Robertstown, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robertstown South Australia
Robertstown Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5381
Elevation	344 m (1,129 ft)
Location	125 km (78 mi) N of Adelaide 23 km (14 mi) N of Eudunda 45 km (28 mi) S of Burra
LGA(s)	Regional Council of Goyder
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Localities around Robertstown: Emu Downs Hallelujah Hills Bright Brady Creek Robertstown Rocky Plain Ngapala Point Pass Australia Plains
Footnotes	elevation

Robertstown is a small town in the Mid North area of South Australia. It is about 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of Adelaide. The town is part of the Regional Council of Goyder. In 2021, 223 people lived in Robertstown.

What's in a Name?

Mr John Roberts, who the town is named after, around 1880.

Robertstown got its name from John Roberts. He was the first postmaster in the area. Mr. Roberts planned out the town in 1871. Before that, people called the area Emu Flats.

A Look Back in Time

The land around Robertstown first belonged to the Ngadjuri people. They are the traditional owners of this area. Sadly, their history has often been forgotten. They lost their lands when European settlers arrived.

In the early days, large farms called stations leased the land. These included Anlaby and Koonoona. But from 1850, the land was divided into smaller pieces. This brought many European settlers to the region. The first settlers were likely cattle drivers from New South Wales.

As more people moved in, the town began to grow. Mr. O'Dea opened the first shop, which was a wine shanty. Later, John Roberts, a storekeeper from Koonunga, visited the community with his traveling shop. He eventually settled in Robertstown. He opened a general store and a post office. His son later built a new store. This store was bought by a long-time employee and renamed Lehmann's Store. As of 2023, Lehmann's Store is still open. It helps keep a piece of the town's history alive.

Some mining also happened near Robertstown. The S.A. Asbestos & Mining Co. Ltd ran a mine from 1894. It was about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northeast of town. Another mine, the Blue Hole Mine, operated from 1940 to 1951. It was an open-cut quarry about 5 kilometers (3 miles) northwest of town.

On August 4, 2024, the Robertstown General Store closed. It had served the town for 75 years.

Robertstown used to be the end of a railway line. This line connected the town to Eudunda and Adelaide. It ran from 1914 until 1990. The number of people living in Robertstown grew over time. It reached its highest point of about 2,100 people in 1936. After that, the population slowly went down.

Who Lives Here?

In 2021, Robertstown had 223 residents. About half were male (49.8%) and half were female (50.2%). The average age of people in Robertstown is 59 years old. About 1.3% of the people are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Robertstown has 58 families and 143 homes. On average, 1.9 people live in each house. Many people in the town are Lutheran. About 27.4% of residents follow this religion. This is much higher than the state average of 2.4%. This strong connection comes from the area's history with Lutheran settlers. Most residents were born in Australia. Others came from England and New Zealand.

The main jobs in Robertstown are managers, machinery operators, and laborers. The town's main businesses include farming (grain, sheep, cattle), road transport, bakeries, and grocery stores. The average household income each week is $748. This is lower than the state average.

The average monthly payment for a home loan is $433. This is also lower than the state average. Rent for a home is about $193 per week, which is also lower. On average, each home in Robertstown has 2.3 cars. This shows that private transport is important here.

Learning in Robertstown

Robertstown has a public primary school. In 2022, nine students were enrolled there.

Fun and Games

Robertstown has great places for sports and fun. There's an oval, courts for basketball, netball, and tennis, and a bowling green. The town has several sports clubs:

• Eudunda & Robertstown Cricket Club
• Eudunda Robertstown Football Club
• Eudunda Robertstown Netball Club
• Robertstown Basketball Club
• Robertstown Bowling Club
• Robertstown Tennis Club

Robertstown also hosts motorcycle events. One big event is the Lew Job 2 Day event. It is part of the South Australian Reliability Trials Championship (SART). The Velocette Motorcycle Club organizes it.

There are also two playgrounds for children in Robertstown.

Nature and Trails

Robertstown is close to some cool nature trails:

• The Lavender Federation Trail is a long walking path. A 7.5-kilometer (4.7-mile) side trail leads right to Robertstown.
• The Heysen Trail is another long walking path. It passes about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of Robertstown. There's a campsite called Webbs Gap nearby.
• The World's End Driving Trail is a car route. It goes through Robertstown from Eudunda to Burra. You can see hills, valleys, gorges, and lagoons along the way.

The Robertstown Oval also has a free campground. It includes a public dump point for campers.