Penola, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PenolaSouth Australia |
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Penola town centre
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 Penola
Location in Wattle Range Council
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| Population |
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| Established | 1867 (town) 13 December 2001 (locality) |
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| Postcode(s) | 5277 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 388 km (241 mi) SE of Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Wattle Range Council | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Limestone Coast | ||||||||||||||
| County | Grey | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mackillop | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Barker | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Penola is a town in South Australia, located about 388 kilometers (241 miles) southeast of Adelaide. It is in the famous Coonawarra area, known for growing grapes for wine. In 2021, about 1,376 people lived in Penola.
Penola is very important because of Mary MacKillop, who became the first Australian to be recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 2010. In 1866, Mary MacKillop and a Catholic priest named Julian Tenison-Woods started a Catholic school in the town.
Contents
History of Penola
When Europeans first arrived, the Aboriginal Australians living in the Penola area were the Bindjali people. The name "Penola" might come from the Bindjali words pena oorla, which mean "wooden house." This name was used for the first pub in the area, called the Royal Oak.
The first Europeans to settle here were the Austin brothers in 1840. They set up a large sheep farm. Then, in 1844, Alexander Cameron and his wife Margaret arrived from Scotland. Cameron bought 80 acres of land in 1850 and started the private town of "Panoola," which later became Penola.
By 1850, Cameron had built the Royal Oak Hotel. Many travelers heading to the Victoria goldfields would stop there. The Penola Post Office opened around 1852.
Religious services first took place in a converted shop. Later, St Joseph's Catholic Church was built in 1859. A new, bigger church was built on the same spot in 1924.
In 1861, John Riddoch bought a large property called Yallum. Riddoch had grown up poor in Scotland but became successful in the goldfields. He bought 35,000 acres of land and raised 50,000 sheep. Riddoch was the first to plant grape vines in the area. He helped the town grow by adding farming to the sheep industry. In 1890, he started the Penola Fruit Growing Colony, which was later renamed Coonawarra in 1897.
Mary MacKillop's Story
Mary MacKillop was a Roman Catholic nun. She became the first Australian to be named a saint in 2010. In 1866, Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods started St Joseph's School in Penola. They also created a special group of religious sisters called the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. These sisters, also known as the "Josephites," still help poor and needy communities around the world today.
Historic Places
Penola has many buildings and sites that are important to its history. These are called heritage-listed sites. Some of them include:
- 31 Arthur Street: St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
- 23 Arthur Street: Penola Public Library and Mechanics Institute
- Bowden Street: Ulva Cottage
- Church Street: National Bank Building
- 28 Church Street: Bank of South Australia Building
- 31 Church Street: Heyward's Royal Oak Hotel
- 31 Church Street: Penola Post Office and Dwelling
- 118 Church Street: Bushman's Inn
- Clarke Street: Penola railway station
- off Penola Road: John Shaw Neilson's Cottage
- Portland Street: Woods MacKillop Schoolhouse
- 58 Riddoch Street: Penola Butter and Cheese Factory
- 136 Wilson Street (Petticoat Lane): Sharam's First Cottage
- 136 Wilson Street (Petticoat Lane): Sharam's Second Cottage
Weather in Penola
In 2010, a strong tornado hit Penola. It damaged many buildings and destroyed at least four.
| Climate data for Penola State Forest Reserve, Nangwarry, South Australia | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.0 (111.2) |
44.1 (111.4) |
41.3 (106.3) |
34.6 (94.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
24.5 (76.1) |
31.2 (88.2) |
33.6 (92.5) |
39.5 (103.1) |
42.9 (109.2) |
44.1 (111.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) |
27.3 (81.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
21.0 (69.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
14.7 (58.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.2 (66.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.0 (68.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) |
12.0 (53.6) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
4.5 (40.1) |
5.2 (41.4) |
6.5 (43.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
9.0 (48.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.0 (37.4) |
2.3 (36.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
0.2 (32.4) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 25.2 (0.99) |
20.8 (0.82) |
33.2 (1.31) |
52.9 (2.08) |
71.2 (2.80) |
81.6 (3.21) |
101.9 (4.01) |
91.7 (3.61) |
76.6 (3.02) |
61.0 (2.40) |
46.3 (1.82) |
40.2 (1.58) |
702.6 (27.65) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) | 7.5 | 6.0 | 8.6 | 11.9 | 15.7 | 16.3 | 18.7 | 19.6 | 16.6 | 13.7 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 157 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Visiting Penola
The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre is a great place to visit in Penola. It is very close to Petticoat Lane and the old stone schoolhouse. Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods started this schoolhouse in the 1800s.
How Penola is Governed
Penola is part of different government areas. For national elections, it's in the division of Barker. For state elections, it's in the MacKillop district. Locally, it is managed by the Wattle Range Council.
Sports in Penola
Penola has an Australian Rules football team called the Penola Eagles. They play in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League.
The town also has a club for horse racing at its track nearby.
There is also a cricket team in Penola that plays in the Mount Gambier & District Cricket Association. They have both junior and senior teams.
Local News
The main local newspaper for Penola is The Pennant, which has been published every week since 1946. Other newspapers like The Border Watch and The Naracoorte Herald also share local news about the area.
Famous People from Penola
Many interesting and famous people have lived in Penola. These include Saint Mary MacKillop, poets John Shaw Neilson and Adam Lindsay Gordon, Julian Tenison-Woods, and the Scottish-Australian poet Will H. Ogilvie. Other notable people include Sara Douglass, Michael Graham (footballer), and John Riddoch.
The Antarctic explorer John Riddoch Rymill was born in Penola. He even named his ship Penola after the town.
