Gladstone, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gladstone South Australia
Gladstone Hotel
Gladstone Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5473
Elevation	43 m (141 ft)
Location	211 km (131 mi) N of Adelaide 38 km (24 mi) E of Port Pirie
LGA(s)	Northern Areas Council
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Federal Division(s)	Division of Grey
Localities around Gladstone: Beetaloo Valley Laura Caltowie West Caltowie Gladstone West Bundaleer Huddleston Georgetown

Gladstone is a small country town in South Australia. It's located in the Mid North region, close to the lower Flinders Ranges. In 2006, about 629 people lived here. The town used to include another small area called Booyoolie.

Gladstone has many services for people living nearby. You can find shops, a post office, and a bank. There are also two pubs and three churches. While the closest hospital is 11 kilometers away, doctors do see patients at the town's medical clinic. For students, Gladstone has a kindergarten, a state primary school, a Catholic primary school, and a secondary school. Many students from the wider area attend the secondary school.

The town is also a hub for sports and social activities. People can join clubs for Aussie Rules football, netball, cricket, tennis, golf, and lawn bowls. There's an outdoor swimming pool too. A new soccer club has even started for school-aged children. Teams from Gladstone often play against clubs from other towns within about 75 kilometers.

Farming is very important in this area. Farmers mainly grow wheat and raise sheep. Gladstone is home to a huge grain storage facility. It's the largest inland grain storage place in the Southern Hemisphere! It holds different types of grains like wheat, barley, and various beans.

The Anglican Diocese of Willochra has its main office, called the Registry, in Gladstone. The Bishop of Willochra also lives in Bishop's House, which is on the Main North Road. For many years, Gladstone was also where a local soft drink company, Trend Drinks, started in 1876. It moved away in 2016.

Gladstone's History

The town of Gladstone was first planned in October 1872 by Matthew Moorhouse. It was built on the east side of the railway line. Later, in March 1875, the government created another town called Booyoolie on the west side of the railway line. In 1940, Booyoolie was renamed Gladstone to match the original town and the railway station. The name Gladstone comes from William Ewart Gladstone, who was a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

During World War II, a special fuel storage area was built near Gladstone. It was called the RAAF No. 28 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot. This depot had large tanks hidden under mounds of earth. It was one of many fuel depots built across Australia in safe places away from airfields and naval attacks.

Historic Buildings in Gladstone

Gladstone has several buildings that are listed as important heritage sites. These include:

• 42 Gladstone Street: The National Australia Bank Building
• 44 Gladstone Terrace: The Savings Bank of South Australia Building
• Ward Street: The Gladstone Gaol

Gladstone's Railways

Gladstone Railyard in March 1986, showing three different rail gauges on one track.

Gladstone is an important spot on the main railway line that goes from Crystal Brook to Broken Hill. There are also other railway lines that branch off from Gladstone, going north and south.

When the railways first started, all the lines were narrow gauge, which is 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) wide. The first line reached Gladstone from Port Pirie in 1875. It was later extended to Peterborough and then to Cockburn near the border with Broken Hill. A branch line from Gladstone to Laura was built in 1884 and later extended to Wilmington. A line from the south, connecting to Blyth, was finished in 1894.

In 1927, the line from Hamley Bridge through Blyth to Gladstone was changed to a wider gauge, called broad gauge, which is 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) wide. This made Gladstone a "break-of-gauge" junction, meaning trains had to change here because the tracks were different widths.

By 1970, the line from Port Pirie to Broken Hill was changed again to standard gauge, which is 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) wide. This made Gladstone a very rare place where three different rail gauges met! The narrow and broad gauge lines were closed in the 1980s. Now, Gladstone only has standard gauge tracks.

The Journey Beyond's weekly Indian Pacific train, which is a special long-distance service, passes through Gladstone. However, it does not stop at the station.