Booborowie is a locality in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. It is located north of Adelaide. At the

2016 census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...

, the Booborowie district had a population of 218.

Booborowie Station

In 1843, Dr

William James Browne William James Browne, (1815 – 4 December 1894), generally referred to as Dr. Browne, was a grazier and pastoralist in South Australia who was born and died in England. His brother, John Harris Browne, was a noted explorer and pastoralist in ...

and his brother Dr

John Harris Browne John Harris Browne (22 April 1817 – 12 January 1904), generally referred to as J. Harris Browne, was an explorer in Australia and a pioneer pastoralist. Early years Browne was born in Ilford, Wiltshire, England, son of Benjamin Browne, lando ...

took up the Booborowie run. In 1851 they purchased a crown lease of 153 square miles, and in 1853 the brothers purchased 46,978 acres of the lease. The Browne brothers established a merino stud and ran shorthorn cattle. They went on to purchase properties on the

Adelaide Plains The Adelaide Plains (Kaurna name Tarndanya) is a plain in South Australia lying between the coast (Gulf St Vincent) on the west and the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east. The southernmost tip of the plain is in the southern seaside suburbs of Ade ...

, at Mount Gambier, the Flinders Ranges, and the

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named aft ...

, and were instrumental in establishing Katherine in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

. This led to a large sheep and cattle drive, under the supervision of Alfred Giles, to leave South Australia in 1878. The northern portion of the station was sold to Henry Dutton and George Melrose in 1897. The remainder of the station was sold in 1910 and 1912 for closer settlement.

History of the township

Baldry Township was first surveyed in 1875 near Leighton, but was abandoned at the time. The Booborowie Township was proclaimed on 29 March 1877. Being a farming community, the chief products produced are wool, wheat, lucerne and canola. The town is named after the nearby Booborowie Waterhole, a small seasonal waterhole on Walton Palace Creek about north west of the town, the "owie" signifying "waterhole" in the language of the indigenous

Ngadjuri people The Ngadjuri people are a group of Aboriginal Australian people whose traditional lands lie in the mid north of South Australia with a territory extending from Gawler in the south to Orroroo in the Flinders Ranges in the north. Name Their ethno ...

, as in Hundred of Minlacowie, Terowie and Yarcowie (modern linguists tend to render the word as awi'''). The spelling "Booboorowie" was common in the 19th century. A feature of the area is the "Camel Hump", a drystone wall which runs over from Booborowie to

Farrell Flat Farrell Flat (formerly Hanson) is a town in South Australia. The town is located east of Clare and southwest of Burra on the former Peterborough railway line, in the Regional Council of Goyder. At the 2006 census, Farrell Flat and the surrou ...

. The historic Booborowie Homestead and the former Booborowie Council Chambers are listed on the

South Australian Heritage Register The South Australian Heritage Register, also known as the SA Heritage Register, is a statutory register of historic places in South Australia. It extends legal protection regarding demolition and development under the ''Heritage Places Act 1993'' ...

. Today, Booborowie is a popular destination for visitors enjoying the rural scenery, historic buildings and camping facilities at the town oval. The town is serviced by a primary school (opened 1892) with playgroup, and a grocer, incorporating hardware and post office facilities.

References

;Notes ;Citations Towns in South Australia Mid North (South Australia) {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub