Ungarra, South Australia

Ungarra is a small agricultural based town located on the Eyre Peninsula, in the Australian state of South Australia about 248 kilometres (154 mi) from the state's capital, Adelaide[2] and around 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Port Lincoln. At the 2006 census, Ungarra had a population of 241.[1]

Ungarra
South Australia
Ungarra
Coordinates34°10′45″S 136°02′50″E
Population241 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s)5607[2]
Elevation116 m (381 ft)[3]
Location
LGA(s)District Council of Tumby Bay
RegionEyre Western[4]
CountyJervois[5]
State electorate(s)Flinders[6]
Federal Division(s)Grey[7]
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
21.3 °C
70 °F		 11.4 °C
53 °F		 389.7 mm
15.3 in
Localities around Ungarra:
Brooker Moody
Butler		 Butler
Brooker
Cockaleechie		 Ungarra Butler
Lipson
Yallundra Flat Yallundra Flat
Tumby Bay		 Lipson
FootnotesClimate[8]
Adjoining localities[5]

The name 'Ungarra' is derived from a nearby waterhole of the same name which is located just to the south of the township. It has a Mediterranean climate and receives on average just over 400mm of rainfall every year.

Overview

Settlers started farming the area in the early 1900s as the Eyre Peninsula Railway from Port Lincoln reached Ungarra in 1909. This provided an incentive for the clearing of what was generally mallee/Melaleuca mix of native vegetation for the growing of wheat. This railway is still in operation and the branchline extended to Buckleboo but now is only operational to Kimba. An important local historic location in the nearby Moody Rock and Tanks where water was collected from a natural outcropping of granite and stored in a large tank for the require water for steam trains. This site is located within the Moody Tank Conservation Park. Moody Rocks Water Tank is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[9]

The Ungarra Memorial Park is located at the southern entrance to the township, containing an old windmill as a memorial to the early colonial settlers of the area.[10] In its heyday, Ungarra sported a bank, a bakery, a school up to year 10, and general store and two churches. While the buildings for many of these enterprises still stand, only the school (R-7) and one of the churches is still in operation. The former bank is now located at the Koppio Smithy Museum at Koppio.[11] The agricultural production around the area has expanded from the original wheat and now includes barley, lupins, faba beans, field peas and canola. There are also livestock industries, particularly sheep-based.

The town has a number of facilities, including sporting grounds and a primary school as well as a lawn bowling green and soldier memorial hall.[12][13][14][15] The school celebrated its centenary in 2014.[16] The part-time Ungarra Community Cafe opened in 2015 as a local hub, selling coffee and local fresh produce, and donating some proceeds to local charities and overseas missions.[17][18] The cafe operates out of the former general store building, which had previously been closed for eight years.[19] The town is part of a popular tourist drive that can be done from Tumby Bay, with no camping or accommodation available within the town. Other conveniences include public toilets and payphone. The town also has clearly visible grain silos operated by Viterra which while being quiet for most of the year spring into life in the November–December period each year.

Transport

While having a number of unsealed roads running into Ungarra, it is connected to Lipson and the Lincoln Highway via a sealed all-weather road, the sealing of which was only completed in 2004.

Ungarra is served by two freight-only stations of the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Eyre Peninsula Railway - one is called Moody and the other is called Ungarra.[3][20] A 27 kilometres (17 mi) branchline is proposed to Ungarra with the proposed iron ore port of Sheep Hill which is 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Tumby Bay.

Governance

Ungarra is located within the federal Division of Grey, the state electoral district of Flinders and the local government area of the District Council of Tumby Bay.[7][6][5]

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Ungarra (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  2. "Ungarra, South Australia (Postcode)". postcodes-australia.com. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  3. "Search results for "Moody Railway Station, RSTA" with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and Localities' and 'Gazetter'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  4. "Eyre Western SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  5. "Search result for "Ungarra (Locality bounded) " (Record no. SA0068115) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  6. "District of Flinders Background Profile". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  7. "Federal electoral division of Grey" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  8. "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics NORTH SHIELDS (PORT LINCOLN AWS) (nearest station)". Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  9. "Water Tank, Moody Rocks, Moody Tank Conservation Park". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  10. "Ungarra". District Council of Tumby Bay. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  11. Kandelaars, Debra, Conlon, Keith and Kandelaars, Ron (2004). Postcards: A Few of Our Favourites. Wakefield Press. p. 191. ISBN 9781862545601.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. "Ungarra and Districts Community Sports Complex". sacommunity.org. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  13. "Tumby council grant for Ungarra sporting complex upgrade". Port Lincoln Times. 20 December 2011.
  14. "Ungarra Primary School". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  15. "Ungarra Bowls Club". sacommunity.org.au. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  16. "Ungarra celebrates school centenary". Port Lincoln Times. 16 October 2014.
  17. "Cafe gives back $2400". Port Lincoln Times. 2 February 2016.
  18. "Cafe donating far and wide". Port Lincoln Times. 6 August 2015.
  19. "Community cafe for Ungarra". Port Lincoln Times. 24 March 2015.
  20. "Search results for "Ungarra Railway Station, RSTA" with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and Localities' and 'Gazetter'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
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