Victor Harbor, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victor HarborSouth Australia |
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Victor Harbor viewed from Bluff
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 Victor Harbor
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1863 |
| Postcode(s) | 5211 |
| Location | 82 km (51 mi) South of Adelaide city centre via  |
| LGA(s) | City of Victor Harbor |
| Region | Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island |
| State electorate(s) | Finniss |
| Federal Division(s) | Mayo |
Victor Harbor is a lively town in South Australia. It's located on the southern coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The town is about 82 kilometers (51 miles) south of Adelaide, the state capital.
Victor Harbor is the biggest town on the peninsula. Its economy relies on farming, fishing, and tourism. Many people from Adelaide visit, especially during summer holidays. They come to escape the heat and enjoy the coast.
The coastline near Victor Harbor, stretching about 50 kilometers (31 miles) towards Goolwa, is called the South Coast. Surfers especially love this area for its great waves. It's also a popular spot for high school graduates to celebrate their "schoolies" week.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Victor Harbor is on the traditional lands of the Ramindjeri people. They are a clan of the Ngarrindjeri nation.
Early Explorers and Whaling
In 1802, Matthew Flinders visited the bay while exploring Australia's coast. He met Nicolas Baudin, a French explorer, near the Murray Mouth. Even though their countries were at war, they shared their maps. Flinders named the bay Encounter Bay after this meeting.
In 1837, Captain Richard Crozier named the sheltered waters 'Victor Harbor'. He named it after his ship, HMS Victor. Around this time, two whaling stations were set up. Whale oil became South Australia's first export. The last whale was caught here in 1872.
How the Town Grew
The town of Port Victor started in 1863. This was when a horse-drawn tramway from Goolwa reached the harbor. The town officially became the "municipality of Victor Harbor" in 1914.
The name of the harbor was changed from Port Victor in 1921. This happened after a near shipwreck. People thought it might have been confused with Port Victoria.
You might notice that "Harbor" is spelled without a 'u'. This is unusual for Australian English. It's not because of American spelling, but an older English way of spelling. However, not everyone uses this spelling. For example, the local newspaper used "Harbour" for many years. The Victor Harbour railway station also uses the 'u'.
Fun and Events in the Past
In 1923, two movie theaters opened in Victor Harbor. These were the Victor Theatre and the Wonderview Theatre. The Victor Theatre is still open today as the Victa Cinema.
In 1936, a special car race was held east of the town. It was called the South Australian Centenary Grand Prix. The race used public roads and was 12.6 kilometers (7.8 miles) long.
Victor Harbor Today
Victor Harbor's beaches are facing rising seas. Efforts are being made to protect them. In 2023, the mayor spoke against a big plan for a new marina. She was worried about the environment.
How Victor Harbor is Run
Victor Harbor became a city in the year 2000. The City of Victor Harbor includes the town itself and nearby areas. It covers about 34,463 hectares (85,160 acres). The city is part of the state's electoral district of Finniss. It is also in the federal Division of Mayo.
People of Victor Harbor
In the 2021 Australian census, about 4,520 people lived in Victor Harbor. During the summer holidays, the population almost triples. The larger coastal area, including Port Elliot and Goolwa, has about 28,363 residents.
Fun Things to Do
Granite Island Adventures
Granite Island is a very popular place to visit. You can reach it by walking or riding a Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram. This is one of the few horse-drawn tram routes left.
The island is home to a colony of little penguins. These penguins are a big attraction. They stay on the island at night and go fishing in the morning. Their numbers have gone down a lot, but researchers are hopeful they are recovering.
Ride the Cockle Train
The SteamRanger Heritage Railway runs train services. The most famous is The Cockle Train. It travels between Victor Harbor and Goolwa. This ride is a fun way to see the coast.
Whale Watching and Visitor Centre
From June to September, you can spot Southern right whales. These whales come to the waters near Victor Harbor to have their babies. The South Australian Whale Centre opened in 1994. It is now part of the Victor Harbor Visitor Centre. You can learn about whales and the town's history there. The center is open every day except Christmas.
Surfing and Fishing
Victor Harbor is a great place for surfing. The area from west of Victor Harbor to Goolwa is known as the "South Coast" by surfers. Popular surf beaches include Parsons, Waitpinga, and Middleton. The breakwater at Granite Island usually protects the town from big waves.
You can also enjoy fishing here. There are offshore reefs for boat anglers. The beaches closer to the Murray Mouth are great for surf fishing.
Other Cool Places to Visit
The Urimbirra Wildlife Park has many native Australian animals. The Soldiers' Memorial Gardens on the Esplanade include a park and a war memorial. These are both important historical sites.
Greenhills Adventure Park used to offer waterslides and other activities. However, it closed down in 2016.
Festivals and Events
Victor Harbor hosts a three-day schoolies festival in late November. This is for high school students who have just finished school. It's the second largest schoolies festival in Australia.
The town center is a dry zone at night. This means no alcohol is allowed. This rule is also in place during the Christmas Pageant and New Year's Eve.
Another big event is the Art Show. It's run by the Rotary Club of Victor Harbor. Artists from all over Australia show their paintings. This event happens in January and attracts over 10,000 people. It's Australia's largest outdoor art exhibition.
Local News and Radio
The main local newspaper is the Times. It has been printed since 1912.
You can also listen to local radio stations. Power FM SA and 5MU broadcast to Victor Harbor. They have a special transmitter near Port Elliot to help with reception. Some community radio stations like Fleurieu FM and Happy FM also operate in the area.
Historic Cinemas
Victa Cinema
The Victor Theatre opened in 1923. It was designed by a famous cinema architect, Chris A. Smith. After a fire in 1934, it was rebuilt in a cool style called streamlined Art Deco.
It became the Victa Theatre in 1970. Later, it was fully renovated and renamed Victa Cinema. The cinema now has two screens. In 2020, the City of Victor Harbor bought the cinema. They plan to make it part of the town's Arts and Culture center. The Victa Cinema is a heritage-listed building. It still has its original Art Deco style.
Wonderview Theatre
The Wonderview Theatre opened in 1923. It was described as "palatial" and had a dance floor and tea room. It was designed to attract more visitors to the town.
Over the years, the Wonderview was used for many things. It was a high school during the day and a dance hall at night. It also showed films again during World War II. The Wonderview Theatre was taken down in 1991.
Other Historic Buildings
Victor Harbor has many buildings listed for their historical importance.
Adare House
Adare House was built on land known as mootiparinga by the Ramindjeri people. The first governor of South Australia bought the land in 1836.
In 1889, Daniel Henry Cudmore bought the property. He rebuilt and expanded the house into a large, 19-room mansion. It was finished in 1893. Today, Adare House is used by the Uniting Church for camps and events. It is also a popular place for weddings.
Other Important Buildings
Many other buildings in Victor Harbor are also heritage-listed. These include:
- St Augustine's Anglican Church
- The old Post & Telegraph Office, now an art gallery
- Victor Harbor Town Hall & Library
- The National Trust Museum
- The Grosvenor Hotel
- The BankSA building
- The Second Newland Memorial Uniting Church
Weather in Victor Harbor
Victor Harbor has a warm summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Summer temperatures are usually lower than in other parts of South Australia. This is because of the cool sea breeze.
| Climate data for Victor Harbor (5m ASL) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.0 (111.2) |
43.0 (109.4) |
41.6 (106.9) |
35.5 (95.9) |
28.9 (84.0) |
24.6 (76.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.7 (80.1) |
33.7 (92.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
41.1 (106.0) |
42.0 (107.6) |
44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
23.4 (74.1) |
20.9 (69.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.4 (61.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
12.2 (54.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.0 (62.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.8 (60.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.1 (59.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
7.7 (45.9) |
8.0 (46.4) |
9.0 (48.2) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.2 (54.0) |
13.8 (56.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.2 (37.8) |
0.9 (33.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
1.5 (34.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
5.0 (41.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 20.8 (0.82) |
19.6 (0.77) |
22.9 (0.90) |
43.0 (1.69) |
61.6 (2.43) |
71.2 (2.80) |
74.8 (2.94) |
67.4 (2.65) |
56.2 (2.21) |
45.5 (1.79) |
28.0 (1.10) |
24.1 (0.95) |
535.1 (21.05) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.5 | 4.4 | 6.4 | 10.1 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.5 | 16.3 | 13.6 | 11.4 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 126.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 60 | 60 | 62 | 62 | 66 | 69 | 67 | 63 | 63 | 59 | 57 | 61 | 62 |
| Source: Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
