Peterborough, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia
, in wheat
country, just off the Barrier Highway
. At the 2006 census
, Peterborough had a population of 1,689.
It was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, who sold land to create the town. It was one of 69 places in South Australia renamed
in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I
.
in the northwest, Northern Areas Council
to the southwest, and the Regional Council of Goyder
to the south, with unincorporated areas to the north and east. Peterborough is in the state electorate of Stuart
and federal Division of Grey
. Peterborough at one point in time had its own town council (Corporation of the Town of Peterborough) surrounded by the district council.
and Broken Hill
, and the North-South railway
linking Adelaide
eventually to Alice Springs via Quorn
, both narrow gauge lines.
The line from Port Pirie and Jamestown
arrived in 1881, followed shortly after by the line from Terowie
in the south. The line to Broken Hill was completed in 1887.
Peterborough was the home town for Bob the Railway Dog
who is remembered by a bronze statue located in the Main Street.
In 1970, the East-West line was converted to standard gauge
, and the line south of Peterborough to Terowie to broad gauge
. Thus Peterborough became one of three, triple-gauge railway junctions in Australia. The others being Gladstone and Port Pirie, all on the same railway corridor.
The broad-gauge connection to Adelaide, via Burra, was severed in the late 1980s. The narrow-gauge line north to Quorn last carried freight in 1980, and was removed, between Eurelia
and Bruce in the mid-1980s. Grain trains ran as far as Orroroo into the mid 1980s. In its later years it was used by tourist trains from Steamtown
as far as Eurelia. Steamtown ceased operations in 2002, however the roundhouse
is still used to display its coaches and locomotives. The District Council, with funding from the three tiers of government and recovery of the Eurelia line, have subsequently established the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, with SA's first Sound & Light Show.
The town is still served by the twice-weekly Indian Pacific train run by Great Southern Railways
, which heads to Adelaide
on Sundays and Thursdays, and to Sydney
on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Peterborough Primary School was opened in 1883 and caters for students from years reception to 7.
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...
, in wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
country, just off the Barrier Highway
Barrier Highway
The Barrier Highway is a highway in New South Wales and South Australia signposted as in South Australia and in New South Wales, Australia.The Barrier Highway starts at Nyngan where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It heads west past Hermidale and Boppy Mountain to Cobar, a mining town. It then...
. 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,...
, Peterborough had a population of 1,689.
It was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, who sold land to create the town. It was one of 69 places in South Australia renamed
Australian place names changed from German names
During World War I, many German-sounding place names in Australia were changed because of Anti-German sentiment. The new names were often Anglicized , given Aboriginal names , names of famous people , or battlefields . This was done through an Act of Parliament, as well as by petition...
in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
History
The first settlers in the area purchased land from the government in 1875. The first building in the town was constructed four years later. Settler Peter Doecke transferred his land to J H Koch in 1876, who found out in 1880 that the land would be the site of a railway junction. He subdivided it and sold 33 acres (13.4 ha) for £1700, after failing to get £500 for it in 1879. By 1880 a hotel and post office had been erected, followed by a school in 1883, and a town hall in 1884.Government
Peterborough is the seat of the District Council of Peterborough. It is the largest town in the council area. It is bounded by the District Council of Orroroo CarrietonDistrict 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...
in the northwest, Northern Areas Council
Northern Areas Council
Northern Areas Council is a local government area in the Mid North of South Australia. The main council offices are in Jamestown.Most of the region was first settled in the early 1840s, only a few years after the settlement of Adelaide...
to the southwest, and the Regional Council of Goyder
Regional Council of Goyder
The Regional Council of Goyder is a local government area located in the Mid North region of South Australia. The district is reliant on agriculture as a mainstay of its economy, with manufacturing and tourism also becoming prominent.-History:...
to the south, with unincorporated areas to the north and east. Peterborough is in the state electorate 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 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 ....
. Peterborough at one point in time had its own town council (Corporation of the Town of Peterborough) surrounded by the district council.
Railways
Peterborough sits on the intersection of the East-West railway linking Port PiriePort Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
and Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
, and the North-South railway
Adelaide-Darwin railway
The Adelaide–Darwin railway is a north-south transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory...
linking 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...
eventually to Alice Springs via Quorn
Quorn, South Australia
Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...
, both narrow gauge lines.
The line from Port Pirie and Jamestown
Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...
arrived in 1881, followed shortly after by the line from Terowie
Terowie, South Australia
Terowie is a small town in the mid-north of South Australia located north of Adelaide. It is located in the Regional Council of Goyder. Terowie retains a number of authentic and well preserved 1880s buildings, and has been declared a "historic town". It also remains a town of interest to those...
in the south. The line to Broken Hill was completed in 1887.
Peterborough was the home town for Bob the Railway Dog
Bob the Railway Dog
Bob the Railway Dog is part of South Australian Railways folklore. He travelled the South Australian Railways system in the later part of the 19th century, and was known widely to railwaymen of the day.-Story:...
who is remembered by a bronze statue located in the Main Street.
In 1970, the East-West line was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, and the line south of Peterborough to Terowie to broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
. Thus Peterborough became one of three, triple-gauge railway junctions in Australia. The others being Gladstone and Port Pirie, all on the same railway corridor.
The broad-gauge connection to Adelaide, via Burra, was severed in the late 1980s. The narrow-gauge line north to Quorn last carried freight in 1980, and was removed, between Eurelia
Eurelia, South Australia
Eurelia is a small town in South Australia.. It is name comes from the local Jadliaura dialect and translates to "place of the ear". It is thought that local Dreamtime stories associated with the Ranges locates Eurelia as an "ear" of a prostrate man....
and Bruce in the mid-1980s. Grain trains ran as far as Orroroo into the mid 1980s. In its later years it was used by tourist trains from Steamtown
Steamtown Peterborough Museum
Steamtown, Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Inc. was a not-for-profit society which operated a heritage steam railway from Peterborough, South Australia north along a section of the Peterborough to Quorn railway line.Note: Though both the "Steamtown, Peterborough Railway Preservation...
as far as Eurelia. Steamtown ceased operations in 2002, however the roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
is still used to display its coaches and locomotives. The District Council, with funding from the three tiers of government and recovery of the Eurelia line, have subsequently established the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, with SA's first Sound & Light Show.
The town is still served by the twice-weekly Indian Pacific train run by Great Southern Railways
Great Southern Railways
The Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...
, which heads to 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...
on Sundays and Thursdays, and to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Education
Peterborough High School was opened in 1927 and caters for students from years 8 to 12.Peterborough Primary School was opened in 1883 and caters for students from years reception to 7.