Ungarra, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ungarra South Australia
Ungarra Location in South Australia
Population	241 (2006 census)
Postcode(s)	5607
Elevation	116 m (381 ft)
Location	248 km (154 mi) West of Adelaide 28 km (17 mi) North West of Tumby Bay
LGA(s)	District Council of Tumby Bay
Region	Eyre Western
County	Jervois
State electorate(s)	Flinders
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 21.3 °C 70 °F 11.4 °C 53 °F 389.7 mm 15.3 in
Localities around Ungarra: Brooker Moody Butler Butler Brooker Cockaleechie Ungarra Butler Lipson Yallundra Flat Yallundra Flat Tumby Bay Lipson
Footnotes	Climate Adjoining localities

Ungarra is a small town in South Australia. It is located on the Eyre Peninsula. This area is about 248 kilometres (154 mi) west of Adelaide, the state capital. Ungarra is also about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Port Lincoln.

In 2021, 156 people lived in Ungarra. This number has gone down since 2006, when 241 people lived there. The town's name comes from a nearby waterhole. This waterhole has the same name as the town. Ungarra has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It gets about 400mm of rain each year.

Discovering Ungarra: A Small Town's Story

Ungarra's Early Days and History

The land where Ungarra is located belongs to the Nawu people. They are the traditional owners of this area.

Farmers started settling here in the early 1900s. The Eyre Peninsula Railway reached Ungarra in 1909. This railway helped people clear the land for farming. They mostly grew wheat. The railway is still used today for freight. It used to go all the way to Buckleboo but now only goes to Kimba.

A special historical spot nearby is Moody Rock and Tanks. Here, water was collected from a natural rock and stored in a large tank. This water was important for the steam trains. You can find this site in the Moody Tank Conservation Park. The Moody Rocks Water Tank is even listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. This means it's a protected historical place.

Life and Community in Ungarra Today

Ungarra has a special park called the Ungarra Memorial Park. It's at the southern entrance of the town. The park has an old windmill. This windmill is a memorial to the first European settlers in the area.

Years ago, Ungarra was a busier place. It had a bank, a bakery, a school (up to year 10), a general store, and two churches. Today, many of these buildings are still there. However, only the school (for R-7 students) and one church are still open. The old bank building is now at the Koppio Smithy Museum in Koppio.

Farming is still very important around Ungarra. Farmers now grow more than just wheat. They also grow barley, lupins, faba beans, field peas, and canola. There are also farms that raise animals, especially sheep.

The town has several useful places for its residents. There are sporting grounds and a primary school. You can also find a lawn bowling green and a soldier memorial hall. The school celebrated its 100th birthday in 2014!

In 2015, the Ungarra Community Cafe opened. It's a part-time cafe that has become a local meeting spot. It sells coffee and fresh local food. Some of the money it earns goes to local charities and missions overseas. The cafe is in the building that used to be the general store. That building had been closed for eight years before the cafe opened.

Ungarra is part of a popular drive for tourists from Tumby Bay. However, there are no places to camp or stay overnight in Ungarra itself. The town also has public toilets and a payphone. You'll also see large grain silos in Ungarra. These silos are operated by Viterra. They are usually quiet but become very busy in November and December each year when farmers bring in their harvest.

Getting Around Ungarra

Ungarra has some unsealed (dirt) roads. But it's connected to Lipson and the Lincoln Highway by a sealed road. This road is good in all weather. It was only finished in 2004.

The Eyre Peninsula Railway serves Ungarra. This railway is only for freight trains. It has two stations nearby: one called Moody and another called Ungarra. There's also a plan for a new 27 kilometres (17 mi) railway line to Ungarra. This line would connect to a proposed iron ore port at Sheep Hill. Sheep Hill is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Tumby Bay.

How Ungarra is Governed

Ungarra is part of a few different government areas. For federal elections (national government), it's in the Division of Grey. For state elections (South Australian government), it's in the electoral district of Flinders. For local matters, it's part of the District Council of Tumby Bay. This council helps manage local services and facilities.