City of Port Augusta
Encyclopedia
The City of Port Augusta is a local government area located at the northern end of Spencer Gulf
in South Australia
. It is centred on the town of Port Augusta
. The city is the site of South Australia's main power supplier, the Port Augusta powerhouse, located on the coast in Spencer Gulf.
settlement began in the 1840s and the town grew from a pastoral service centre to a railway town
with the construction of the overland telegraph line
, then the commencement of the railways towards Alice Springs
and Kalgoorlie
.
In late 1964, Port Augusta was granted City status, and the current council was formed.
Another major industry now is the production of electric power
, with three coal-fired power station
s burning coal mined at Leigh Creek
, the first of which was completed in 1954.
: Nancy Baluch
CEO: Greg Perkin
Councillors:
The city council area is bordered to the north and west by non-council areas administered by the Outback Areas Community Development Trust
. To the south west by the City of Whyalla
, and to the east by Flinders Ranges Council
and District Council of Mount Remarkable
.
Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the...
in 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 centred on the town of Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
. The city is the site of South Australia's main power supplier, the Port Augusta powerhouse, located on the coast in Spencer Gulf.
History
The Port Augusta region is a natural crossroads and aborigines have been trading in the area for 40 000 years. EuropeanEuropean ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlement began in the 1840s and the town grew from a pastoral service centre to a railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
with the construction of the overland telegraph line
Australian Overland Telegraph Line
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a 3200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and the rest of the world. An additional section was added in 1877 with the...
, then the commencement of the railways towards Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
and Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
.
In late 1964, Port Augusta was granted City status, and the current council was formed.
Another major industry now is the production of electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
, with three coal-fired power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
s burning coal mined at Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
, the first of which was completed in 1954.
Localities
The district also includes two closely neighbouring areas, one of which is a significant town. This means there are two towns in the district:- Port AugustaPort Augusta, South Australia-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
- Stirling NorthStirling North, South AustraliaStirling North is a small town located 7 km east of Port Augusta in South Australia. It acts primarily as a satellite town to Port Augusta with the town's railway station lying at a major rail junction linking the Port Augusta power station and the main east-west rail link to the coal rail...
- Miranda - a small coastal area south of Port Augusta, but basically uninhabited.
Elected Members
MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
: Nancy Baluch
CEO: Greg Perkin
Councillors:
- Sam Johnson
- Lisa Lumsden
- Ken McKlean
- Peter Solomon
- Tony Mitchell
- Phil Brown
- Fran Paynter
- Brett Benbow
- Phil Greagen
The city council area is bordered to the north and west by non-council areas administered by the Outback Areas Community Development Trust
Outback Areas Community Development Trust
The Outback Areas Community Development Trust is a trust in South Australia which is operated under the Outback Areas Community Development Trust Act...
. To the south west by the City of Whyalla
City of Whyalla
The City Of Whyalla is a local government area in South Australia, located at the top of the Eyre Peninsula. The council was established in 1970, replacing the town commission, which had been running the town previously...
, and to the east by Flinders Ranges Council
Flinders Ranges Council
Flinders Ranges Council is a local government area in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.The council area is approximately 100 km from north to south, and 45 km from east to west, with a total area of 4,198 square kilometres....
and District Council of Mount Remarkable
District Council of Mount Remarkable
The Mount Remarkable District Council is a local government area located between the top the Spencer Gulf and the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The district encompasses a wide variety of towns, including coastal ports and agricultural centres...
.