Sceale Bay, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Sceale Bay is a small town
32 km south of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula
of South Australia
. With a permanent population
of only 28, the town's numbers increase by threefold over the summer holiday
period. The town is primarily an isolated holiday destination, with nothing in the way of commerce
or industry
occurring in its bounds. At the 2006 census
, Sceale Bay had a population of 389.
, therefore most people continued calling it by that name. Yanera was officially renamed Sceale Bay in 1940. The bay itself was formerly known as Sceale's Bay. A jetty
was built to service the coastal traders
in 1910, but despite a fierce fight to save it, was demolished in 1972.
of the same name. The protected waters of the bay have long sandy beaches with minimal swell
. However the exposed coast
surrounding the bay feels the full force of the Southern Ocean
swells. Cliffs and diverse rock
formations can be found on the coast bordering the bay. Inland is highly unremarkable for the most part, with agricultural land dominating the scenery. Murphy's Haystacks
are only a few minutes drive form the township.
In July 2006, Sceale Bay Conservation Park was established to aid in the protection of native flora
and fauna
, particularly the seal
colony located in the bay.
Fishing
is the areas major attraction, with boat
, rock and beach fishing all possible in the vicinity of the town. All year round the deep reefs hold Snapper
, Trevally
, Nannygai
, Whiting
, Kingfish and in the summer, Bluefin Tuna
congregate on the offshore lumps. Whiting
, Tommy Ruff and Salmon
can be caught in the calmer protected waters. A boat ramp is located in Sceale Bay.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
32 km south of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula
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...
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...
. With a permanent population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of only 28, the town's numbers increase by threefold over the summer holiday
Summer vacation
Summer vacation is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students and instructors are off school typically between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the country and district.-Students:In some countries, students participate in programs such as organized sports, summer camps, and...
period. The town is primarily an isolated holiday destination, with nothing in the way of commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
or industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
occurring in its bounds. 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,...
, Sceale Bay had a population of 389.
History
The town was initially proclaimed under the name of Yanera in October 1888, but had been earlier named Sceale Bay by Captain Bloomfield Douglas of the Royal NavyNavy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, therefore most people continued calling it by that name. Yanera was officially renamed Sceale Bay in 1940. The bay itself was formerly known as Sceale's Bay. A jetty
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
was built to service the coastal traders
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
in 1910, but despite a fierce fight to save it, was demolished in 1972.
Geography
The township of Sceale Bay lies on 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...
of the same name. The protected waters of the bay have long sandy beaches with minimal swell
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
. However the exposed coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
surrounding the bay feels the full force of the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
swells. Cliffs and diverse rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
formations can be found on the coast bordering the bay. Inland is highly unremarkable for the most part, with agricultural land dominating the scenery. Murphy's Haystacks
Murphy's Haystacks, South Australia
Murphys Haystacks are inselberg rock formations located between Streaky Bay and Port Kenny on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.They obtained their name because a traveller in a coach saw the formation in the distance. He asked how a farmer could produce so much hay. As the farm was on a...
are only a few minutes drive form the township.
In July 2006, Sceale Bay Conservation Park was established to aid in the protection of native flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, particularly the seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
colony located in the bay.
Tourism
The town is a minor tourist destination, but the small size of the town and restricted accommodation keeps numbers low. A caravan park exists in the town, as well as a new general store that provides petrol, take away food, gourmet coffee, fishing and camping needs and bottle shop.Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is the areas major attraction, with boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
, rock and beach fishing all possible in the vicinity of the town. All year round the deep reefs hold Snapper
Australasian snapper
The Australasian snapper or Pagrus auratus is a species of porgie found in coastal waters of New Zealand and Australia. Although it is almost universally known in these countries as snapper it does not belong to the Lutjanidae family...
, Trevally
White trevally
White trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex, is a jack of the family Carangidae widespread in tropical and warm temperate areas between 40°N and 47°S, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has a deep body, and a greenish colour with metallic overtones and a dark spot above the...
, Nannygai
Nannygai
Nannygai is the name of various fish from the Australian region:* In family Lutjanidae:** Malabar blood snapper, Lutjanus malabaricus.** Crimson snapper, Lutjanus erythropterus.* In family Berycidae:** Eastern nannygai, Centroberyx affinis....
, Whiting
King George whiting
The King George whiting, Sillaginodes punctatus , is a coastal marine fish of the smelt-whitings family Sillaginidae. The King George whiting is endemic to Australia, inhabiting the south coast of the country from Jurien Bay, Western Australia to Botany Bay, New South Wales in the east...
, Kingfish and in the summer, Bluefin Tuna
Southern bluefin tuna
The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is a tuna of the family Scombridae found in open southern hemisphere waters of all the world's oceans mainly between 30°S and 50°S, to nearly 60°S...
congregate on the offshore lumps. Whiting
Sillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
, Tommy Ruff and Salmon
Australian salmon
Australian Salmon, , are medium-sized perciform marine fish of the small family Arripidae . Four species are recognized, all within the genus Arripis...
can be caught in the calmer protected waters. A boat ramp is located in Sceale Bay.