Naracoorte, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NaracoorteSouth Australia |
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A South Australian Railways V class locomotive in a park in Naracoorte
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 Naracoorte
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1845 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5271 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Naracoorte Lucindale Council | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Limestone Coast | ||||||||||||||
| County | Robe | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | MacKillop | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Barker | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Locations Adjoining localities |
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Naracoorte is a town in the Limestone Coast area of South Australia. It is about 336 kilometres south-east of Adelaide. The town is also 100 kilometres north of Mount Gambier. You can find it along the Riddoch Highway.
Contents
History of Naracoorte
Before European settlers arrived in South Australia in 1836, the land where Naracoorte now stands was home to Aboriginal peoples. The Bindjali people lived to the east and the Ngarrindjeri lived nearby.
Naracoorte was formed when two smaller towns joined together. One was called Kincraig, started in 1845 by a Scottish explorer named William Macintosh. The other was Narracoorte, which was set up by the government in 1847. The town's name has been spelled in different ways over time. It is thought to come from Aboriginal words meaning "place of running water" or "large waterhole."
The town grew quickly in the 1850s. It became a useful stop for people traveling to and from the Victorian gold rush. The local post office opened in March 1853. It was first known as the Mosquito Plains post office until 1861.
In August 1870, the District Council of Naracoorte was created. This council helped manage the local area. In 1888, the council's area grew much larger. Then, in February 1924, the Corporate Town of Naracoorte was formed. This new council focused only on governing the town itself.
A cinema called the Austral Theatre opened in 1935. It was designed by Chris A. Smith and was located on Smith Street. Later, it became known as the Rivoli Theatre.
The Kingston-Naracoorte railway line stopped running on November 28, 1987. The tracks were removed in September 1991. Another railway line, from Mount Gambier to Wolseley, closed on April 12, 1995. This happened while plans were being made to change the width of the tracks.
How Naracoorte is Governed
Since 1993, Naracoorte has been managed by the Naracoorte Lucindale Council. This council was formed when smaller councils joined together.
For state government, Naracoorte is part of the electoral district of MacKillop. For the federal government, it is in the Division of Barker. These are the areas that choose representatives to speak for them in parliament.
Naracoorte's Economy and Tourism
Naracoorte has always been a main hub for farming. It helps support the sheep, cattle, and wheat farms in the areas around it.
In recent years, tourism has become very important. This is because Naracoorte is close to famous natural spots and wine regions. The Naracoorte Caves National Park is a World Heritage Site. This means it's recognized as very important globally. The Bool and Hacks Lagoons are also nearby. These wetlands are important for nature and are listed under the Ramsar agreement. Both of these natural sites are south of the town.
Naracoorte is also surrounded by several wine regions. The Coonawarra and Wrattonbully regions are to the south. The Padthaway region is to the north. This makes Naracoorte a central point for all three.
Fun Places to Visit
There are many interesting places for tourists to explore in Naracoorte:
- The Visitor Information Centre & Sheep's Back Museum on MacDonnell Street.
- Lions Pioneer Park, also on MacDonnell Street.
- Tiny Train Park & Mini Golf on Park Terrace.
- Naracoorte Art Gallery on Ormerod Street.
- Mini Jumbuk Centre at 61 Smith Street.
- Swimming Lake on Moore Street.
- Jubilee Nature Park on Moore Street.
- Russet Ridge Winery at the corner of Caves Road and Riddoch Highway.
- Struan House on Riddoch Highway.
Historic Buildings and Sites
Naracoorte has several places listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. These sites are important because of their history:
- 6 Church Street: St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
- DeGaris Place: Commercial Bank of South Australia Building (now the council office)
- 2 Laurie Crescent: St Paul's Anglican Church
- MacDonnell Street: Simpson's Flour Mill (now the Sheep's Back Museum)
- 23–25 McDonnell Street: Limbert's Store and Residence
- 30 McLeay Street: Dartmoor Homestead
- 13 Ormerod Street: Old Naracoorte District Council Chambers
- 81 Smith Street: National Bank Building
Services in Naracoorte
Schools for Students
Naracoorte has three main schools for students. These are Naracoorte High on Stewart Terrace, Naracoorte Primary on Park Terrace, and Naracoorte South Primary. There is also an independent school called Naracoorte Christian School, or Sunrise Christian School, located on Caves Road.
Other Important Services
- Naracoorte Hospital provides healthcare for the community.
- The local Police station is at 66 Smith Street.
- A bus station is available at 170 Smith Street for transport.
Naracoorte's Climate
Naracoorte has a dry temperate Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers. These summers often have short periods of cooler weather. The winters in Naracoorte are cool and get a lot of rain.
| Climate data for Naracoorte Aerodrome (1998–2022); 50 m AMSL; 36.98° S, 140.73° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.8 (114.4) |
45.3 (113.5) |
42.0 (107.6) |
36.9 (98.4) |
29.0 (84.2) |
23.0 (73.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
30.3 (86.5) |
37.0 (98.6) |
40.3 (104.5) |
47.7 (117.9) |
47.7 (117.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.9 (85.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
26.2 (79.2) |
22.1 (71.8) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
20.6 (69.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) |
11.8 (53.2) |
10.1 (50.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
5.5 (41.9) |
6.4 (43.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
8.1 (46.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20.8 (0.82) |
19.6 (0.77) |
23.4 (0.92) |
26.6 (1.05) |
42.8 (1.69) |
55.5 (2.19) |
61.3 (2.41) |
70.3 (2.77) |
51.9 (2.04) |
41.0 (1.61) |
34.4 (1.35) |
34.5 (1.36) |
484.8 (19.09) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.7 | 4.7 | 7.4 | 10.8 | 17.1 | 17.5 | 19.3 | 19.7 | 17.3 | 12.6 | 9.3 | 8.2 | 148.6 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 32 | 34 | 38 | 45 | 60 | 67 | 69 | 64 | 61 | 52 | 42 | 35 | 50 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
7.9 (46.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
7.6 (45.7) |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (Naracoorte Aerodrome, 1998–2022) | |||||||||||||
Media and Communications
Local Newspapers
Naracoorte has its own newspaper called The Naracoorte Herald. It has been published under this name since 1948. Before that, it was known as The Narracoorte Herald, which started in 1875. This newspaper used to be part of Fairfax Media.
In 2019, Australian Community Media bought the newspaper. In May 2020, a new newspaper called "Naracoorte Community News" was started. It was created by Michael Waite when The Naracoorte Herald temporarily stopped printing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Television Channels
You can watch several TV channels in Naracoorte:
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) offers channels like ABC, ABC TV Plus, ABC Me, and ABC News.
- The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) provides SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS Food, SBS WorldWatch, and NITV.
- WIN Television broadcasts programs from the Seven Network, Nine Network, and Network 10. These are similar to the channels in Adelaide.
- Foxtel is also available, which is a paid subscription TV service.
Radio Stations
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Sports in Naracoorte
Naracoorte has a team for Australian Rules football. They play in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League. Many players from Naracoorte also play for nearby teams like Kybybolite, Padthaway, and Border Districts.
The town also has a rugby league team called the Naracoorte Jets. They compete in the Limestone Coast Rugby League. Naracoorte also has a soccer club that plays in the Limestone Coast Football Association.
If you like horse racing, the Naracoorte Racing Club holds thoroughbred horse races. Their track is located about 4 kilometres from the town centre.
Famous People from Naracoorte
Many notable people have connections to Naracoorte, including:
- Aaron Fiora, footballer
- Alex Forster, footballer
- Alexander McLachlan, politician
- Alan Rawlinson
- Allan Rodda
- Alice Monfries
- Angus Schumacher
- Ben Johnson
- Cam Sutcliffe
- Elizee De Garis
- Emily Beaton
- George Ash
- George Byng Scott
- Greg Rowe
- Hattie Shand
- Harvey Jolly
- Indira Naidoo, media identity
- Lachie Neale
- Lachlan Busiko
- Lucy Penelope Hood, politician
- Ben Hood, politician
- Jack Trengove
- James Gardiner, politician
- Jessica Trengove, athlete
- Louisa O'Brien was born here in 1880 and she became a leading hotelier
- John Baxter Mather
- Mountifort Conner
- Sam Burston
- Thomas Wilde Boothby
- Park Laurie
- Paul Rofe, cricketer
- Percy Hutton
- Russell Dumas
- William Shiels
