Tarcoola, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids TarcoolaSouth Australia |
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Tarcoola, South Australia, 2012.
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 Tarcoola
Location in South Australia
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| Population | 0 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 21 February 1901 (town) 29 July 2004 (locality) |
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| Postcode(s) | 5710 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 123 m (404 ft)(airport) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Pastoral Unincorporated Area | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Far North | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Giles | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Adjoining localities | ||||||||||||||
Tarcoola is a small town in the Far North region of South Australia. It is located about 416 kilometers (258 miles) north-northwest of Port Augusta. In 2016, no one was officially living in Tarcoola.
The town of Tarcoola got its name from a famous horse. This horse won the 1893 Melbourne Cup, a big horse race. The horse was raised on a place called Tarcoola Station in New South Wales. The name Tarcoola means "river bend" in the language of the Aboriginal people from that area.
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Discovering Tarcoola's Past
Tarcoola is on the traditional lands of the Kokata people. Gold was found here in 1893, and the area was named the Tarcoola Goldfield. However, it was a very remote and dry place. So, not much happened until 1900.
A Post Office opened in Tarcoola on August 18, 1900. The town was officially created on February 21, 1901.
When Was Gold Mining Popular in Tarcoola?
The busiest time for gold mining in Tarcoola was from about 1901 to 1918. The government even built a special machine called a battery. This machine helped process the gold ore from the smaller mines.
Between 1901 and 1954, the goldfield produced about 77,000 ounces (2.4 tonnes) of gold. Most of this gold came from a mine called Tarcoola Blocks.
How Did Railways Change Tarcoola?
The Trans-Australian Railway line was built through Tarcoola in 1915. This railway connected the east and west coasts of Australia. Later, in 1980, Tarcoola became an important junction station. This is because the Adelaide–Darwin railway line started here, heading towards Alice Springs. The railway link all the way to Darwin was finished in 2004.
What is Tarcoola Like Today?
Today, the town of Tarcoola is mostly empty. You might find railway workers or teams looking for new minerals. The original gold mines closed a long time ago. However, people are still exploring the wider area for minerals. This includes the nearby Challenger Mine.
The old Tarcoola Goldfield, its battery, and the town itself are important. They are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. This means they are protected because of their historical and archaeological value.
In 2017, a company called WPG Resources started mining gold again in Tarcoola. They planned to mine for at least two years. They would then send the gold ore to the Challenger Mine for processing.
How Do People Travel to Tarcoola?
Rail Transport in Tarcoola
Tarcoola is best known as a key railway junction. It connects the Sydney-Perth railway and the Adelaide-Darwin railway lines. These two lines share about 530 kilometers (329 miles) of track between Tarcoola and Crystal Brook.
There is a special railway setup called a triangular junction at Tarcoola. This junction connects trains going to Crystal Brook, Darwin, and Perth. Another triangular junction at Crystal Brook connects Tarcoola, Adelaide, and Sydney.
Two famous passenger trains, The Ghan and the Indian Pacific, pass through Tarcoola. They both run once a week in each direction all year. Sometimes, they run twice a week. Mail for Tarcoola also arrives by train.
Who Manages Tarcoola?
Tarcoola is part of the federal division of Grey. It is also in the state electoral district of Giles. The town is located within the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia. This means it's not part of a local council area.
What is Tarcoola's Climate Like?
Tarcoola has a desert climate. This means it has very hot, dry summers and mild winters. There is not much rainfall throughout the year. On January 24, 2019, Tarcoola recorded a record high temperature of 49.1 °C (120.4 °F).
| Climate data for Tarcoola Aero (1997–2020); 123 m AMSL; 30° 42′ 18.36″ S | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 49.1 (120.4) |
48.2 (118.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
39.7 (103.5) |
34.2 (93.6) |
28.7 (83.7) |
29.4 (84.9) |
33.5 (92.3) |
39.0 (102.2) |
42.9 (109.2) |
46.5 (115.7) |
48.1 (118.6) |
49.1 (120.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 36.8 (98.2) |
35.3 (95.5) |
31.7 (89.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
22.4 (72.3) |
18.8 (65.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
31.7 (89.1) |
34.3 (93.7) |
27.7 (81.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) |
19.1 (66.4) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
8.1 (46.6) |
5.2 (41.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
9.0 (48.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
1.3 (34.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
5.0 (41.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12.1 (0.48) |
23.0 (0.91) |
17.4 (0.69) |
12.6 (0.50) |
10.7 (0.42) |
13.1 (0.52) |
10.8 (0.43) |
13.0 (0.51) |
9.8 (0.39) |
16.5 (0.65) |
20.3 (0.80) |
19.8 (0.78) |
179.1 (7.08) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 50.1 |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
