Venus Bay, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Venus Bay is a small tourist and fishing
town sited on the bay of the same name, on the Eyre Peninsula
in South Australia
. The town population numbers in the twenties during most of the year, but its numbers greatly increase during the summer holidays
. At the 2006 census
, Venus Bay had a population of 139. The town also serves the professional fishermen who fish the Southern Ocean
.
was first recorded by Captain Matthew Flinders
in 1802, during his attempt to map the coast of southern Australia
. The bay takes its name from the first vessel to enter the bay, a schooner
named Venus, which continued to trade along the coast until she ran aground at Tumby Bay
in 1850.
The town was established after a whaling
station was built in the 1820s, and for twenty years it existed as no more than a shop, hotel and police station
. The focus of the town soon turned to agriculture
as the area was opened up in the 1840s and then cereal cropping in the 1870s. The township was abandoned by 1900, but was revitalised in the 1920s when it became the base for a commercial fishing
operation. This led to a school being established in 1939 which, however, closed in 1955.
s, mangrove
s, island
s, and a number of deep channels that carry water in and out of the bay. The entrance is lined by towering cliffs, as is much of the coast, but in the bay, the landscape is flat lying, with much of this land used for agricultural purposes. The bay is highly sheltered, contrasting to the entrance where large swells constantly batter the coast.
(IBA) by BirdLife International
because it regularly supports over 1% of the world populations of Pied
and Sooty Oystercatcher
s as well as small numbers of Fairy Tern
s.
of the town is heavily dependent on commercial fishing
, with a number of boats using Venus Bay as an offloading base, where fish
, lobster
and abalone
are transported for sale. Agriculture does impact the town’s economy, but the agricultural areas are more centralised toward Port Kenny
.
, with most of these caught off the town’s jetty
also.
There are several tourist walks near the town, as well as drives to surrounding areas such as Talia Caves and Mount Camel Beach. Daily supplies and accommodation are available from the licenced general store and cafe, as well as other accommodation in the caravan park and private beach houses. The northern end of the Lake Newland Conservation Park
lies about 20 km to the south of the town.
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....
town sited on the bay of the same name, 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...
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 town population numbers in the twenties during most of the year, but its numbers greatly increase during the summer holidays
School holiday
School holidays are the periods during which schools are closed for study. The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction.- Christmas holiday :In countries with a predominantly Judeo-Christian...
. 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,...
, Venus Bay had a population of 139. The town also serves the professional fishermen who fish 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...
.
History
Venus Bay, as with most of the coast of the Eyre PeninsulaEyre 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...
was first recorded by Captain Matthew Flinders
Matthew 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 1802, during his attempt to map the coast of southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The bay takes its name from the first vessel to enter the bay, a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
named Venus, which continued to trade along the coast until she ran aground at Tumby Bay
Tumby Bay, South Australia
Tumby Bay is a coastal town situated on the Spencer Gulf, on the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, 45 km north of Port Lincoln...
in 1850.
The town was established after a whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
station was built in the 1820s, and for twenty years it existed as no more than a shop, hotel and police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
. The focus of the town soon turned to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
as the area was opened up in the 1840s and then cereal cropping in the 1870s. The township was abandoned by 1900, but was revitalised in the 1920s when it became the base for a commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
operation. This led to a school being established in 1939 which, however, closed in 1955.
Environment
The town of Venus Bay lies on the bay of the same name, with numerous tidal flats, shallow lagoonLagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s, mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s, island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s, and a number of deep channels that carry water in and out of the bay. The entrance is lined by towering cliffs, as is much of the coast, but in the bay, the landscape is flat lying, with much of this land used for agricultural purposes. The bay is highly sheltered, contrasting to the entrance where large swells constantly batter the coast.
Important Bird Area
The bay, with its wetlands and beaches, has been identified as an 83 km2 Important Bird AreaImportant Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because it regularly supports over 1% of the world populations of Pied
Pied Oystercatcher
The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
and Sooty Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher
The Sooty Oystercatcher, Haematopus fuliginosus, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries....
s as well as small numbers of Fairy Tern
Fairy Tern
The Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
s.
Economy
The economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of the town is heavily dependent on commercial 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....
, with a number of boats using Venus Bay as an offloading base, where fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, 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 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...
are transported for sale. Agriculture does impact the town’s economy, but the agricultural areas are more centralised toward Port Kenny
Port Kenny, South Australia
Port Kenny is a small town located on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It serves as a central point for the surrounding agricultural district, as well as professional fishermen and tourists. It currently has a very small population.-History:...
.
Tourism
Venus Bay also relies heavily on tourism, particularly during the summer, where its small caravan park regularly fills up. Venus Bay is primarily a fishing and water sport based destination, with the sheltered waters providing small boat users a safe fishing environment. The bay is known to hold whiting, salmon, garfish, snook, tommy ruff, flathead and gummy sharkGummy shark
The gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus, is a shark in the family Triakidae. It is a slender grey shark with white spots along the body and flat plate-like teeth for crushing its prey. It has a maximum length of between 157 cm and 175 cm . It feeds on crustaceans, marine worms, small fish...
, with most of these caught off the town’s 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...
also.
There are several tourist walks near the town, as well as drives to surrounding areas such as Talia Caves and Mount Camel Beach. Daily supplies and accommodation are available from the licenced general store and cafe, as well as other accommodation in the caravan park and private beach houses. The northern 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 20 km to the south of the town.