Nackara, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nackara South Australia
Hundred of Nackara, 1963
Nackara Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5440
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT (UTC+10:30)
LGA(s)	District Council of Peterborough
Region	Yorke and Mid North
County	Herbert
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 24.6 °C 76 °F 9.5 °C 49 °F 207.9 mm 8.2 in
Localities around Nackara: Cavenagh Paratoo Grampus Dawson Nackara Grampus Parnaroo Parnaroo Hardy Warnes
Footnotes	Adjoining localities

Nackara (formerly Tregu) is a small place in South Australia. It used to be a farming town. It is about 47 kilometers east of Peterborough. You can find it on the Barrier Highway. The town was first called Tregu. That was on July 2, 1891. But in 1940, its name changed to Nackara. This was to match the nearby railway station.

The Story of Nackara

How the Town Started

Nackara began as a railway stop. This was on the train line from Peterborough to Broken Hill. The railway line was finished around 1888. Its main job was to move ore from the Broken Hill mines. This ore went to ports in South Australia.

What Nackara Was Like

The town was planned to have many streets. It was meant to have suburban-style yards. But this never happened. Nackara never had more than a few buildings. These included railway cottages and a town store. There was also a community hall called 'The Nackara Institute'. A Catholic church, a Presbyterian church, and a school were also there. The town also had a railway platform, cattle yards, and a cemetery. The planned roads never appeared. There were only dirt tracks through the very dry fields.

Community Life

The people living in Nackara were mostly families from nearby grazing lands. Railway workers also lived there. Even though the town did not grow much, the community was active. They had many social events. These included picnics, town dances, and concerts. They also had annual horse races and car races. The town even played sports. They competed against other local towns in rugby and cricket.

People and Their Jobs

Many people in Nackara were immigrants. A lot of them were Catholics from Ireland. There were also several Polish families. Most people worked as sheep and cattle farmers. Others were railway workers, wood carters, or shearers. The local Catholic community was very lively. They held yearly Catholic Picnics. These events helped raise money to build a Catholic church. The church was called St. Patrick's. It was a small stone church. It stood on top of a hill overlooking the town.

Nackara Today

Why the Town Changed

The area around Nackara is very dry. It cannot support many farm animals. Because of this, Nackara never grew big. It stayed a small place with about 20 families. The town practically died after the 1960s. This was when the railway line moved a few kilometers south. Now, only a few farmers live in the area.

What Remains Standing

Today, only the Nackara School and the old Nackara Institute remain. The school is now a private home. The Presbyterian church, which was made of corrugated iron, is gone. The Catholic Church was torn down around the 1960s. The main store, which was also a home and post office, is now just stone ruins with a chimney.