Port Germein, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Port GermeinSouth Australia |
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Port Germein jetty, Dec 2008
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 Port Germein
Location in South Australia
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| Population | 249 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1878 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5495 | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | District Council of Mount Remarkable | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Stuart | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Port Germein is a small town by the sea in South Australia. It's about 219 kilometers (136 miles) north of Adelaide, the state capital. You can find it on the eastern side of South Australia's Spencer Gulf, looking out over Germein Bay. The town was named after Samuel Germein, who explored the area in 1840. Port Germein officially became a town in 1878. In 2006, about 249 people lived there.
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History of Port Germein
Port Germein was once a very important place for moving goods. This was especially true after its long jetty opened in 1881. At that time, it was known as the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere!
Why a Long Jetty?
The water along the coast here is very shallow. Because of this, a super long jetty was needed. It allowed big sailing ships to reach deep enough water. These ships would then be loaded with grain from the farms nearby. Wheat came from the local area and from the eastern side of the Southern Flinders Ranges. It also came from the west coast in smaller boats. About 100,000 bags of wheat were loaded onto ships each year.
Growth and Change
The jetty was made even longer in 1883, reaching 1680 meters (about 1 mile). When the port became busy, many workers moved from Adelaide. By 1900, the town's population grew to over 300 people. However, the port became less busy when a railway line reached Port Germein in 1934. Later, the jetty was shortened to 1532 meters (about 0.95 miles) because of storm damage. The historic Port Germein Jetty Site is now a protected heritage site in South Australia.
Local Government
Port Germein used to have its own local council, called the District Council of Port Germein. Since 1980, it has been part of the District Council of Mount Remarkable.
Transport Connections
The Augusta Highway and the Adelaide-Port Augusta railway line both pass by the eastern side of Port Germein. The railway line has a long section where trains can pass each other. A special track for goods trains was added in 2015. It is used by a company called SCT Logistics.
The Port Germein Lighthouse
A lighthouse was built at the end of the jetty in 1894. It replaced an older lightship that guided boats. The lighthouse had people working there until July 1917. After that, an automatic flashing light took over. The lighthouse was moved to its current spot in 1975.
The Famous Jetty
The Port Germein jetty first opened in 1881. By 1883, it was extended to an amazing 1680 meters (about 1.04 miles) long. This incredible length was necessary because the beach is extremely shallow. For a short time, it was the longest wooden jetty in the entire Southern Hemisphere!
Today, after some storm damage and repairs, the jetty is 1532 meters (about 0.95 miles) long. It is still the longest jetty in all of South Australia. In the past, it even had a narrow railway line that ran along it into the town.
