Kyancutta, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids KyancuttaSouth Australia |
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 Kyancutta
Location in South Australia
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| Population | 79 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1917 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5651 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 59 m (194 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Wudinna District Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Flinders | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Climate Localities | ||||||||||||||
Kyancutta is a small town in South Australia. It's located on the Eyre Peninsula, where the Eyre and Tod Highways meet. This area is known as a wheatbelt, meaning it's important for growing crops.
Kyancutta was once a busy place with its own airport. Today, it's a very quiet town, sometimes called a "ghost town". It mainly serves the farms around it and offers a stop for people traveling through.
Contents
History
How Kyancutta Started
The town of Kyancutta was officially created in 1917. Its main purpose was to support the farms and agricultural areas nearby.
The name "Kyancutta" might come from an Aboriginal word, kanjakatari. Kanja means "stone" and katari means "surface water". This suggests there was water found in the rocks. Another idea is that the name came from a nearby hill called "Kutta kutta", which was the local Aboriginal name for the night hawk.
Important Developments
An airport was built in Kyancutta not long after the town was established. Flights between Adelaide and Perth used to stop there regularly. This helped the town's economy a lot. However, the airport closed in 1935, and the town started to become quieter after that.
A school was built in Kyancutta in 1920. It taught students for 25 years before closing its doors in 1945.
In 1928, an official weather station was set up in Kyancutta. This station became Australia's first fully automated weather station. It still collects weather information every three hours, managed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
In 1986, a special park was created to remember the early farmers. These pioneers helped settle the land and start farming in the area.
Recent Times
In recent years, the town has faced challenges. The general store and post office have not always been open or managed consistently. This has made it harder for the town to keep its services running smoothly.
Climate
Weather in Kyancutta
Kyancutta has a semi-arid climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, somewhat wet winters. Because it's inland, the nights stay cool or cold throughout the year. For example, the average low temperature is about 4.8 degrees Celsius in July and 14.5 degrees Celsius in January and February.
The town doesn't get much rain, with an average of 310.7 millimeters (about 12 inches) per year. Most of this rain falls during winter. Kyancutta has seen some extreme temperatures. The coldest ever recorded was -7.0 degrees Celsius in July 1959. The hottest was a scorching 49.3 degrees Celsius in January 1939.
| Climate data for Kyancutta (33º07'48"S, 135º33'00"E, 59 m AMSL) (1930-2024 normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 49.3 (120.7) |
46.8 (116.2) |
46.1 (115.0) |
41.1 (106.0) |
33.1 (91.6) |
28.4 (83.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
33.2 (91.8) |
37.9 (100.2) |
43.0 (109.4) |
46.1 (115.0) |
48.0 (118.4) |
49.3 (120.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.1 (91.6) |
32.5 (90.5) |
29.9 (85.8) |
25.4 (77.7) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
31.0 (87.8) |
25.2 (77.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
14.5 (58.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.4 (41.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
4.9 (40.8) |
6.3 (43.3) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.0 (55.4) |
9.3 (48.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 14.9 (0.59) |
15.9 (0.63) |
13.8 (0.54) |
19.4 (0.76) |
31.3 (1.23) |
38.3 (1.51) |
39.2 (1.54) |
38.8 (1.53) |
30.8 (1.21) |
25.5 (1.00) |
22.3 (0.88) |
20.6 (0.81) |
310.7 (12.23) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 6.4 | 10.3 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 95.5 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 28 | 30 | 33 | 40 | 50 | 56 | 57 | 51 | 43 | 36 | 31 | 30 | 40 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
9.8 (49.6) |
9.1 (48.4) |
8.2 (46.8) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
6.7 (44.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
5.8 (42.4) |
6.5 (43.7) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 306.9 | 254.3 | 247.0 | 192.0 | 167.4 | 153.0 | 158.1 | 179.8 | 186.0 | 232.5 | 261.0 | 282.1 | 2,620.1 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 70 | 68 | 65 | 57 | 52 | 51 | 50 | 53 | 52 | 58 | 63 | 64 | 59 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1930-2024 normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
Economy
What Kyancutta Does
Today, Kyancutta acts as a service center for the farms around it. The main industries here are growing cereal crops (like wheat) and raising sheep.
Large grain silos are located in Kyancutta. These silos are used to store wheat and field peas before they are sent by train to Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula Railway.
Kyancutta also serves as a place for travelers to stop and rest. Many people drive along the Eyre Highway, and Kyancutta offers a break on their journey. While the town itself doesn't have many tourist attractions, there are natural spots nearby. These include Waddikee Rock and Corrobinne Hill, both within 20 kilometers of the town.
Facilities
What's Available in Kyancutta
Kyancutta offers free camping in a park next to the Kyancutta Store. Although the store itself is currently closed, there is a self-service fuel pump available for cars.
For the people who live in Kyancutta, there is a post office. The town also has a sporting complex. This complex includes an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and facilities for football and netball.
