Waikerie, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WaikerieSouth Australia |
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McCoy street, the main street of Waikerie
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 Waikerie
Location in South Australia
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| Postcode(s) | 5330 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | District Council of Loxton Waikerie |
| State electorate(s) | Chaffey |
| Federal Division(s) | Barker |
Waikerie is a friendly country town in the Riverland area of South Australia. It sits right on the south bank of the famous Murray River. In 2016, about 2,684 people lived here. The main road, the Sturt Highway, passes just south of the town. To cross the river, there's a special cable ferry that carries cars and people. Waikerie is well-known for growing yummy citrus fruits like oranges, along with other fruits and grapes.
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Discover Waikerie!
Waikerie has a long and interesting history. For thousands of years, the Ngawait people lived in this area. The river and the land around it gave them everything they needed, from fish and shellfish to birds, kangaroos, and native fruits.
What's in a Name?
The town's name, Waikerie, comes from the Aboriginal word "Weikari." Some people say it means 'the rising.' But other experts think it might be linked to a spider creator god from old local stories. These stories might have come from seeing many ghost moths, especially the giant swift moth, pop out of the ground after heavy rain near the river red gum trees.
Waikerie is part of the District Council of Loxton Waikerie. It's also in the South Australian House of Assembly's electoral district of Chaffey and the Australian House of Representatives's Division of Barker. You can also see the historic Irrigation Pumping Station Chimney in Scenic Lookout Reserve. It's a special old building listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.
News and Views
The local newspaper for the area is called The River News. It first started way back in July 1956. It was created because of the big 1956 Murray River floods that happened that year.
Getting Around Waikerie
The Sturt Highway runs just south of Waikerie, at the top of the cliffs. Waikerie used to have its own railway line from 1914 until 1990. This line connected Waikerie to other places.
Waikerie Airport and Gliding
The Waikerie Airport is close to town and is home to the Waikerie Gliding Club. Gliding is like flying a plane without an engine! The airport has two runways. The flat, dry land around Waikerie is perfect for creating "thermals." These are rising currents of warm air that gliders use to stay in the sky. Waikerie was even chosen to host the 14th World Gliding Championships in 1974, bringing pilots from all over the world!
Art and Creativity
In March 2019, a cool art project was finished in Waikerie. Two big silos were painted with amazing murals! A South Australian artist named Garry Duncan painted one silo. His art shows a river landscape with native river animals like pelicans, ducks, frogs, and rain moths. On the other silo, Jimmy Dvate from Melbourne painted a beautiful regent parrot, a yabby (a freshwater crayfish), and the endangered Murray hardyhead fish. It's a great way to show off local wildlife!
Sports and Action
Waikerie is a great place for sports! It's home to the Waikerie Football Club, which plays in the Riverland Football League. This is an Australian Rules Football league. A famous player, Mark Ricciuto, who used to be captain of the Adelaide Crows team, started playing junior football right here in Waikerie!
Waikerie also has the Sunline Speedway, a 360-meter track for exciting car races. Many famous drivers have raced here, including Wally Francombe and Robert Gwynne. Neil Hoffman, a two-time Australian Street Stock Champion, also raced his Chrysler Centura here. You can see different types of race cars at the Speedway, like Modified Sedans, Formula 500s, and Sprintcars.
Famous Faces from Waikerie
Many talented people have come from Waikerie! Here are just a few:
- Sir Donald (Don) George Anderson (1917–1975) was a very important person in aviation. He was in charge of Civil Aviation and later led Qantas Airways, a big Australian airline.
- John Neil (Neil) Andrew (1944- ) was the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Australia's Parliament. He also chaired the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, which looks after the famous river system.
- Warwick (Rick) Maxwell Darling (1957- ) is a cricketer who played for South Australia and even for Australia!
- Anne Fulwood (1959- ) is a well-known reporter, journalist, and writer.
- Mark Ricciuto (1975- ) is a famous Australian Rules Football player. He played for the West Adelaide and Adelaide Crows clubs and even won the Brownlow Medal in 2003, which is a huge award!
Gallery
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Main Street
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Waikerie, Riverland
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Waikerie Hotel
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Waikerie Institute
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Waikerie, Riverland
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Uniting Church
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Waikerie, Riverland
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Oval
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Waikerie Club
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Post Office
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Waikerie, Riverland
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Waikerie silo art
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Waikerie silo art
