Karoonda, South Australia
Karoonda South Australia |
|||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
File:Karoonda mainstreet.jpg
Main Street of Karoonda
|
|||||||||||||||
Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | ||||||||||||||
Population | 514 (2006)[1] (2006) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 5307 | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | District Council of Karoonda East Murray | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Hammond | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Barker | ||||||||||||||
|
Karoonda is in the middle of the Murray Mallee region of South Australia at geographic coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (60 km northeast of Murray Bridge). Karoonda takes its name from the Aboriginal word for "winter camp". The current boundaries include the former town of Lowaldie, which was the next stop on the railway line away from Adelaide.
Karoonda was founded on wheat growing early in the 20th century (proclaimed on 11 December 1913), but the cleared land is also suitable for raising merino sheep. The Karoonda Development Group instigated and built a larger-than-life sculpture of a Merino ram in the park in the main street to emphasise this. There are even seats with rams heads dotted around the town. A number of other agricultural and horticultural industries are now also represented in the district. Each year the Karoonda Farm Fair is held, a two-day event attracting over 10,000 visitors to the town.
Railways were built in 1911-1914 to open up the mallee. Karoonda was on the Brown's Well railway line (extended to Barmera in 1928) and became a junction with the Waikerie railway line to the north and the Peebinga railway line to the east (south of the main line).[2] Both branches were closed in 1990, but the main line through Karoonda remains open as the Loxton railway line and was converted from broad gauge to standard gauge.
Karoonda briefly shot to international fame in 1930 when a meteorite fell to earth just to the east of the town on the night of 25 November.
Karoonda Area School was the first area school in South Australia.
Karoonda is in the District Council of Karoonda East Murray, the state electorate of Chaffey and the federal Division of Barker.
Pioneer Park on East Terrace is being developed as a Malleelands Pioneer Railways and farm museum, with displays of harvest machinery, plows, railway rolling stock and facilities already in place. The Nature Trail & Bush Walk is adjacent.
Photo gallery
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
-
Karoonda po.jpg
Post Office
-
Karoonda general store.jpg
General Store
-
Karoonda silos.jpg
ABB Silos
-
Karoonda railway.jpg
Old Railway Station
-
Karoonda police2.jpg
Police Memorial, Railway Tce
-
Karoonda poineer.jpg
Lions Pioneer Park
-
Karoonda painting.jpg
Painting at Parking Bay
-
Karoonda memorial.jpg
Memorial Gates at the Oval
-
Karoonda meteor1.jpg
Obelisk
-
Karoonda meteor2.jpg
Obelisk
-
Karoonda school1.jpg
Area School
-
Karoonda school2.jpg
Area School
-
Karoonda football.jpg
Oval
-
Karoonda institute.jpg
Institute
-
Karoonda hospital.jpg
Hospital
-
Karoonda pub.jpg
Karoonda Pub
-
Karoonda anglican.jpg
"All Hallows" Anglican Church
-
Karoonda catholic.jpg
St Finian's Catholic Church
-
Karoonda lutheran.jpg
St Johns Lutheran Church
-
Karoonda uniting.jpg
Uniting Church
-
Karoonda opshop.jpg
Op-Shop
-
Karoonda amb.jpg
Ambulance Station
-
Karoonda cfs.jpg
CFS Station
-
Karoonda police3.jpg
Police Station
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Rail Line to Nowhere Southwell, J.G. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1971 pp146-151