Monarto, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monarto South Australia
Monarto Location in South Australia
Established	1908 16 March 2003 (locality)
Postcode(s)	5254
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT (UTC+10:30)
Location	63 km (39 mi) from Adelaide
LGA(s)	Rural City of Murray Bridge
Region	Murray and Mallee
County	Sturt
State electorate(s)	Kavel
Federal Division(s)	Barker
Localities around Monarto: Rockleigh Rockleigh Pallamana Callington Monarto Pallamana Rocky Gully Callington Monarto South Monarto South
Footnotes	Adjoining localities

Monarto is a small area, also called a locality, in South Australia. It is about 16 kilometres (10 miles) west of the Murray River. You can find it north of the South Eastern Freeway, between the exits for Callington and Murray Bridge. It's about 63 kilometres (39 miles) from Adelaide.

Many people who live in Monarto have small farms. They often raise animals like cows, sheep, and horses. Farmers in the area also grow crops such as wheat, oats, and barley.

In the 1970s, there was a big idea to build a new city in Monarto. It was first called "New Murray Town." This new city was meant to be a "satellite city" for Adelaide. However, by the year 2000, the plan was completely given up.

Monarto's Story

How Monarto Began

The area we know as Monarto started as a private piece of land in 1908. It was part of a larger area called the Hundred of Monarto. This "Hundred" was named in 1847 after an Aboriginal woman known as "Queen Monarto." She lived in the area at that time.

The official boundaries for the Monarto locality were set on March 16, 2000.

The Planned City of Monarto

A Big Idea for a New City

In 1970, the government of South Australia, led by Don Dunstan, had a concern. They worried that Adelaide was growing too fast. The population had increased a lot in the previous 20 years. This growth was due to many births and people moving to the area.

The government thought Adelaide's population might reach 1.5 million by the end of the century. They believed this rapid growth could harm the quality of life in the city. It could also threaten the beautiful wine-making areas nearby.

To solve this, the government suggested building a new city. It would be about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Adelaide. The idea was for people to move there from Adelaide. They first called it "Murray New Town," but later changed the name to "Monarto."

The government believed that 1.3 million people was the best size for Adelaide. This meant Monarto would need to house about 200,000 people. Since Monarto was far enough away, it needed its own identity and economy. This made it tricky to decide what kind of city it should be.

Some people were unsure about the project. They wondered if it was mainly for political reasons. For example, some thought the government wanted to gain more votes in nearby Murray Bridge. Others believed the government wanted a development project close to Adelaide's economy. Yet, it needed to be far enough to be part of a "new cities programme." A geographer named Professor Peter Scott also doubted the plan. He pointed out that population growth was actually slower than expected.

What the Project Looked Like

The main goal of the "new cities programme" was to spread out development. This would help with problems in fast-growing cities. At first, some people didn't want Monarto to be part of this program. However, everyone agreed on one thing. For the city to succeed, the government needed to create many jobs there early on.

The Monarto development team thought Monarto would start as a large country town. Then, over time, it would grow into a small city. They wanted to plan the area carefully. This meant balancing the natural features of the land with buildings and roads.

For example, the city centre would have public spaces as a key feature. Buildings would be built around these spaces. Across the whole city, important natural areas would become parklands. These parks would separate the built-up areas.

Don Dunstan had his own special idea for Monarto. He wanted it to be "a new vision of an Australian city." He imagined a place that showed the best in social planning and family comfort. There would be no run-down houses. Instead, it would have grand townhouses and homes for government workers. The inner city would only have paths for bikes. He wanted a small, beautiful, "virgin city." To make sure the economy was strong, three industrial areas were planned. They would focus on light industries. The aim was to spread South Australia's industries across the state.

Why the Project Failed

Don Dunstan's dream for Monarto did not come true. After years of planning, the project faced problems. There were disagreements about paying farmers for their land, which the government bought. A major turning point came when new studies showed that population growth was much lower than predicted.

In 1975, the federal government changed. This led to the "new cities programme" being stopped. This was a big setback. A few years later, in 1980, the Monarto project was also cancelled.

Several reasons led to Monarto not being built. The main reason was the much slower population growth. This meant the government lost its main argument for building a new city. As a result, the federal government, which was already doubtful, stopped giving money to Dunstan's project.

Another reason was money problems. The project struggled to attract private businesses. Also, there was an economic slowdown in the 1970s. This made it very hard to move jobs from Adelaide to Monarto.

A third reason was constant opposition from different groups. Many people never truly believed in the project. This might have affected how much support and money it received. For instance, many thought Monarto's location was too close to Adelaide. They felt it couldn't develop its own economy. Politically, many doubted the project's wisdom. This made it hard for everyone to work together. Also, the new federal government directly contributed to the project's shutdown by stopping funding.

The Monarto project was ambitious. However, problems with planning and other challenges meant it remained just an idea. It was never built. A large part of the land meant for the city is now home to the Monarto Safari Park. This park started in 1983 as Monarto Zoo.

Local Industries

Since the late 1900s, an industrial area has grown in Monarto. This is part of the growth of the city of Murray Bridge.

Big W, a large store, had a warehouse in Monarto until 2019. Now, that site is called the Monarto Innovation Precinct.

Other big companies with warehouses in Monarto include Scott's Transport, Holden, and Inghams.

In 2011, a study showed what jobs people in Monarto had. Many worked in farming (sheep, cattle, grain), school education, and road transport. Some also worked in public safety and hospitals.

By 2016, the main jobs included landscape construction, meat processing, and hospitals. Some also worked in dairy farming and oil and gas.

In 2017, a new idea came up for Monarto. The Liberal party suggested building a 24-hour airport just for cargo. This airport would be part of a plan to create a freight bypass around Adelaide. The party won the election in March 2018. Planning for the new airport began in July 2018. However, a leaked report soon questioned if the airport would actually work.

Fun and Sports in Monarto

• The Monarto Safari Park is a huge place, covering 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres). It is the world's largest open-range zoo.
• Monarto Shooting Club
• Murray Bridge Motocross Club: This club has a track where you can ride two-wheel motorcycles and quad bikes.

Getting Around Monarto

Monarto is next to the main railway line that goes from Adelaide to Wolseley. The Monarto South station used to be a place where another train line branched off. This branch line, called the Sedan branch line, ran north across the flat land between the Murray River and the Mount Lofty Ranges.