Baldina, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baldina South Australia
Baldina Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5417
LGA(s)	Regional Council of Goyder
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Localities around Baldina: Burra Mongolata Burra Eastern Districts Burra Baldina Burra Eastern Districts Burra Worlds End Worlds End
Footnotes	Coordinates

Baldina is a quiet, rural area in the middle part of South Australia. It's known as a "rural locality," which means it's a countryside area with farms and open spaces, not a busy town. Baldina officially got its current borders in August 2000. However, people had been using the name Baldina for this area for a very long time before that. It is part of the Regional Council of Goyder.

Where Did the Name Baldina Come From?

The name Baldina comes from an Aboriginal word. This word refers to some natural springs found on Baldina Creek. These springs were an important source of water.

The name was first used for large farming areas called "pastoral runs."

• The Baldina Run was started by Henry Ayers in 1851.
• The Baldina Creek Run was started by Alfred Barker between 1855 and 1856.

Later, in 1875, an official land division called the Hundred of Baldina was created. This "hundred" included parts of what are now Worlds End and Burra Eastern Districts.

A Look Back at Baldina's Past

Baldina once had several important community places.

• Baldina School: A school opened in 1885 and closed in 1930. It was held in a Lutheran chapel.
• Churches: There were at least four churches in the wider Baldina area. These included the Upper Bright (Baldina) Lutheran Church, the Baldina Plains (St Paul's) Lutheran Church, the Baldina Methodist Church, and the Douglas Primitive Methodist Church.
• Midwinter's Hotel: A hotel opened in 1880 and was a local meeting spot. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1887.
• Post Office: Baldina also had its own post office at one time.

Nature and Old Towns

Baldina is home to the Red Banks Conservation Park. This park is famous for being one of the richest "megafauna" sites in Australia. Megafauna are very large animals that lived long ago, like giant kangaroos or wombats. The Baldina pastoral station, a large farming property, is also located here.

Due to changes in local boundaries, the Baldina Cemetery is now located in Burra Eastern Districts.

There are also two former towns within Baldina's current borders:

• Douglas: This town was planned in 1877. It was officially declared to have stopped existing in 1981.
• Kilto: This area was once called Klaebes. Its name was changed to Kilto during World War I. This happened because many German-sounding place names in Australia were changed during the war. Kilto also had a post office that opened in 1879.