE campus (adult education). Risdon Park High School (formerly Port Pirie Technical High School) was a co-ed state school . In 1973, Port Pire Technical High School changed its name to Ridson Park High School, and in 1995 the school merged with Port Pirie High School forming John Pirie Secondary School. Port Pirie is home to the National Trust Historic and Folk Museum and Memorial Park, and

165-517: A break-of-gauge station when the broad gauge Adelaide-Redhill line was extended to Port Pirie. At the same time the Commonwealth Railways standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway was extended south from Port Augusta to terminate at the new Port Pirie Junction station where it met the broad gauge line, in the suburb of Solomontown. As far back as 1943, a plan existed to build a new station to remove trains from Ellen Street. As part of

220-702: A blood lead level below ten micrograms per decilitre of blood (the first ten in tenby10) by the end of 2010" (the second ten in tenby10). Higher concentrations of lead have been found in the organs of bottlenose dolphins stranded near the lead smelter, compared to dolphins stranded elsewhere in South Australia. The health impacts of these metals on dolphins has been examined and some associations between high metal concentrations and kidney toxicity were noted. Port Pirie has many educational institutions, including John Pirie Secondary School (years 7–12), St Mark's College (Foundation - year 12), Mid North Christian College (reception - year 12), many preschools and primary schools, and

275-595: A combination of low commodities prices, high debt servicing costs, the adverse impact of a weak Australian dollar on its currency hedging position and a failure to secure appropriate financial accommodation from its financiers. In March 2002, its Broken Hill mining operations were sold to Perilya. Remaining assets including mines in Mount Isa and Rosebery , and smelters in Budel (The Netherlands), Clarkesville (United States), Hobart and Port Pirie , were spun-off to

330-472: A finding of 5.3 mg/dL in 2014, and an upward trend of airborne lead levels. Prior to British settlement, the location that became Port Pirie was occupied by the indigenous tribe of Nukunu . The location was called 'Tarparrie', which is suspected to mean "Muddy Creek". The first European to see the location was Matthew Flinders in 1802, as he explored the Spencer Gulf by boat. The first land discovery of

385-553: A margin of 3.4%. It also has been considered a safe Liberal seat. Although the region is generally Liberal-leaning because of its agricultural base, Port Pirie is an industrial centre that is favourable to the Australian Labor Party . In late 2008, Rob Kerin announced his retirement, which led to a by-election being held in January 2009. Port Pirie mayor Geoff Brock announced his candidacy as an independent, and subsequently took

440-765: A new entity, Zinifex , which was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in April 2004. Other assets including the Cockle Creek Smelter were wound down. The Cockle Creek Smelter was closed in September 2003 with the largest site remediation in Australia conducted over an 11-year period. With this completed, in November 2014 administrator Ferrier Hodgson advised creditors they would receive 22 cents in

495-408: A number of inshore and offshore islands. These include (from north to south): Due to its proximity to many identified mineral deposits in South Australia's Far North, Eyre Peninsula and Braemar regions, there are multiple new port and harbour developments proposed for the region. These include new or expanded facilities at (from north to south): In 2022, the government of South Australia announced

550-667: Is also known for its snapper and Yellowtail kingfish fishing. Great white sharks are sometimes seen in Spencer Gulf by fishermen, and shark cage diving and surface tours operate out of Port Lincoln . A relic population of tiger pipefish ( Filicampus tigris ), a subtropical species is range limited to Northern Spencer Gulf. Visiting southern right whales and humpback whales enter Spencer Gulf from June through to October, and can be seen as far north as Point Lowly and Port Augusta. New Zealand fur seals and Australian sea lions can be found in southern Spencer Gulf, with significant breeding colonies located at Dangerous Reef and in

605-651: Is based on the oral histories of Greek, Cypriot and Italian people who migrated to regional South Australia after World War II. It was staged by the State Theatre Company South Australia in 2018. It played at the Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide as well as in Port Pirie. It was also filmed by local production company KOJO and intended to be shown by Country Arts SA in regional cinemas in 2020, but it

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660-484: Is located in west side of Spencer Gulf, north of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 'for fisheries management, protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Goose Island Aquatic Reserve which is located at Goose Island on the east side of Spencer Gulf near Port Victoria was d eclared in 1971 to provide 'a conservation area where teaching institutions may conduct classes and scientific research on marine biology and ecology and to protect

715-478: Is low, averaging 345.9 mm (13.62 in), with a maximum in winter. There are 78.3 precipitation days, 125.0 clear days and 100.0 cloudy days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 46.3 °C (115.3 °F) on 4 January 1979 to −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) on 27 June 1958. Port Pirie is 5 km (3 mi) off the Augusta Highway . It is serviced by Port Pirie Airport , six kilometres south of

770-502: Is still in print today (Tuesdays and Thursdays), has recently changed to a morning paper, after being delivered at around 3:00 pm. Other Port Pirie newspapers include the free The Flinders News (Wednesdays), and The Advertiser , which covers some Port Pirie news, but to a very small extent. Another newspaper, the Port Pirie Advertiser (7 April 1898 – 28 June 1924) was also published by Robert Osborne. A further publication

825-596: The gauge conversion of the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line , Mary Elie Street station was built to replace both Ellen Street and Port Pirie Junction stations. When opened, the new station was the meeting point for the Commonwealth Railways and South Australian Railways networks with through trains changing locomotives and crews, so the disadvantages were not as notable. However, after both became part of Australian National in July 1975 and trains began to operate in and out with

880-424: The 1880s. The owner since 2007, Nyrstar, is the city's main employer., and high blood lead levels in the local population are an ongoing concern. In 2006 Zinifex formed a joint venture with Umicore to create Nyrstar, which owns the smelter, with the intention that it would eventually be an entity separate from the parent companies. The PPRC completed a major redevelopment of its foreshore area in 2014 including

935-486: The 3 Aerial Observers School (3AOS) in December 1943. Port Pirie was declared South Australia's first provincial city in 1953, and today it is South Australia's second-largest port. The city is characterised by an attractive main street and some interesting and unusual historic buildings. Heritage-listed sites include: In the 2021 census , the population of the Port Pirie urban area was 13,896 people. Approximately 51.0% of

990-529: The Northern Water Supply Project, which as of 2023, is considering a business case for establishing a large seawater desalination plant in the upper Spencer Gulf. If constructed, water will be supplied for use to the Olympic Dam and Carapateena copper mines in the state's far north. It is also intended to supply water for a prospective hydrogen export industry. An environmental impact statement for

1045-762: The Port Augusta crossing. This so-called extension of the gulf consists of a land depression and occasional watercourse known as the Pirie–Torrens corridor , and the inland waterbody Lake Torrens . The northern end of the gulf is spanned by the Joy Baluch AM Bridge between Port Augusta and Port Augusta West and further north by Yorkey Crossing . Informal names for subdivisions of the gulf waters are sometimes used. "Northern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters north of Wallaroo and Arno Bay , while "Southern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters south of that line, extending to

1100-622: The Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery also serves the regional community. Every September and October the city hosts a country music festival. The Keith Michell Theatre, within the Northern Festival Centre, is named after the renowned actor Keith Michell , who grew up in Warnertown , 5 km (3 mi) from Port Pirie. A play by actress and playwright Elena Carapetis , The Gods of Strangers , set in Port Pirie,

1155-693: The Sir Joseph Banks Group. Occasional sightings occurring in Northern Spencer Gulf. Bottlenose dolphins can be seen in the gulf's waters year-round. Breeding colonies of little penguins exist on islands in Spencer Gulf. The northernmost colonies are located at Lipson Island and Wardang Island . In 2004, the Wardang Island colony's population was approximately 8,000 penguins. Cape Barren geese and several species of cormorants also breed on islands in Spencer Gulf. Spencer Gulf contains

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1210-484: The Spencer Gulf on the north-west. Many of South Australia's iconic marine species can be found on the shores and in the waters of Spencer Gulf. The rocky inshore reef along the coast near Port Bonython and Point Lowly is a breeding ground for the Northern Spencer Gulf population of Australian giant cuttlefish . They are a favorite food of local bottlenose dolphins , who have developed sophisticated techniques for safely eating these creatures. The Upper Spencer Gulf

1265-576: The city. The first railway in Port Pirie opened in 1875 when the South Australian Railways 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge Port Pirie-Cockburn line opened to Gladstone , ultimately being extended to Broken Hill . The original Ellen Street station was located on the street with the track running down the middle. The station today is occupied by the Port Pirie National Trust Museum. In 1937, it became

1320-591: The construction of the Solomontown Beach Plaza, opening up Beach abroad to through traffic, replacing lighting along the beach and improving security. Lead smelters contribute to several environmental problems, especially raised lead levels in the blood of some of the town population. The problem is particularly significant in many children who have grown up in the area. A state government project addressed this. Nyrstar plans to progressively reduce lead in blood levels such that ultimately 95% of all children meet

1375-450: The creek when transporting sheep from Bowman's Run near Crystal Brook. In 1848, Matthew Smith and Emanuel Solomon bought 85 acres (34 ha) and subdivided it as a township to be known as Port Pirie. Little development occurred on site and by the late 1860s there were only three woolsheds on the riverfront. The locality was surveyed as a government town in December 1871 by Charles Hope Harris. The thoroughfares and streets were named after

1430-588: The economic activities of the town underwent profound change. In 1889 a lead smelter was built by the British Blocks company to treat the Broken Hill ore. BHP initially leased the smelter from British Blocks but began constructing its own smelter from 1892. In 1913, the Russian consul-general Alexander Abaza reported that Port Pirie had a population of more than 500 Russians, mostly Ossetians , who had come to work at

1485-426: The family of George Goyder , Surveyor General of South Australia. In 1873, the land of Solomon and Smith was re-surveyed and named Solomontown. On 28 September 1876, with a population of 947, Port Pirie was declared a municipality. With the discovery of rich ore bearing silver, lead and zinc at Broken Hill in 1883, and the completion of a narrow gauge railway from Port Pirie to close to the Broken Hill field in 1888,

1540-452: The gulf include Tumby Bay , Port Neill , Arno Bay , Cowell , Port Germein , Port Broughton , Wallaroo , Port Hughes , Port Victoria , Port Rickaby , Point Turton , and Corny Point . The first recorded exploration of the gulf was that of Matthew Flinders in February 1802. Flinders navigated inland from the present location of Port Augusta to within 44–39 km (27–24 mi) of

1595-513: The gulf is the Eyre Peninsula , while the eastern side is the Yorke Peninsula , which separates it from the smaller Gulf St Vincent . Its entrance was defined by Matthew Flinders in 1802 as a line from Cape Catastrophe on Eyre Peninsula to Cape Spencer on Yorke Peninsula. At the time of Flinders' exploration the gulf was noted to extend 298 km (185 mi) inland from a point near

1650-613: The gulf. On the west coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Munyaroo Conservation Park , Franklin Harbor Conservation Park , Lipson Island Conservation Park , Tumby Island Conservation Park , Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park , Lincoln National Park and Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area . On the east coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Winninowie Conservation Park , Bird Islands Conservation Park , Goose Island Conservation Park , Leven Beach Conservation Park and Innes National Park . At

1705-484: The habitat of the seal colony situated on White Rocks.' Whyalla - Cowleds Landing Aquatic Reserve which is located on the west side of Spencer Gulf, just south of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 to 'protect the mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Yatala Harbour Upper Spencer Gulf Aquatic Reserve which is located in Yatala Harbour on the east side of Spencer Gulf, north of Port Pirie,

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1760-465: The largest polling booth in Port Pirie, which is at the SA TAFE Campus. Port Pirie is part of the federal division of Grey , and has been represented by Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey since 2007. Grey is held with a margin of 4.43% but is considered a safe Liberal seat. The city is part of the state electoral district of Frome , which had been held since 1993 by former Liberal Premier, Rob Kerin , with

1815-536: The location by a European was by the explorer Edward Eyre , who explored regions around Port Augusta . John Horrocks also discovered a pass through the Flinders Ranges to the coast, now named Horrocks Pass . The town was originally called Samuel's Creek after the discovery of Muddy Creek by Samuel Germein . In 1846, Port Pirie Creek was named by Governor Robe after the John Pirie , the first vessel to navigate

1870-651: The mouth of the gulf, the Gambier Islands Conservation Park is located within the Gambier Islands group. Three Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been nominated by BirdLife International at locations in Spencer Gulf. The Spencer Gulf Important Bird Area lies along the north-eastern coast of the Gulf; it comprises a 460 square kilometres (180 square miles) strip of coastal land consisting mainly of intertidal mudflats , mangroves and salt marshes . It

1925-649: The mouth of the gulf. "Upper Spencer Gulf" includes the waters north of Port Pirie, and includes the three towns sometimes referred to as the Iron Triangle: Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie. Its boundary lacks precise definition. The land surrounding the gulf, consisting of the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas , is the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion . This was originally wooded shrubland but has now mainly been cleared for agriculture. The arid Gawler bioregion extends to

1980-447: The national goal of 10 micrograms per decilitre. This has been known as the "tenby10" project. Community lead in blood levels in children are now at less than half the level that they were in the mid 1980s. The Port Pirie smelter conducted a project to reduce lead levels in children to less than 10 micrograms per decilitre by the end of 2010. "The goal we are committed to achieving is for at least 95% of our children aged 0 to 4 to have

2035-488: The other side of Port Pirie Creek. Construction cost $ 410,000 and lasted 26 weeks. It was officially named the John Pirie Bridge in 1980. The land across the bridge remains undeveloped. The main industries are the smelting of metals, and the operation of silos to hold grain. As of 2020, Port Pirie is the locality of the largest lead smelter and refinery in the southern hemisphere; a lead smelter has been there since

2090-469: The population were female, 85.9% were Australian born, and 5.2% were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Port Pirie has significant Italian and Greek communities. In 2021, the most popular industries for employment were copper, silver, lead and zinc smelting and refining (11.0%), non-psychiatric hospitals (6.0%), residential aged care (4.3%), other social assistance services (4.2%) and supermarket and grocery stores (3.9%). The unemployment rate

2145-428: The processed material to Adelaide. This line is managed by Bowmans Rail . Port Pirie's marine facilities, managed by Flinders Ports , handle up to 100 ship visits annually, up to Handymax size, for commodities such as mineral concentrates, refined lead and zinc, coal, grain, and general cargo. John Pirie Bridge, locally known as 'the bridge to nowhere', was built in the 1970s to encourage development of industry on

2200-532: The project is anticipated mid-2024. As of 2016 , one reverse osmosis and one thermal seawater desalination plant draw water from Spencer Gulf. Several others are planned. All currently or will produce water primarily or exclusively for industrial use. They are: The Spencer Gulf region, its wildlife and its development are the subjects of a documentary film in production (as of 2020) entitled Cuttlefish Country . Spencer Gulf contains four aquatic reserves . Blanche Harbour-Douglas Bank Aquatic Reserve which

2255-483: The remaining assets were spun-off to Zinifex . Pasminco was established in 1988 when Conzinc Riotinto of Australia and North Broken Hill Peko merged their lead and zinc operations. In May 1998 the Emu Bay Railway , which hauled trains from Pasminco's zinc mine at Rosebery to Burnie , was sold to Australian Transport Network . On 19 September 2001, Pasminco was placed in voluntary administration due to

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2310-432: The same locomotives, trains began to operate via Coonamia station on the outskirts of the city. Mary Ellie Street station was eventually closed in the 1990s and in 2009 was redeveloped as the city's library. Until 2012, a GM class locomotive and three carriages were stabled at the platform. A freight line continues to operate into Port Pirie, feeding the metals plant with raw materials from Broken Hill, and transporting

2365-476: The seat from the Liberals at the 2009 Frome by-election . After the poll for the by-election had closed and first preferences had been counted, (but before other preferences had been distributed), the result was LNP: 39.2%; ALP: 26.1%; Brock 23.6%; Nat: 6.6%; Greens: 3.8%; Other: 0.7%. Spencer Gulf The largest towns on the gulf are Port Lincoln , Whyalla , Port Pirie , and Port Augusta . Smaller towns on

2420-546: The second most important and second busiest port in SA. At the 2021 Census , Port Pirie had a population of 13,896. Port Pirie is the eighth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide , Mount Gambier , Gawler , Mount Barker , Whyalla , Murray Bridge and Port Lincoln . The city's economy is dominated by one of the world's largest lead smelters , operated by Nyrstar . It also produces refined silver , copper , acid , gold and various other by-products. In 2014,

2475-535: The site of an unofficial settlement, due in part to its convenience as a base for whaling vessels – which had long operated in the Great Australian Bight . Prior to the selection of Adelaide , some consideration was given to Port Lincoln as the potential site of a capital city. The Gulf is 77 km (48 mi) wide at its mouth (from Cape Catastrophe to Cape Spencer) and 320 km (200 mi) long (from its mouth to Port Augusta). The western shore of

2530-503: The smelter underwent a $ 650 million upgrade, of which $ 291 million was underwritten by the state government to replace some of the old existing plant and to reduce airborne lead emissions drastically. Regardless of these upgrades, blood lead levels in young children continue to rise. In 2021 a report from the South Australian Health Department found an average blood level of 7.3 mg/dL in young children, compared to

2585-491: The smelter. At that time the town supported a Russian-language school and library. In 1915, the smelter was taken over by Broken Hill Associated Smelters (BHAS) – a joint venture of companies operating in Broken Hill. Led by the Collins House Group, by 1934 BHAS became the biggest lead smelter in the world. The smelter gradually passed to Pasminco , then Zinifex , and since 2007 has been operated by Nyrstar . In 1921,

2640-446: The termination of the water body. The gulf was named Spencer's Gulph by Flinders on 20 March 1802, after George John Spencer , the 2nd Earl Spencer . The Baudin expedition visited the gulf after Flinders with Nicholas Baudin giving it the name Golfe Bonaparte and Louis de Freycinet using the name Golfe de la Melomanie on the expedition's published charts. By the 1830s, the natural harbour of Port Lincoln had become

2695-472: The town's population had grown to 9,801, living in 2,308 occupied dwellings. By this date, there were 62 boarding houses to cater for the labour demands at the smelter, and the increasingly busy waterfront. During World War II (1941-1943), a Bombing and Gunnery school (2BAGS) was established by the Royal Air Force at Port Pirie. 22 men lost their lives there during training exercises. It was re-designated

2750-581: The west, and the Flinders Ranges to the east. Port Pirie has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen: BSh), with hot, dry summers and cool, somewhat wetter winters. The town is above Goyder's Line , and is surrounded by mallee scrub. Temperatures vary throughout the year, with average maxima ranging from 32.0 °C (89.6 °F) in January to 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) in July, and average minima fluctuating between 17.9 °C (64.2 °F) in February and 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) in July. Annual precipitation

2805-464: Was 7.7%. The median weekly household income was A$ 1044 per week. 48.5% of the population identified with no religion, while 21.0% identified themselves as Catholic . Port Pirie is at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level . It is approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) inland, on the Pirie River, which is a tidal saltwater inlet from Spencer Gulf . It is on the coastal plain between Spencer Gulf to

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2860-653: Was declared in 1980 for 'the protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Spencer Gulf contains five marine parks , each with its own outer boundary and internal zoning. Fishing is prohibited with Sanctuary Zones, and detailed maps and GPS coordinates for the parks are available from the Government of South Australia's Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources. The marine parks within Spencer Gulf are (from north to south): A number of terrestrial reserves either adjoin Spencer Gulf at low water or are located on islands within

2915-562: Was identified as an IBA by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of waders , or shorebirds. The other two IBAs within Spencer Gulf are located in the Sir Joseph Banks Group and at Goose Island . Both sites contain breeding colonies of various island seabird species. Pasminco Pasminco was an Australian mining company founded in 1988. It was placed in voluntary administration in September 2001 with its assets sold in stages until 2004 when

2970-550: Was later shown online owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia . The town's main newspaper, The Recorder , was first published 21 March 1885 as The Port Pirie Advocate and Areas News . In 1971, a brief experiment, known as the Northern Observer (7 July - 30 August 1971), occurred when The Recorder and The Transcontinental from Port Augusta were published under a combined title in Port Pirie. The Recorder , which

3025-613: Was the short-lived Saturday Times (6 December 1913 – 15 August 1914), printed by Roy Harold Butler and closed at the start of the Great War . Television coverage in the city is provided by the ABC , SBS , Southern Cross (7, 9 and 10) and Austar . Several radio stations cover Port Pirie, including ABC 639AM , ABC 891AM , 1044 5CS, 1242 5AU, ABC Classic FM , Radio National , ABC NewsRadio , triple j , Magic FM and Trax FM (a community radio station). The results shown are from "Port Pirie West",

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