Wangary, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Wangary is a town on the Eyre Peninsula
in the Australia
n state of South Australia
, located 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Port Lincoln
on the Flinders Highway
near Coffin Bay. At the 2006 census
, Wangary had a population of 289.
Its correct name is Lake Wangary owing to a large lake in the area that was once fresh water but has since been degraded to a salt lake. There are many spellings of Wangary eg. 'Wangauri' and 'wangeery' meaning "place of many ceremonies" in the local Indigenous dialect.
There are nearby inselbergs called the Marble Range. They possess many unique lifeforms, some of which has been described scientifically.
The town was declared a settlement in colonial times, and the Old Lake Wangary Hotel, built in 1871, was once a stagecoach station on the 'West Coast' stage-coach run from Port Lincoln. Colonial views of the Lake Wangary area were done in the 1840s by English Colonial Artist George French Angas
. His artwork is incorporated into one of South Australia's most valuable books - 'The South Australia Illustrated'.
Today, the town contains the Old Hotel, which offers pastries and cakes but has not held a liquor licence since 1933, the ruins of the historic general store and post office, the Coach House and Bakery and an oval. The village is close to many first class surfing and fishing beaches, including a beach called "Gallipoli Beach" used for filming the invasion scenes in the movie Gallipoli
, and attracts many 'life-stylers'.
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 the 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...
n state 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...
, located 45 kilometres (28 mi) west 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...
on the Flinders Highway
Flinders Highway, South Australia
Flinders Highway connects the South Australian towns of Ceduna and Port Lincoln, a distance of 410 kilometres. The highway was formerly designated as National Route Alternate 1 and currently signed as B100...
near Coffin Bay. 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,...
, Wangary had a population of 289.
Its correct name is Lake Wangary owing to a large lake in the area that was once fresh water but has since been degraded to a salt lake. There are many spellings of Wangary eg. 'Wangauri' and 'wangeery' meaning "place of many ceremonies" in the local Indigenous dialect.
There are nearby inselbergs called the Marble Range. They possess many unique lifeforms, some of which has been described scientifically.
The town was declared a settlement in colonial times, and the Old Lake Wangary Hotel, built in 1871, was once a stagecoach station on the 'West Coast' stage-coach run from Port Lincoln. Colonial views of the Lake Wangary area were done in the 1840s by English Colonial Artist George French Angas
George French Angas
George French Angas , was an English explorer, naturalist and painter.He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the eldest son of George Fife Angas, prominent in the establishment of the new colony of South Australia. Despite showing remarkable talent in drawing, he was placed in a London...
. His artwork is incorporated into one of South Australia's most valuable books - 'The South Australia Illustrated'.
Today, the town contains the Old Hotel, which offers pastries and cakes but has not held a liquor licence since 1933, the ruins of the historic general store and post office, the Coach House and Bakery and an oval. The village is close to many first class surfing and fishing beaches, including a beach called "Gallipoli Beach" used for filming the invasion scenes in the movie Gallipoli
Gallipoli (1981 film)
Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They are sent to Turkey, where they take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. During the...
, and attracts many 'life-stylers'.
External links
- Coffin Bay (SMH Travel)