Tantanoola, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids TantanoolaSouth Australia |
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 Tantanoola
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 10 July 1879 (town) 23 February 1995 (locality) |
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| Postcode(s) | 5280 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) (Railway Station) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACDT (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
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| Region | Limestone Coast | ||||||||||||||
| County | Grey | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | MacKillop | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Barker | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Tantanoola is a small town located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. Its name comes from an Aboriginal word, tentunola. This word means "boxwood / brushwood hill or camp."
The town was first named 'Lucieton' on July 10, 1879, by Governor Jervois, after his daughter Lucy Caroline. A few years later, on October 4, 1888, Governor Robinson changed the name to 'Tantanoola'. In 2006, about 255 people lived in Tantanoola.
Tantanoola is part of the Wattle Range Council, which is a local government area. It is also in the state and federal voting districts of MacKillop and Barker.
The local primary school in Tantanoola closed in July 2020. The students then moved to schools in nearby towns like Millicent and Mount Gambier.
Contents
Tantanoola's Past
The town of Tantanoola is about 425 kilometers southeast of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It used to be part of a large property called Mayurra Station.
The Old Railway Line
Tantanoola was an important stop on the railway line that connected Mount Gambier to Rivoli Bay. This railway line was built in 1878. Over the years, it was updated, but it stopped carrying freight in 1995. Tourist trains also stopped running on it in 2006. The historic Tantanoola railway station building is still there and is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register because of its importance.
The Tantanoola Tiger Story
Tantanoola is famous for a mysterious creature known as the Tantanoola Tiger. People believed this "phantom cat" was roaming the area in the late 1800s.
What Was the Tantanoola Tiger?
In August 1895, a man named Thomas John Donovan shot an animal that people thought was the mysterious predator. However, it turned out to be more like a wolf than a cat. Later, experts identified it as an Arabian wolf. No one knows for sure how an Arabian wolf ended up in South Australia! Today, this preserved wolf is on display at the Tantanoola Hotel, which is also known as the Tantanoola Tiger Hotel.
Nearby Caves
Close to Tantanoola, you can find the Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park. This park features a spectacular cave made of dolomite, a type of rock.
The Tiger in Poetry
An Australian poet named Max Harris wrote a poem about the creature called "The Tantanoola Tiger." You can find this poem in his book, The Angry Penguin: the Poetry of Max Harris.
Snuggery Area
Just northwest of Tantanoola, along the old railway line, is an area called Snuggery. It's not a separate town but is considered part of Tantanoola, closer to Millicent.
Power Station and Mill
The Snuggery area is home to the Snuggery Power Station, which uses three gas turbines to make electricity. There was also a large woodchip and paper pulp mill owned by Kimberly-Clark. This mill started operating in 1992 but closed down in 2011 and was taken apart in 2012.
