Pekina is a town in the Mid North

Mid North

The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains, but not as far north as the Far North, or outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the southern part of the Flinders Ranges, and the northern...

 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...

. The town is located in the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton

District Council of Orroroo Carrieton

The District Council of Orroroo Carrieton is a local government area in the Mid North of South Australia. The principal towns are Orroroo and Carrieton...

 local government area, 270 kilometres (167.8 mi) north of the state capital, 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...

. 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,...

, Pekina and the surrounding area had a population of 172. The name of the town is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word for "creek water".

European settlement in the Pekina district began in earnest in 1846 when Price Maurice brought 3000 sheep to the district. The Pekina station

Station (Australian agriculture)

Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...

, "one of the most profitable sheep runs" in South Australia, became a stopping-point for coaches on the run between Blinman and Burra

Burra, South Australia

Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...

. In 1871, the station was resumed and broken up for closer settlement. The region was settled by German and especially Irish migrant farmers. Problems with drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

, rust

Rust (fungus)

Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales. About 7800 species are known. Rusts can affect a variety of plants; leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. Rust is most commonly seen as coloured powder, composed off tiny aeciospores which land on vegetation producing...

 and locusts

Australian plague locust

The Australian plague locust is a native Australian insect in the family Acrididae and a significant agricultural pest....

in the 1880s meant the town grew slowly with only around 75 residents at the beginning of the 20th century.

Pekina's Irish Roman Catholic heritage has seen the district nicknamed "Vatican Valley".