Pinkawillinie, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinkawillinie South Australia
Pinkawillinie Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5641
LGA(s)	District Council of Kimba Unincorporated area
State electorate(s)	Giles
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Localities around Pinkawillinie: Gawler Ranges Buckleboo Cunyarie Wudinna Pinkawillinie Cortlinye Koongawa Panitya Solomon

Pinkawillinie is a small place in the north of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is a farming area where people grow grain and raise animals. This area is close to Goyder's Line, which is a special line on a map that shows where it's usually too dry for farming.

Pinkawillinie is part of the District Council of Kimba. The name comes from an older land division called a "Hundred." The area also includes the Pinkawillinie Conservation Park.

A Brief History of Pinkawillinie

People started settling in Pinkawillinie after a railway line was built. The railway reached a nearby town called Buckleboo in 1926. This made it easier to transport goods and supplies.

Schools in Pinkawillinie

A school was approved for Pinkawillinie in 1929. The local people were supposed to build it. But a bad farming season meant they didn't have enough money. So, the government sent a portable building, and a teacher started in 1930.

The school is now closed. In the 1950s, it was only for younger kids. Older students had to travel to Kimba for their schooling.

Future Plans for Pinkawillinie

In 2015, Pinkawillinie was one of six places considered for a special storage site. This site would hold low and medium-level radioactive waste for Australia.

The Hundred of Pinkawillinie

A "Hundred" is an old way of dividing land in South Australia. The Hundred of Pinkawillinie is located in the County of Buxton. It was officially created in 1922.

The name Pinkawillinie likely comes from an Aboriginal word. It is thought to mean "Place of the many rabbit-footed bandicoot burrows."

Settling the Land

When settlers first came to this area, finding water was very important. They often chose land near rocky areas. These rocks could help collect rainwater into dams. This made it easier to live and farm.

Most of the land in the Hundred of Pinkawillinie is flat. It has sandy plains and some low hills. Farmers use this land to grow crops like cereal and raise livestock.

Pinkawillinie Conservation Park

The Pinkawillinie Conservation Park is in the southwest part of the original Hundred. This land has deep white sand. It was not good for farming, so it became a park in 1970. More land was added to the park in 1983.

The park is very large, covering about 132,000 hectares. It is next to the Gawler Ranges National Park. There are not many roads for regular cars in the park, and there are no visitor facilities.