Barabba is a locality in the
Mid North
The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains and south of the Far North and the outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the southern ...
region of
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 ...
, between
Mallala and
Hamley Bridge
Hamley Bridge is a community in South Australia located at the junction of the Gilbert River (South Australia), Gilbert and Light River (South Australia), Light rivers, as well as the site of a former railway junction.
Named by the government of ...
on the north bank of the
Light River.
Barabba includes the former government town of Aliceburgh which was proclaimed in 1879 and named for
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
William Jervois
Lieutenant General Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois (10 September 1821 – 17 August 1897) was a British military engineer and diplomat. After joining the British Army in 1839, he saw service, as a second captain, in South Africa. In 18 ...
' daughter Alice.
The name Barabba is derived from an Aboriginal word for an indigenous bulrush plant.
The town of Aliceburgh ceased to exist in 1897 and was resurveyed into larger workingmen's blocks. A
Primitive Methodist Church
The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834).
In the United States, the Primit ...
opened in 1877. The Barabba post office operated from 1877 until 1971. It operated from the school building until 1926. The school itself closed in 1960 and the building was destroyed by the
2015 Pinery bushfire. The final service in the church was held in 1967 and it has since been demolished.
References
Towns in South Australia
{{SouthAustralia-geo-stub