Crystal Brook, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crystal BrookSouth Australia |
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The rising sun catching the Crystal Brook grain silos on a clear winter's morning; the town sports oval in the foreground
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 Crystal Brook
Location in South Australia
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| Population | 1,515 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1873 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5523 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 105 m (344 ft) | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Port Pirie Regional Council | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Mid North | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Frome | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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Crystal Brook is a town in the Mid North of South Australia, 197 kilometres north of the capital, Adelaide. In 2016, the population of the town/postcode was 1,935. Crystal Brook is in a very picturesque location, being at the start of the Flinders Ranges. The town has multiple viewing points and parks. It was named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded.
Crystal Brook is the second largest town after the city of Port Pirie in the Southern Flinders Ranges area. The shady peppercorn trees grace the main street, Bowman Street. The area where the present town is now was founded in 1839 by Edward John Eyre who was passing through the region. He named it after the beautiful sparkling clear water and named it 'Chrystal Brook'.
Crystal Brook is 197 kilometres (122 mi) north of Adelaide. The town has had some growth over the past year or two with more proposed job opportunities in the region. Crystal Brook is situated on Goyder's Line near the border of two climate systems. The township of Crystal Brook is surrounded by an intense farming region. As the town has experienced some growth in the past few years it has pushed housing development to the western side of the original township and across the creek.
The town benefits from a temperate mediterranean climate zone, making possible slightly more intense farming in the region. To the south to south-east and west lies more intense farming and to the north-west lies some marginal, semi-arid farmland.
It is home to nearby Bowman Park, a nature preserve that is situated in the Crystal Brook Valley and has an abundance of wildlife and shady camping spots right next to the Crystal Brook Creek. The park contains history that dated back to the 1800s. The original homestead that belonged to the Bowman Brothers, which the park was named after, is there overlooking the Crystal Brook.
Summers in Crystal Brook are warm to hot and can be mostly dry . Winters are wet and cold with day time temps reaching just average 13 degrees Celsius or less and night time temps around 5 degrees Celsius. Many days are overcast and drizzle.
Mr. Jay Hammers is a notable human being whose origins lie in Crystal Brook.
Contents
Infrastructure
Water
Crystal Brook (or creek) supplied water to the town until 1890 when the Beetaloo Reservoir was completed, which at the time was the largest concrete dam in the southern hemisphere.
Broadband
Broadband internet became available at Crystal Brook on 16 April 2005 after lobbying from residents. Both ADSL and ADSL2+ speeds are available to residential and business customers. National Broadband Network (NBN) wired services for the township became available on 7 October 2016. The old ADSL and PSTN infrastructure is expected to be turned off about 13 April 2018. Free WI-FI is provided by the local council in the main street, for the use of travelers and locals. NBN wireless broadband and satellite is available outside of the township area.
Transport
The Sydney–Perth and the Adelaide–Darwin railways share the same approximately 530 kilometres (329 mi) of track between Crystal Brook and Tarcoola. There is a triangular junction at Crystal Brook which joins Tarcoola, Adelaide and Sydney.
Crystal Brook Show
The Crystal Brook Show has been held annually since the early 1880s.
Heysen Trail
The town lies on the Heysen Trail, a 1,200 kilometres (746 mi)-long walking trail from Cape Jervis to Parachilna Gorge.
Close to the north-south midpoint of the trail, Crystal Brook marks a change in climate. Hot, dry summers and mild winters lie to the north, and more temperate conditions to the south.
Military History
During World War 2, Crystal Brook was the location of RAAF No.31 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), built in 1942 and closed on 14 June 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($1,800,000).
Notable people
- Arthur Percy Sullivan – recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Rob Kerin – Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002
 | Alfonso Cuarón |
 | Guillermo del Toro |
 | Lin-Manuel Miranda |
