54-641: The Tod Reservoir is located on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia , in the localities of Whites Flat and Koppio , 27 km north of Port Lincoln . It is situated on the Tod River , the only stream on Eyre Peninsula , South Australia providing reliable flows; the reservoir is supplied by concrete channels fed from weirs constructed across the Tod River and its major tributary, Pillaworta Creek. The river
108-756: A cage with southern bluefin tuna, with a colony of Australian sea lions , or enter a shark cage to observe great white sharks offshore near the Neptune Islands . Ceduna lies to the east of the Nullarbor Plain , which is crossed by a stretch of the Eyre Highway running parallel to the Great Australian Bight . Oyster farm tours can be experienced at Smoky Bay , allowing visitors to see where oysters are grown. Recreational fishing for species such as King George whiting and blue swimmer crabs does not require
162-453: A licence, although size, bag, and boat limits may apply. On the west coast, tourists can snorkel with Australian sea lions and bottlenose dolphins in the sheltered waters of Baird Bay and observe southern right whales (and occasionally humpback whales) from the shore or by boat from Fowler's Bay from May to October. Murphy's Haystacks are a unique geographical feature located between Streaky Bay and Port Kenny . Artifacts from
216-426: Is indigenous . The major industry is farming — cereal crops , sheep , and cattle in the drier north, and more water-intensive activities such as dairy farming and a growing wine industry in the south. Many coastal towns have commercial fishing fleets, the largest at Port Lincoln. The town has previously harbored a large tuna -fishing fleet, which is gradually transforming its practice to fish farming with
270-442: Is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia , between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula is separated from Kangaroo Island to the south by Investigator Strait . The most populous town in the region is Kadina ; Maitland is the most central town; and the south-western tip is occupied by Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park . Prior to European settlement of
324-424: Is a hive of agricultural activity every 2 years, at the end of September. Access from Adelaide is by road, and a regular bus service operates from the capital to main towns on the peninsula and between some of the towns. It takes an estimated two and a half hours to drive from end to end, and about 30–40 minutes across the peninsula. There are no traffic lights on the peninsula. In December 2006, Sea SA operated
378-549: Is a triangular peninsula in South Australia . It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula , it was named after explorer Edward John Eyre , who explored parts of the peninsula in 1839–41. The coastline was first charted by the expeditions of Matthew Flinders in 1801–02 and French explorer Nicolas Baudin around
432-436: Is occupied by Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park . Typical of the southern coastal areas of the state and influenced by the surrounding bodies of water, Yorke Peninsula has a Mediterranean climate , ( Koppen : borderline Csa/Csb), with some areas bordering a semi-arid climate , with hot, dry summer and cool, wet winter seasons. Maximum temperatures in summer average around 30°C and in winter average around 12–15°C. Due to
486-590: Is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm. Mr C. A. Bayer presented the merits of a dam on the Tod River to the Royal Commission in 1916. An earth embankment dam was built on the Tod River between 1918 and 1922 at a cost of $ 562,000. In 1921, 600 men were employed on the project. The reservoir overflowed for the first time in August 1932. The water level reached its lowest point in its history in 1949. Low water problems persisted in 1950. In 1951, new pumps were installed at
540-586: Is over 1 million tonnes per annum. Iron ore is mined by Arrium in the Middleback Range near Iron Knob , inland from Whyalla . Some of the product is smelted to produce feedstock for the Whyalla Steelworks . Increasing volumes of iron ore are also being exported from Whyalla directly to customers in Asia. There is a commercial nephrite jade mine near Cowell , and jade souvenirs can be purchased in
594-593: Is prime agricultural land, with mostly small rolling hills and flat plains. The southern end of the Hummocks Range partially extends down the top of the Peninsula, flattening out near Clinton . The highest point on the Peninsula is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of Maitland , although there is some debate as to where the Peninsula borders the Mid-North, and part of the steep Hummocks terrain may be considered part of
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#1732851938737648-687: Is promoted by Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula as the 'Seafood Frontier' due to the variety of seafood species in the region, both farmed and wild-caught. Key species are the southern bluefin tuna and yellowtail kingfish , which are farmed in Port Lincoln and Arno Bay , and Pacific oysters , which are grown in Coffin Bay, Cowell, Denial Bay, Smoky Bay, and Streaky Bay. Other seafood offerings include abalone , King George whiting , mussels , western king prawns and blue swimmer crabs . Many natural heritage attractions can be found in
702-564: Is scarce on the peninsula. Presently, water is pumped several hundred kilometres from the Murray River to the town of Whyalla through the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline . Underground water resources are suffering from gradually increasing salinity. The only reliable surface flows are from the Tod River and its main tributary, Pillaworta Creek, which are captured by the Tod Reservoir . The reservoir
756-547: Is surrounded on three sides by the ocean, and forms a 170,000-hectare (420,000-acre) isolated "mainland island", with large tracts of excellent native vegetation. Principal towns include the Copper Coast towns of Kadina , Moonta and Wallaroo ; farming centres of Maitland , Minlaton and Yorketown ; and the port of Ardrossan . A number of smaller coastal towns are popular destinations for fishing and holidays, particularly for people from Adelaide . The south-western tip
810-551: Is visible from the Lincoln Highway . Fishing charters are offered to depart from many coastal towns, including Whyalla, Cowell, Tumby Bay , and Port Lincoln. Major population centres on the peninsula are connected by a network of highways. The Eyre Highway (Route number A1) runs east–west across the north side of the peninsula, while the Flinders Highway (Route number B100) and Lincoln Highway (Route number A100) follow
864-557: Is within the extent of the following two South Australian government regions - the Eyre Western and the Far North . As at 2016, the following protected areas were located within the peninsula: The peninsula coastline is littered with shipwrecks from the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 1920s, seven people were killed during the construction of the Tod Reservoir , north of Port Lincoln. In January 2005, nine people were killed in
918-531: The Barngarla Aboriginal country. Ceduna is within Wirangu country. The peninsula was named after explorer Edward John Eyre on 7 November 1839 by George Gawler , the second Governor of South Australia . The peninsula's coastline boundary was defined in 1839 as "Spencer's Gulf in its whole length, to the southern ocean from Cape Catastrophe to the western point of Denial Bay ." Its northern boundary
972-952: The Coffin Bay Tramway from Coffin Bay to Port Lincoln. The BHP Whyalla Tramway operated from the iron ore mines in the Middleback Ranges to the smelter and port at Whyalla . The Whyalla railway line to Port Augusta are also connected to the national rail network. A car and passenger ferry links the Eyre peninsula at Lucky Bay to the Yorke Peninsula at Wallaroo. To facilitate prospective mines, new freight corridors and ports have been proposed to export minerals via Spencer Gulf. New port proposals are in place at Port Bonython , Lucky Bay , Cape Hardy and Sheep Hill ( Lipson Cove ). A proposal to export iron ore from Port Lincoln by Centrex Metals
1026-613: The Gulf St Vincent Important Bird Area and the Southern Yorke Peninsula Important Bird Area . The Gulf St Vincent IBA covers a strip of intertidal land from Ardrossan to the head of Gulf St Vincent and onto the east coast of the gulf. The Southern Yorke Peninsula IBA covers most of the southern western tip of the Peninsula and overlaps Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park and Warrenben Conservation Park. Marna Banggara, formerly known as
1080-598: The Monarto Zoo temporarily housed 85 mainland tammar wallaby from New Zealand, awaiting reintroduction to the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park , after they had been locally extinct there for some time. By 2012, four releases had been made, and the population increased to 100–120 animals. The following statutory reserves are located within the peninsula or immediately adjoin its coastline: Yorke Peninsula also hosts two Important Bird Areas (IBA):
1134-465: The 2024 Adelaide Festival . The work, which comprises three sections, each relating to a local creation story, includes dance, puppetry, and songs. Since the discovery of Copper on Yorke Peninsula over 150 years ago, the towns of Kadina , Moonta and Wallaroo have been collectively known as the Copper Coast. The world's largest Cornish Festival takes place every 2 years (in odd-numbered years) in
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#17328519387371188-561: The Great Southern Ark, is a grand project starting in 2019 to restore the landscape and ecology of the southern Yorke Peninsula, by reintroducing around twenty locally extinct species. The 25-kilometre (16 mi) fence across the peninsula, isolating a 170,000-hectare (420,000-acre) "mainland island", will limit predation of both native species and livestock such as lambs by feral cats and red foxes . Some work on controlling foxes had been carried out around 2006, in preparation for
1242-839: The Peninsula's pioneer and, to a lesser extent, indigenous heritage can be seen at a network of museums operated by the National Trust of South Australia , which include the Mount Laura Homestead Museum in Whyalla, the Tumby Bay National Trust Museum and the Koppio Smithy Museum. The Whyalla Maritime Museum's nautical theme commemorates the former Whyalla shipyards . Its displays include the World War II corvette HMAS Whyalla , which sits in dry-dock and
1296-459: The Peninsula. A series of shallow valleys line the interior of the Peninsula, with the main one called the Yorke Valley extending roughly from Sunnyvale, south of Paskeville through to Ramsey, between Minlaton and Stansbury . The predominant Yorke Valley area lies roughly in the area between Arthurton , Maitland, Ardrossan and Curramulka . The southern tip, sometimes termed the "foot",
1350-457: The Tod Reservoir. They were: There is widespread support in the Eyre Peninsula community for recommissioning the Tod Reservoir using desalination . SA Water investigated this option and concluded it was not viable because of the difficulty in finding an environmentally suitable location for brine waste disposal. SA Water also concluded there was insufficient volume of water available in
1404-464: The Tod River Reservoir would be opened to recreational fishing and would be stocked with "recreationally attractive species." The change was expected to occur within the 2014-2015 financial year. Capacity: 11,300 megalitres Length of wall: 351m Height of wall: 25m Type of wall: Earth with clay core Area of water spread: 134 hectares Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula
1458-517: The area commencing around 1840, following the British colonisation of South Australia , Yorke Peninsula was the home to the Narungga people. This Aboriginal Australian nation are the traditional owners of the land, and comprised four clans sharing the peninsula, known as Guuranda: Kurnara in the north, Dilpa in the south, Wari in the west, and Windarra in the east. The Narungga people also had names for
1512-635: The federal government’s National Landcare Program , the South Australian Department for Environment and Water , WWF-Australia and the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife , and many organisations have been actively involved in developing the project. Twenty woylies , or brush-tailed bettongs, were the first species reintroduced in the area, translocated from Wedge Island in June 2021, with another 80 to follow over time. The woylies will be
1566-529: The first ferry service across the Spencer Gulf, between Wallaroo and Lucky Bay , near Cowell on Eyre Peninsula , and this service continued until at least late 2015. As of 2021 a daily ferry service is operated by Spencer Gulf Searoad. The Balaklava-Moonta railway line ran across the upper Yorke Peninsula from 1878 until the 1980s. A programme, "Baiting for biodiversity ", involving making discounted fox baits available to landowners, in order to reduce
1620-416: The first of about 20 locally extinct species which will be moved there by around 2040. Other species to be reintroduced as part of the project include western quolls and southern brown bandicoots , as well as native predators including the barn owl , red-tailed phascogale . The work Guuranda , directed by Narungga / Kaurna man Jacob Boehme, premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide , as part of
1674-432: The grain in bags, and deliver fertiliser and other supplies. As roads in the region improved, and freight-handling techniques changed from bags to bulk, this became obsolete. A deep-water port was opened in 1970 near the south-eastern tip at Port Giles to export grain in bulk, and almost all the other ports ceased to be used for freight in the 1950s and 1960s. The only other ports with bulk-handling facilities are Wallaroo at
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1728-547: The growth of sea cage aquaculture for tuna and yellowtail kingfish . Oyster farming was established in the 1980s and occurs in several sheltered bays, including Coffin Bay , Franklin Harbour (near Cowell in Spencer Gulf) and Smoky Bay off the west coast. Since 1919, gypsum has been mined at Lake MacDonnell , the largest deposit of gypsum in the southern hemisphere, and is shipped from Thevenard . As of 2022 , production
1782-706: The locations of many towns on the peninsula, such as Maggiwarda for Maitland . Today the descendants of these people still live on Yorke Peninsula, supported by the Narungga Aboriginal Progress Association in Maitland , and in the community at Point Pearce . It was named "Yorke's Peninsula" by Captain Matthew Flinders , after Charles Philip Yorke (later Lord Hardwicke), narrowly beating French navigator Captain Nicolas Baudin , who preferred
1836-528: The major Eyre Peninsula Bushfire . The area is also known as the Eyre Coastal Plain , is part of the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion , and is a distinct physiographic section of the larger Eucla Basin province, which in turn is part of the larger West Australian Shield division. Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula , known as Guuranda by the original inhabitants, the Narungga people ,
1890-432: The mining industry exclusively. The existing plant is located at Whyalla and is operated by Arrium , and plants are proposed for Point Lowly and Lipson Cove to serve BHP and Centrex Metals , respectively. The peninsula includes the local government areas of Ceduna , Cleve , Elliston , Franklin Harbour , Kimba , Lower Eyre Peninsula , Port Lincoln , Streaky Bay , Tumby Bay , Wudinna and Whyalla , as well as
1944-485: The name "Cambaceres Peninsula". The area is also known as the Yorke Horst , which is distinct physiographic section of the larger South Australian Shatter Belt province, which in turn is part of the larger West Australian Shield , a physiographic division describing a geological feature known as a shield . Along with Cape Eyre the peninsula is also part of the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion . Most of Yorke Peninsula
1998-471: The north occasionally bring heavy storm events during spring and summer; rainfall is otherwise light and unreliable due to high pressure systems dominating the area. Yorke Peninsula is a major producer of grain, particularly barley . Historically this has been sent out by sea because there are no rail services. Most coastal towns on the peninsula have substantial jetties. In the past these were used by ketches , schooners , and later steamships , to collect
2052-559: The north-western side, and Ardrossan at the top of Gulf St Vincent , also used to ship dolomite from a nearby mine for OneSteel . Maitland has a grain-receiving depot operated by AWB , serviced only by road. Wine production commenced on the Peninsula during the 1990s, taking advantage of the rich grey, limestone -based soil. Acknowledged as Australia's oldest Field Days, the Yorke Peninsula Field Days have been held since 1894. The Field Days site just outside Paskeville
2106-485: The peninsula's three national parks, numerous conservation parks, and along the peninsula's extensive coastline. Ecotourism operators offer visitors opportunities to experience many of the peninsula's iconic marine species either in or on the water. From Whyalla , visitors can snorkel or dive off Point Lowly to witness the mass breeding aggregation of giant Australian cuttlefish , which occurs there from May to August each year. From Port Lincoln, tourists can swim in
2160-408: The peninsula. Peaking at 777 kilometres in 1950, radiating out from the ports at Port Lincoln and Thevenard , today, only one 60-kilometre section remains open. It is operated by Aurizon . It has always been isolated from the main network . A proposal to link it with the rest of the network at Port Augusta was rejected in the 1920s and again in the 1950s. From 1966 until 1989, BHP operated
2214-477: The reservoir to justify desalination. Alternative views exist, with others suggesting that desalination could be viable with some further engineering and catchment management considerations. In 2013, the reservoir's future has been the topic of Parliamentary debate, including speculation over its future use by iron ore mining company, Centrex Metals . In September 2014, the Port Lincoln Times reported that
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2268-465: The reservoir. Seven people died during the dam's construction. In late 1918, three men were killed in a cave-in. Another four died in two separate blasting accidents in 1921. A memorial to all seven men was erected at the picnic area near the embankment in 1982. The catchment yield for the Tod River is estimated to be 11 gigalitres per annum, though this can reduce significantly during periods of drought. While for some years up to 3,000 ML/year of water
2322-486: The return of tammar wallabies to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, but the fence will expand the area of control. The geography of the southern tip of the peninsula makes it an excellent location for species reintroduction , as it is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. The area already possesses good native vegetation, and the area is isolated. Marna Banggara is funded through the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board,
2376-488: The same time. Flinders also named the nearby Yorke's Peninsula and Spencer's Gulph on the same voyage. The peninsula's economy is primarily agricultural, with growing aquaculture , mining, and tourism sectors. The main towns are Port Lincoln in the south, Whyalla and Port Augusta in the northeast, and Ceduna in the northwest. Port Lincoln ( Galinyala in Barngarla ), Whyalla and Port Augusta ( Goordnada ) are part of
2430-577: The surrounding bodies of water, winter temperatures are moderated and milder than most of the state, with overnight temperatures rarely falling below zero, making frost relatively uncommon in the region. Northerly winds from the desert can bring temperatures above 40°C in summer and occasionally bring very warm winter days well into the 20s. Average precipitation is 4–600 mm, most of which falls from mid-April through to September, though total and seasonal rainfall can vary greatly from year to year. Along with most of southern Australia, monsoonal lows from
2484-455: The threat of introduced foxes to native fauna, has been running across 170,000 hectares (420,000 acres) of the peninsula since 2014. The programme has been successful in helping to protect native species, such as the western pygmy possum , tammar wallaby including threatened species such as the hooded plover , mallee fowl and fairy tern . Bush stone-curlews had returned to the peninsula after not being seen there for 40 years. In 2003,
2538-635: The town. The peninsula has many small inactive mines and quarries. It is considered prospective for a variety of minerals, including graphite , coal , and uranium , with many deposits being proven in recent years. The 2000s saw increased mineral exploration activity on the peninsula. In 2013, some of the more advanced mine development projects included: Ironclad Mining's Wilcherry Hill , Centrex Metals 's Fusion Magnetite Project and Iron Road Limited 's Central Eyre Iron Project . Existing rail, power, and water supply infrastructure shortfalls continue to hamper new project development. The Eyre Peninsula
2592-570: The west and east coasts, meeting at Port Lincoln in the south. The Tod Highway (Route number B90) bisects the peninsula, running south–north from Port Lincoln through the town of Lock to meet the Eyre Highway at Kyancutta . The Birdseye Highway (Route number B91) bisects the peninsula from Elliston on the west coast and Flinders Highway through Lock and Cleve to the Lincoln Highway near Cowell. The isolated Eyre Peninsula Railway serves
2646-622: The western portion of the City of Port Augusta . The area at the northern end of the peninsula is within the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia where municipal services are provided by the Outback Communities Authority to communities, including Iron Knob . The peninsula is within the boundaries of the federal division of Grey and the state electoral districts of Flinders and Giles . The peninsula
2700-406: Was approved but abandoned after strong public opposition. Port Bonython Fuels , a future fuel distribution hub, has been approved to be constructed at Port Bonython to aid the development of the mining industry. Once constructed and operational, fuel will be delivered to towns and mine sites by road tankers up to A-triple class. Sheep Hill/Port Spencer will be completed by 2023. Potable water
2754-512: Was built to augment the groundwater supply of Port Lincoln and was constructed in the early 1920s. It was taken offline in the early 2000s due to concerns over rising salinity and contamination from agricultural chemicals. SA Water has investigated potential locations for seawater desalination plants to address future water security problems. As of January 2014, no plants are proposed to be built for domestic or agricultural supply, though one currently exists and two have been proposed to serve
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#17328519387372808-399: Was described in 1978 as follows: "no official boundary [has] ever [been] proclaimed but the common sense choice would be to draw a straight line from Yorkey Crossing to the northernmost point of Denial Bay ." As at 30 June 2010, the peninsula had a population of 58,700 people. The peninsula is home to 3.6% of South Australia's population. An estimated 2,500 people, 4.4% of the population,
2862-463: Was extracted from the reservoir for potable use, negligible water has been extracted since 2001-2002. Reasons for the change include increasing salinity and concerns about the levels of agricultural chemicals in the reservoir. The reservoir has been retained as a ‘contingency' water supply measure since that time. In April 2011, the Department for Water listed three possible options for the future use of
2916-507: Was named after Robert Tod, who discovered it during explorations in 1839. The Tod River flows into Louth Bay in Spencer Gulf . The reservoir is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register . A museum which features audio and visual displays is located off White Flat Road, northwest of Poonindie. Grounds include a playground, tennis court, coin-operated barbecues and a picnic area. Grounds are open 7 days. The museum
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