Denial Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Denial BaySouth Australia |
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 Denial Bay
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1889 (settlement) 1910 (town) 1999 (locality) |
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| Postcode(s) | 5690 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | District Council of Ceduna | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Eyre and Western | ||||||||||||||
| County | Way | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Flinders | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Denial Bay (once called McKenzie) is a small town in South Australia. It's located on the state's west coast, about 562 kilometres northwest of the capital city, Adelaide. It's also just 10 kilometres west of Ceduna. This town sits on the western side of Murat Bay. It has a long European history, with the first settlement starting in 1889. Today, Denial Bay is well-known for its large oyster farms, which are some of the biggest on the Eyre Peninsula.
Contents
Denial Bay's Past: A Look at Its History
Why Is It Called Denial Bay?
The bay that the town is named after was first mapped by Matthew Flinders in 1802. He was exploring South Australia's coastline at the time. Flinders named the inlet "Denial Bay" because he had hoped to find a way to travel far inland through it, but he couldn't. It was a "denial" of his hope.
Early Explorers and Settlers
The first European explorers to check out the land around the bay were John Hill and Samuel Stephens. This happened in August 1839. They used a ship called the Rapid as their base.
The town itself was started by William McKenzie in 1889. It was the very first settlement in the area that would later become Ceduna. McKenzie did a lot of the work himself. He cleared the mallee scrub with an axe. He also built a general store and took on many jobs. He was the local harbour master, postman, blacksmith, butcher, saddler, and even a Justice of the Peace. At times, he employed up to 30 people.
McKenzie's Landing: A Unique Port System
Denial Bay was mainly set up as a place to load and unload goods for farming activities inland. This was done using a very special system because of the rocky floor of the bay's seabed.
A big wooden platform, known as 'McKenzie's Landing', was built. When the tide was high, boats would unload goods onto this platform. Then, when the tide was low, horse and carts would be used to collect the items. The same process was used to load boats with goods.
Town Name Change and Development
The town was officially surveyed in December 1909. It was then declared a town on June 16, 1910, under the name McKenzie. This was likely in honor of William McKenzie. Later, on September 19, 1940, the town was officially renamed Denial Bay.
During its busiest time, a school opened in 1897 and stayed open until 1945. In 1909, a jetty was built south of McKenzie's Landing. This jetty was first suggested in 1905, and it is still standing today.
The official boundaries of the Denial Bay area were set in January 1999.
Another important historical feature in Denial Bay is the famous dog fence. This fence runs all the way down to the water near McKenzie's Landing.
The town no longer works as a port. Today, it relies on the aquaculture industry and tourism.
Denial Bay's Economy: Oysters and Tourism
The main way people make a living in Denial Bay now is through Oysters grown by aquaculture. Tourism also brings in some money.
Oyster Farming in the Bay
Oyster farming started in the area in 1985. At first, 105 hectares (about 260 acres) of farms were set aside for farmers in the bay. Each individual farm could be up to 10 hectares (about 25 acres). Since then, the farming area has grown to over 200 hectares (about 494 acres) in Denial and Murat Bays.
The oysters grown in Denial Bay and Smoky Bay make up about 20% of all oysters grown in the state of South Australia. The oyster growing industry is celebrated every year at 'Oysterfest' in Ceduna.
Fun Activities for Tourists
Tourism in Denial Bay is mostly about recreational fishing. People also enjoy other marine activities. These include snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming, and even surfing along some parts of the coast.
The bay has a lot of Blue Swimmer Crabs. This makes it a popular spot for people who like to catch crabs. Crabs can be caught off the jetty or from a boat. Other popular fish caught in the bay include Snapper, King George and Yellowfin Whiting, Salmon, Mulloway, Shark, and Squid. Many other types of fish are also found here.
Media: The Denial Bay Starter Newspaper
For a short time, Denial Bay had its own newspaper called the Denial Bay Starter. It was a weekly paper that came out every Saturday. It was printed in Denial Bay from November 14, 1908, to January 29, 1910.
Facilities in Denial Bay
Denial Bay is a very small town, so it has limited services. The town does have a small general store. This store sells petrol and groceries. There is also a public payphone nearby.
For a full range of shopping and business services, people go to Ceduna. Ceduna is only 12 kilometres away by a sealed road.
The town has very few places to stay, sports grounds, restaurants, or other services.
How Denial Bay is Governed
Denial Bay is part of the federal Division of Grey. It is also in the state electoral district of Flinders. Locally, it is part of the District Council of Ceduna.
