Whyalla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whyalla South Australia
View of the city from Hummock Hill
Whyalla Location in South Australia
Established	1920
Postcode(s)	5600
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT (UTC+10:30)
Location	395 km (245 mi) from Adelaide
LGA(s)	City of Whyalla
State electorate(s)	Giles
Federal Division(s)	Grey
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 23.7 °C 75 °F 11.5 °C 53 °F 263.4 mm 10.4 in

Whyalla /waɪˈælə/ is a city in South Australia. It was first called "Hummocks Hill" until 1916. Whyalla is the fourth largest city in South Australia. It is part of the "Iron Triangle" along with Port Pirie and Port Augusta.

Whyalla is a seaport on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It is known as the "Steel City" because of its large steelworks and history of building ships. The port of Whyalla has been sending out iron ore since 1903.

About Whyalla

Whyalla is an urban area located by the Spencer Gulf. To the north, there's a railway line that goes to the mining town of Iron Knob. To the south, you'll find the Lincoln Highway.

The city has several suburbs that stretch from east to west. These include Whyalla, Whyalla Playford, Whyalla Norrie, Whyalla Stuart, and Whyalla Jenkins. Near Hummock Hill, there's a port, a rail yard, and a large industrial area. Whyalla is important for exporting iron to places like China.

What's in a Name?

The name Whyalla has a few possible origins. In 1916, it was said to be a "native" (Aboriginal) name. Some believe it comes from Aboriginal words like "Wajala" (meaning "west") or "Waiala" (meaning "I don't know").

Another idea is that the name came from nearby Mount Whyalla. This mountain is located northwest of the city. Other meanings suggested for Whyalla include "dingo," "by the water," or "a place of water."

Whyalla's Story

Early Days

Whyalla is located on the traditional lands of the Barngarla Aboriginal people.

The idea for a port here came from a sailor named William Morgan Burgoyne. He suggested the spot to Harry Morgan of BHP. At that time, there were many kangaroos in the area.

The first settlement was called Hummocky. It was started in 1901 by the BHP Whyalla Tramway. This railway moved iron ore from Iron Knob to the sea.

The first shipment of iron ore was sent in 1903. It went to Port Pirie to be used in lead smelters. The early town had small houses and tents. The post office opened in 1901 as Hummock's Hill.

In 1905, the first school opened. It is now called Whyalla Town Primary School.

Growing Up

Whyalla didn't have much fresh water. Water had to be brought in by barges from Port Pirie.

The Post Office changed its name to Whyalla in 1919. The town was officially named Whyalla in 1920. The ore loading system was improved, and ore started going to the new Newcastle Steelworks.

The town grew slowly until the late 1930s. That's when steelmaking and shipbuilding began. In 1937, a law was passed to build a blast furnace and a harbor.

Construction began in 1939. A plan was also made to bring water from the Murray River. A shipyard was built to make ships for the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. The population grew fast, and new places like a hospital were built.

In 1941, the first ship, HMAS Whyalla, was launched. The blast furnace also started working. By 1943, over 5,000 people lived in Whyalla. The water pipeline from Morgan started working in 1943.

After the war, the shipyard started making commercial ships. In 1948, people from Europe came to Whyalla, making the city more diverse.

In 1958, BHP decided to build a full steelworks in Whyalla. It was finished in 1965. The population grew very quickly. The South Australian Housing Trust built 500 houses each year.

In 1970, Whyalla became a full local government. The shipyards closed in 1978 because of strong competition. This was a big loss for the city. The population dropped from its highest point of 38,130 in 1976. The steel industry also saw a decline from 1981.

Whyalla Today

In 2000, the BHP steel division became a new company called OneSteel. This company makes rail and steel sleepers in Australia. In 2012, OneSteel changed its name to Arrium.

After some financial trouble, GFG Alliance bought Arrium in 2016. The steelworks are now part of Liberty Steel Group.

Since 2004, there has been a boom in mineral exploration in northern South Australia. Whyalla has benefited from this. The city's economy has improved, and more people are moving there.

Port Operations

Iron ore exports from Whyalla, South Australia (2007–2014)

Whyalla has always been a port for shipping iron ore. The ore comes from mines in the Middleback Range.

In 1915, the port got its first conveyor belt system. It could load 1,000 tonnes of ore per hour.

New ways of handling cargo were started in 2007. This allowed Arrium to load iron ore onto very large ships called capesize bulk carriers. These ships can be loaded in deeper water. Barges are used to move the ore from the port to the big ships.

In 2014–15, 12.5 million tonnes of iron ore were sent out from Whyalla. In 2015, the port loaded its largest ship ever with over 205,000 tonnes of iron ore.

The port also receives coal for the steelworks. It also sends out smaller amounts of finished steel products.

Economy and Energy

Whyalla's economy mainly depends on the Whyalla Steelworks. Santos provides gas to the steelworks. They are working together to reduce pollution from the steelworks.

The Whyalla Hydrogen Facility (WHF) is a big project. It will produce green hydrogen and power. This facility is expected to be ready in 2025. It will help the steelworks produce green steel, which is made with less pollution.

Climate

Whyalla has a semi-arid climate. This means it has hot summers and mild winters.

• Summer (January): Average high is about 30.2°C, average low is 17.9°C.
• Winter (July): Average high is about 17.1°C, average low is 5.3°C.

The city gets about 269.4 mm of rain each year. It has many clear, sunny days.

People of Whyalla

In 2016, there were 21,751 people living in Whyalla.

• About 4.7% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• Most people (73.8%) were born in Australia.
• Other countries of birth included England (7.2%) and Scotland (2.4%).
• Most people (87.0%) spoke only English at home.
• The most common religions were No Religion (38.7%) and Catholic (19.5%).
• Many people worked in Iron Smelting and Steel Manufacturing (12.4%). Other jobs were in Iron Ore Mining (7.3%) and Hospitals (4.2%).

Getting Around

Roads

The Lincoln Highway goes right through Whyalla. Bus services connect Whyalla to Adelaide and Port Lincoln.

Railways

The BHP Whyalla Tramway was built to carry iron ore. This ore was used to make steel. As some mines ran out of ore, the railway was moved to new mining areas.

In the 1960s, the railway system within the steelworks was updated. This allowed it to connect with other steelworks. In 1972, the Whyalla line to Port Augusta was finished.

Some iron ore is still sent out from Whyalla by train. A special loop was added at the port in 2012. This helps load more ore onto trains.

Air Travel

Whyalla Airport is just southwest of the city. It has flights to and from Adelaide.

Sea Travel

Whyalla has a small boat marina. You can often see dolphins there! There's also a sailing club and a boat ramp. Iron ore is exported from an offshore facility.

Media

Whyalla has several radio and TV stations. Local radio stations include 5YYY FM and Magic FM. TV stations include Southern Cross Seven and Southern Cross Nine.

The local newspaper is The Whyalla News. It first started in 1940.

Fun Things to Do

HMAS Whyalla, a locally built World War II-era corvette

Giant Australian cuttlefish

Whyalla has many places to visit to learn about its history and nature.

You can see the old warship, ex-HMAS Whyalla. It's located near the Lincoln Highway. You can take a tour of it at the Whyalla Maritime Museum. This ship was the first one built in Whyalla during World War II.

The Whyalla Maritime Museum also shows the town's shipbuilding and mining past. It has models of ships and a model railway. You can also learn about the local nature and Aboriginal culture.

You can take tours of the Whyalla Steelworks to see how steel is made. These tours start at the Whyalla Visitors Centre.

The Mount Laura Homestead National Trust Museum tells the story of the town's development. It's run by volunteers.

Whyalla's beach is also a popular spot.

Nature and Wildlife

Every year, from May to August, Australian giant cuttlefish come to the shallow waters north of Whyalla. Divers and snorkelers can see thousands of these amazing creatures. The best places to see them are Black Point, Stony Point, and Point Lowly.

Dolphins often visit the Whyalla marina. The Whyalla Conservation Park is a great place to see the natural semi-arid environment. You can walk on trails and learn about native plants.

Fishing

Whyalla has good places for launching boats. The Whyalla Marina has a jetty that is lit up at night for fishing.

Whyalla used to have a big annual Snapper Fishing Competition. But due to too much fishing, there is now a ban on catching snapper until 2026. So, the competition has stopped for now.

Learning in Whyalla

Primary Schools

Whyalla has several primary schools, including:

• Whyalla Town Primary School
• Fisk Street Primary School
• Long Street Primary School
• Hincks Avenue Primary School
• Memorial Oval Primary School
• Whyalla Stuart Campus
• Nicolson Avenue Primary School
• Sunrise Christian School
• St Teresa's and Our Lady Help of Christians (part of Samaritan College)

Secondary Schools

In 2022, the new Whyalla Secondary College opened. It can hold 1500 students. This new school brought together students from Edward John Eyre High, Whyalla High, and Stuart High Schools.

Samaritan College also provides secondary education.

Higher Education

For education after high school, Whyalla has the Spencer Institute of TAFE. There is also the Whyalla Campus of the University of South Australia. Here, you can study things like business, nursing, and community development.

Arts

The D'Faces of Youth Arts group offers workshops for young people aged 7 to 27. They teach theatre, dance, visual arts, and music.

The Whyalla Recording Scholarship helps young local musicians. It is given to Whyalla residents aged 12 to 21 each year.

Sports

Whyalla has many sports for everyone!

The Whyalla Football League is an Australian rules football competition. It has about six clubs.

Whyalla also has popular sports like Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, and Boxing. The Whyalla Basketball Association and the Whyalla Soccer Association are very popular.

Hockey is also big in Whyalla. The Whyalla Hockey Association has many players and schools joining in. Fishing is also a favorite activity because of the good beaches and jetty.

Whyalla Speedway (also called Westline Speedway) is a place for car racing. It opened in 1972 and hosts many types of races.

Sister Cities

Whyalla has a sister city called Texas City in Texas, USA. This connection started in 1984.

Whyalla also has ties with Ezhou in China. This relationship was re-established in 1997.

Famous People from Whyalla

Many notable people have come from Whyalla, including:

• Edwina Bartholomew – a journalist and TV presenter.
• Brett Burton – a former AFL player.
• Alan Didak – an AFL player.
• Sophie Gonzales - an author and psychologist.
• Gary Gray – a politician.
• Vern Schuppan – a former Formula One race car driver.
• Sean Williams – a science fiction author.

Images for kids

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  Whyalla Jetty

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  Whyalla foreshore

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  Whyalla Institute facade

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  Ore handling at the port

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  Port facility

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  QF 3.7-inch AA gun from World War II at Hummock Hill

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  View of the coast from Hummock Hill