Hawker, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids HawkerSouth Australia |
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Hawker Hotel-Motel
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Population |
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Established | 1 July 1880 (town) 25 November 1999 (locality) |
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Postcode(s) | 5434 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 315 m (1,033 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Location | 365 km (227 mi) N of Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Flinders Ranges Council | ||||||||||||||
Region | Far North | ||||||||||||||
County | Blachford Hanson |
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State electorate(s) | Stuart | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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Footnotes | Adjoining localities |
Hawker is a town and a locality in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 kilometres (227 mi) north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 341 of which 237 lived in its town centre.
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History
Hawker was a thriving railway town from the 1880s until 1956 as it was on the famous Ghan railway line, until the route was moved further west when the line was upgraded.
Heritage listings
Hawker has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- 20 Cradock Road: St Philip and St James Catholic Church
- Hawker-Wilpena Road: Mount Desire Dyke
- Wonoka-Hawker Road: Hawker railway station
- 1885 Hawker Dam
Tourism
Hawker Racing Club holds a once a year Thoroughbred horse racing meeting which includes the Hawker Cup in late May which attracts many people from around the area.
Climate
Hawker has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cool winters. Rainfall is very sparse throughout the year, but more reliable in the winter months.
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Economy
The main economic activities in the area are tourism and pastoral runs of sheep and increasingly cattle. Due to the arid environment, the stocking rates are low, at about one sheep per three to four hectares. Hawker is 55 kilometres (34 mi) south of Wilpena Pound, a unique natural dish-shaped range of hills popular with tourists, as well as the spectacular scenery of the Flinders Ranges.