Port Broughton, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Port BroughtonSouth Australia |
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The Port Broughton Hotel in 2006
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 Port Broughton
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1876 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5522 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 170 km (106 mi) North West of Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | District Council of Barunga West | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Narungga | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Port Broughton is a small town in South Australia. It is located on the eastern coast of Spencer Gulf, at the northern end of the Yorke Peninsula. The town is about 170 km north-west of Adelaide. It is also about 56 km south of Port Pirie. In 2016, Port Broughton had a population of 1,034 people.
Because it is only a two-hour drive from Adelaide, Port Broughton is a very popular place for tourists. During the summer holidays, the number of people in town can grow to over 4,000!
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Long ago, the land around Port Broughton was used for grazing animals. But it wasn't very good for that, so it was divided into smaller pieces and sold.
Captain Henry Dale suggested that a town be built here in 1871. This new town, Port Broughton, would help farmers transport their wheat and barley. The town is located on a calm bay called Mundoora Arm Inlet. It is at the very top of the Yorke Peninsula. The town gets its name from the Broughton River. This river was named by Edward John Eyre after William Broughton. The mouth of the river is about 40 km north of the town.
Getting Around Port Broughton
In 1876, a special T-shaped jetty was built in Port Broughton. A unique narrow-gauge railway line connected the jetty to Mundoora, a town 16 km inland. This railway, called the Port Broughton railway line, opened on March 11, 1876. It was used to bring grain from farms down to the port.
At first, horses pulled the empty wagons uphill. But when the wagons were full of grain, they rolled downhill using only gravity! A driver would use the brakes to control their speed. Passenger services on the railway stopped in 1925, but grain transport continued. In 1926, a Fordson rail tractor took over from the horses.
The railway service completely stopped in 1942. However, the tractor still moved wheat wagons between the station and the jetty for a while. Large sailing ships called windjammers would anchor about 8 kilometers out in the gulf. Smaller boats called ketches carried the grain from the jetty to these big ships. The windjammers then took the grain all the way to England. They stopped coming to Port Broughton in 1949.
The Mystery of Edward Gage
In June 1943, an aviator named Edward Gage went missing. He was flying his Tiger Moth plane from Parafield to Whyalla. He was last seen flying over Port Broughton. His plane ran out of fuel and went missing over the Spencer Gulf. A search was done, but neither he nor his plane were ever found.
Port Broughton's Natural Surroundings
Port Broughton is on the eastern side of Spencer Gulf. The coastline here is very calm and protected. This means there are large areas of shallow water and seagrasses. You can also find tidal flats and many mangroves along the inlet where the town is built.
Just 5 km north of Port Broughton is the small town of Fisherman Bay. It has similar coastal features. Between Fisherman Bay and Port Broughton is Shag Island. This island is an important place where several types of cormorant birds come to breed. The Broughton River is further north, closer to Port Pirie. Inland from Port Broughton, the land is mostly flat farmland. Only small parts of the original plants and trees remain.
Local Economy
Since it was founded, Port Broughton's economy has mainly relied on agriculture. Farmers here grow a lot of cereal crops like wheat and barley. Commercial fishing is also a big part of the economy. Fishermen catch scalefish and Blue swimmer crabs. As of 2010, Port Broughton also has a fleet of boats that catch prawns.
Like many towns on the Yorke Peninsula, Port Broughton is a popular place for tourists. People enjoy fishing, crabbing, and many different watersports. The town has a boat ramp for these activities. If you want to stay overnight, there are two caravan parks, several units, and a motel. Nearby Fisherman Bay also has many holiday homes and a boat ramp for small boats.
Community Life
In 2011, the town of Port Broughton had a population of 982 people. Most of the people living here were born in Australia. The largest group of people who moved here from other countries came from the United Kingdom. The census also showed that more than half of the people in Port Broughton are over 55 years old. This suggests that the town is a popular place for people to retire. Christianity is the main religion in the area, and there are several churches in town.
Port Broughton has many sports clubs. These include cricket and netball clubs. There is also an Australian rules football club called the Broughton-Mundoora Eagles. They play in the Northern Areas Football Association.
The town also has a school, Port Broughton Area School. For medical care, there is the Port Broughton District Hospital & Health Service.
Famous People from Port Broughton
- Phil Cummings – An author
- George Hewett (footballer) – An AFL player
- Sally Sara – A journalist for ABC
