Elliston, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Elliston is a small coastal town in South Australia on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula
169 km northwest of Port Lincoln
and 641 km west of Adelaide. The township is located on Waterloo Bay.
It has a rainfall of 426 mm per annum, and a Mediterranean climate
. At the 2006 census
, Elliston had a population of 377.
in the vessel HMS Investigator from 10–13 February 1802. He named the offshore islands but did not note the presence of Waterloo Bay in his log.
Edward John Eyre
explored the area on land in 1840 and 1841 on a journey to Western Australia from Port Lincoln. Originally named Waterloo Bay, the township was later named by Governor Sir William Jervois
on a plan for the town on 23 November 1878. Locally it is believed to be named after the writer and educator Ellen Liston who was born in England in 1838 and emigrated to South Australia in 1850. She was a governess working on a local property (Nilkerloo) owned by John Hamp.
It has also been suggested that Jervois, who had a military background chose to honour Sir Henry Walton Ellis
(1783–1815) who was a hero of the Battle of Waterloo
during which campaign he died of his wounds. The area was settled in the 1840s with Elliston being the central port from which the early settlers transported their wool and wheat to market. Sailing ships and later steam ships crossed Waterloo Bay’s notorious reefed entrance. A number of ships foundered in the bay due to its narrow entrance and variable tides.
The first District Council of Elliston
Council Chambers were built in 1913 and still stand adjacent to Waterloo Bay Caravan Park.
The Country Women’s Association Rooms were the first to be built in South Australia by that organisation and opened on 4 July 1936.
The Post Office was opened on 13 August 1880 and is the oldest public building still in use.
The first Police Station (which still stands) was opened in 1881 and continued in use until 1971.
. Outside of the bay, the coastline is exclusively large cliffs, with a number of surf beaches located on these stretches.
Inside the bay, it is relatively calm and shallow, full of seagrass
beds and reef, with sandy beaches lining most of the bay. Inland, the country is mostly flat agricultural land. The southern end of the Lake Newland Conservation Park
lies about 10 km to the north of the town.
Offshore, Flinders Island is 55 km away from the mainland.
Huge ocean waves can be caught in various spots such as Black Rocks on the Great Ocean Drive north of the town. The bi-annual salmon competition is very popular.
and wheat farming take place alongside sheep grazing on the adjacent farmland. Marine activities include abalone
diving, offshore abalone
aquaculture
, lobster
and scale fisheries.
The area is a tourist destination, the town having two caravan parks as well as motel and hotel accommodation. Fishing, swimming and other water based activities are common in the protected bay.
Surfing is possible at stretches along the coast, but high numbers of sharks make it risky. Many surf beaches are known for catches of salmon, mulloway and shark as well, with Lock's Well one of the more established beaches.
Census of Population and Housing, the population of the Elliston town census area was 377 people. Males outnumbered females. Some 92.8% of the population was born in Australia, with immigrants coming from the England, France, Germany, Papua New Guinea
and the Republic of Korea.
Christianity is the most followed religion in the town with 51% of the town following the religion. The major denominations in the town are the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting churches. 29% of the town had no religious beliefs.
The town has a number of sporting clubs and facilities, as well as churches, hotels and a large number of local businesses.
Port Adelaide Power footballer Cameron Hitchcock
hails from Elliston.
Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges. It is named after explorer Edward John Eyre who explored some of it in 1839-1841. The coastline was first explored by...
169 km northwest of Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
and 641 km west of Adelaide. The township is located on Waterloo Bay.
It has a rainfall of 426 mm per annum, and a 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...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Elliston had a population of 377.
History
The first recorded exploration of the adjacent coastline was by Matthew FlindersMatthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
in the vessel HMS Investigator from 10–13 February 1802. He named the offshore islands but did not note the presence of Waterloo Bay in his log.
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
explored the area on land in 1840 and 1841 on a journey to Western Australia from Port Lincoln. Originally named Waterloo Bay, the township was later named by Governor Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
on a plan for the town on 23 November 1878. Locally it is believed to be named after the writer and educator Ellen Liston who was born in England in 1838 and emigrated to South Australia in 1850. She was a governess working on a local property (Nilkerloo) owned by John Hamp.
It has also been suggested that Jervois, who had a military background chose to honour Sir Henry Walton Ellis
Henry Walton Ellis
Colonel Sir Henry Walton Ellis, KCB was a British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars.-Life:He was the son of Major General Joyner Ellis, and grandson of J...
(1783–1815) who was a hero of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
during which campaign he died of his wounds. The area was settled in the 1840s with Elliston being the central port from which the early settlers transported their wool and wheat to market. Sailing ships and later steam ships crossed Waterloo Bay’s notorious reefed entrance. A number of ships foundered in the bay due to its narrow entrance and variable tides.
Historic buildings
The hall, which was officially opened on 10 February 1968, is distinguished by its mural which was painted with the help of local community members under the direction of artists Siv Grava and John Turpie. According to the placard erected by the District Council of Elliston, it is the largest mural of its type in Australia, depicts the historical life of Elliston and covers more than 500 square metres in area.The first District Council of Elliston
District Council of Elliston
The District Council of Elliston is a Local Government Area covering around 6500 km2 on the Western Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Established in 1887, the district has a diverse economy, with agriculture, commercial fishing and tourism making up the majority of the local...
Council Chambers were built in 1913 and still stand adjacent to Waterloo Bay Caravan Park.
The Country Women’s Association Rooms were the first to be built in South Australia by that organisation and opened on 4 July 1936.
The Post Office was opened on 13 August 1880 and is the oldest public building still in use.
The first Police Station (which still stands) was opened in 1881 and continued in use until 1971.
Geography
The town of Elliston lies on Waterloo Bay, a small coastal inlet which is partially protected by a number of reefs lining the entrance to the bayBay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
. Outside of the bay, the coastline is exclusively large cliffs, with a number of surf beaches located on these stretches.
Inside the bay, it is relatively calm and shallow, full of seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
beds and reef, with sandy beaches lining most of the bay. Inland, the country is mostly flat agricultural land. The southern end of the Lake Newland Conservation Park
Lake Newland Conservation Park
Lake Newland Conservation Park protects a 20 km long hypersaline lake and associated wetland complex lying on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. It is separated from the sea by sand-dunes. The southern end of the reserve is about 10 km north of the small town of...
lies about 10 km to the north of the town.
Offshore, Flinders Island is 55 km away from the mainland.
Activities
The Great Ocean Drive leads along the cliffs and open beaches with splendid views.Huge ocean waves can be caught in various spots such as Black Rocks on the Great Ocean Drive north of the town. The bi-annual salmon competition is very popular.
Economy
Agriculture, fishing and tourism make up Elliston's economy. BarleyBarley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and wheat farming take place alongside sheep grazing on the adjacent farmland. Marine activities include abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
diving, offshore abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
and scale fisheries.
The area is a tourist destination, the town having two caravan parks as well as motel and hotel accommodation. Fishing, swimming and other water based activities are common in the protected bay.
Surfing is possible at stretches along the coast, but high numbers of sharks make it risky. Many surf beaches are known for catches of salmon, mulloway and shark as well, with Lock's Well one of the more established beaches.
Community
In the 2006 Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
Census of Population and Housing, the population of the Elliston town census area was 377 people. Males outnumbered females. Some 92.8% of the population was born in Australia, with immigrants coming from the England, France, Germany, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and the Republic of Korea.
Christianity is the most followed religion in the town with 51% of the town following the religion. The major denominations in the town are the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting churches. 29% of the town had no religious beliefs.
The town has a number of sporting clubs and facilities, as well as churches, hotels and a large number of local businesses.
Port Adelaide Power footballer Cameron Hitchcock
Cameron Hitchcock
Cameron Hitchcock is an Australian rules footballer who began his career on the rookie list for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL.Cameron was born on the Eyre Peninsula in the little country town of Elliston, South Australia, and lived there before moving to Adelaide with his family and...
hails from Elliston.