Berri, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Berri is a town in the Riverland
region of South Australia
. It is 238 kilometres north-east of Adelaide
, the capital of the state of South Australia
. It is primarily an agricultural
and viticultural
town on the north bank of the Murray River
. It is the original home of a juice company, Berri Ltd.
navigated the Murray River. Its first impetus for settlement came when paddle steamers came down the River Murray and a refuelling stop was developed. This was to become Berri. The area was also part of Cobdogla Station.
In 1910, irrigation
was established and Berri was proclaimed as a town in 1911. Irrigation subsequently led to the establishment of vineyard
s and fruit
orchard
s (such as citrus
, apricot
s and peach
es). A distillery was established in 1918 and rail arrived in 1928. In 1943, "Berri Juices" (Berri Ltd) were first produced. By the 1950s, Berri and other Riverland towns were dominated the local economy with fruit and their products.
Transport from one side of the Murray to the other consisted of two parallel ferries. These were replaced by a bridge in 1997.
location, above Goyder's Line
. Berri is surrounded by mallee
scrub. It is 31 metres above sea level. Berri has a dry mediterranean climate
with seasonal temperatures a few degrees above Adelaide
's temperatures. The average winter daily maximum temperature is 15.5 °C in July and the average summer daily maximum temperature is 31.1 °C in January. Average rainfall of Berri is 262.0 millimetres. The weather patterns are similar to those of Adelaide.
The Berri Visitors Centre shares a spot on the waterfront at the bottom of Vaughan Terrace with the Red Gum cafe and wine bar. This is a popular gathering point for Berri professionals and tourists alike, not undue to its waterfront location, alfresco dining and proximity to the visitors centre itself.
The river itself offers fishing
, waterskiing and boating
. A boat launching marina is located opposite the Berri caravan park on the waterfront. The Martin's Bend wetland offers educational walk and water sports. Nearby is Murray River National Park - Katarapko, a popular area for camping
, birdwatching
, canoeing
and bushwalking.
A past local tourist attraction was the Big Orange
, it offered a three-storey high observation deck over the plains and river. The facility also offered souvenirs, refreshments and local produce. Unfortunately, this has since closed. Development ideas for the future of the site include an orchid nursery, waterfall, butterfly house, tropical garden and bird cages.
Horticulture
, in particular oranges
and grape
s is still strong in the area. Berri is situated in an area of 3000 hectares of irrigated fruit orchards. Secondary industries include fruit packing, fruit juice, and wine
.
Other events held in Berri are the popular annual Riverland Wine and Food Festival and the Riverland Rodeo.
local government area. It is in the state electorate
of Chaffey
and the federal
Division of Barker
.
Riverland
The Riverland, is a region of South Australia. It covers the area near the Murray River from where it flows into South Australia downstream to Blanchetown.The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxton, Waikerie and Barmera...
region of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is 238 kilometres north-east of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, the capital of the state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is primarily an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and viticultural
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
town on the north bank of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
. It is the original home of a juice company, Berri Ltd.
History
The name "Berri" is from the local Aboriginal tribe, Meri, meaning "a wide bend in the river". The area was first explored by European settlers when Charles SturtCharles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
navigated the Murray River. Its first impetus for settlement came when paddle steamers came down the River Murray and a refuelling stop was developed. This was to become Berri. The area was also part of Cobdogla Station.
In 1910, irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
was established and Berri was proclaimed as a town in 1911. Irrigation subsequently led to the establishment of vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s (such as citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
, apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
s and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es). A distillery was established in 1918 and rail arrived in 1928. In 1943, "Berri Juices" (Berri Ltd) were first produced. By the 1950s, Berri and other Riverland towns were dominated the local economy with fruit and their products.
Transport from one side of the Murray to the other consisted of two parallel ferries. These were replaced by a bridge in 1997.
Climate and geography
Berri exists in a semi-aridSemi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
location, above Goyder's Line
Goyder's Line
Goyder's Line is a boundary line across South Australia corresponding to a rainfall boundary believed to indicate the edge of the area suitable for agriculture. North of Goyder's Line, the rainfall is not reliable enough, and the land is only suitable for grazing and not cropping. The line traces a...
. Berri is surrounded by mallee
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands is a Major Vegetation Group which occurs in semi-arid areas of southern Australia. The vegetation is dominated by mallee eucalypts which are rarely over 6 metres high...
scrub. It is 31 metres above sea level. Berri has a dry mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
with seasonal temperatures a few degrees above Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
's temperatures. The average winter daily maximum temperature is 15.5 °C in July and the average summer daily maximum temperature is 31.1 °C in January. Average rainfall of Berri is 262.0 millimetres. The weather patterns are similar to those of Adelaide.
Berri today
Berri is a multicultural town with a café and a hotel on the riverside, a main street that overlooks the river and other shopping facilities elsewhere in the town, such as the Riverland Plaza.The Berri Visitors Centre shares a spot on the waterfront at the bottom of Vaughan Terrace with the Red Gum cafe and wine bar. This is a popular gathering point for Berri professionals and tourists alike, not undue to its waterfront location, alfresco dining and proximity to the visitors centre itself.
The river itself offers fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, waterskiing and boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
. A boat launching marina is located opposite the Berri caravan park on the waterfront. The Martin's Bend wetland offers educational walk and water sports. Nearby is Murray River National Park - Katarapko, a popular area for camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and bushwalking.
A past local tourist attraction was the Big Orange
Big Orange (South Australia)
The Big Orange is one of a number of Big Things to be found in Australia, and is located near the Riverland town of Berri in South Australia. Standing at 15 metres in height, with a diameter of 12 metres, it is the biggest of the "big fruit" in Australia, and incorporates a cafe, souvenir shop,...
, it offered a three-storey high observation deck over the plains and river. The facility also offered souvenirs, refreshments and local produce. Unfortunately, this has since closed. Development ideas for the future of the site include an orchid nursery, waterfall, butterfly house, tropical garden and bird cages.
Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, in particular oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
and grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s is still strong in the area. Berri is situated in an area of 3000 hectares of irrigated fruit orchards. Secondary industries include fruit packing, fruit juice, and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
.
Other events held in Berri are the popular annual Riverland Wine and Food Festival and the Riverland Rodeo.
Governance
Berri is in the Berri Barmera CouncilBerri Barmera Council
Berri Barmera Council is a local government area in the Riverland region of South Australia.The towns covered by the council area are Barmera, Berri, Cobdogla, Glossop, Loveday, Monash, Overland Corner and Winkie....
local government area. It is in the state electorate
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
of Chaffey
Electoral district of Chaffey
Chaffey, created in 1936, is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the Riverland region of South Australia and is named after brothers George and William Chaffey who established the irrigation area along the Murray River from 1886...
and the federal
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Barker
Division of Barker
The Division of Barker is an Australian Electoral Division in the south-east of South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Collet Barker, an early explorer of the region at the mouth of the Murray River...
.
Born in Berri
- Russell EbertRussell EbertRussell Ebert is acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the long history of Australian rules football.Born in Berri, South Australia, Ebert debuted for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League as an 18 year old in 1968 and immediately made an...
, champion Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er - Rhys StanleyRhys StanleyRhys Stanley is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . Stanley was recruited from West Adelaide with pick 47 in the 2008 AFL Draft...
, AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
player with St.Kilda Football Club