Cradock, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Cradock is a settlement 320 kilometres north of Adelaide on the Hawker
to Orroroo
Road in South Australia
. The nearest town with a greater population is Hawker which is approximately 20 km away with a population of around 360. Cradock is in the Flinders Ranges Council
area, the state Electoral district of Stuart
and the federal Division of Grey
.
After the South Australian government permitted settlers to go into the semi-arid lands north of Goyder's Line
Cradock was established in 1879 on a 'grassy flat' of 'strong red loam', by the Wirreanda Creek. Cradock takes its name from the then Governor of South Africa, Sir John Cradock.
Soon after settlement a school, police station, two hotels, two blacksmith shops and a saddler were operating in Cradock. The “wheat rush” was followed by the failure of four years of crops which led to an increasing despair and a loss of many of the town’s population.
Several old sandstone buildings remain, including the stone masonry church opened in 1924 by John H.P. Moyses.
The village still has one hotel, which used to be called the Heartbreak Hotel after the failure of many farms in the region.
Hawker, South Australia
Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
to Orroroo
Orroroo, South Australia
Orroroo is a town in the Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Orroroo had a population of 543. The Wilmington-Ucolta Road passes through here, intersecting there with the southern stretch of the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks. The narrow gauge rail line was extended to...
Road 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...
. The nearest town with a greater population is Hawker which is approximately 20 km away with a population of around 360. Cradock is in the 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....
area, the state Electoral district of Stuart
Electoral district of Stuart
Stuart is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the northeast part of the state extending from just north of the Barossa Valley all the way to the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales borders, and extending west to include Port Augusta...
and the federal Division of Grey
Division of Grey
The Division of Grey is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who was Governor of South Australia 1841-45 ....
.
After the South Australian government permitted settlers to go into the semi-arid lands north of 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...
Cradock was established in 1879 on a 'grassy flat' of 'strong red loam', by the Wirreanda Creek. Cradock takes its name from the then Governor of South Africa, Sir John Cradock.
Soon after settlement a school, police station, two hotels, two blacksmith shops and a saddler were operating in Cradock. The “wheat rush” was followed by the failure of four years of crops which led to an increasing despair and a loss of many of the town’s population.
Several old sandstone buildings remain, including the stone masonry church opened in 1924 by John H.P. Moyses.
The village still has one hotel, which used to be called the Heartbreak Hotel after the failure of many farms in the region.