Goolwa is a historic river port on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...

near the

Murray Mouth Murray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time. At times of greater river flow ...

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 ...

, and joined by a bridge to

Hindmarsh Island Hindmarsh Island (Ngarrindjeri: Kumerangk) is an inland river island located in the lower Murray River near the town of Goolwa, South Australia, Goolwa, South Australia. The island is a tourist destination, which has increased in popularity si ...

. The name "Goolwa" means "elbow" in

Ngarrindjeri The Ngarrindjeri people are the traditional Aboriginal Australian people of the lower Murray River, eastern Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of the southern-central area of the state of South Australia. The term ''Ngarrindjeri'' means "belo ...

, the local Aboriginal language, and the area was known as "The Elbow" to the early settlers. Goolwa is approximately 85 km south of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, and is the seat of the

Alexandrina Council Alexandrina Council is a local government area in the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island region of South Australia. The Alexandrina Council was formed on 1 July 1997 by the amalgamation of the District Council of Port Elliot and Goolwa, the District C ...

. It is in the state

electoral district of Hammond Hammond is a single-member electoral district for the South Australian House of Assembly. It is named after Ruby Hammond, the first indigenous woman to stand for the Federal Parliament. Hammond is a rural electorate east and south-east of Adela ...

and the federal

Division of Mayo The Division of Mayo is an Australian electoral division located to the east and south of Adelaide, South Australia. Created in the state redistribution of 3 September 1984, the division is named after Helen Mayo, a social activist and the fir ...

. At the 2011 census, the state suburb of Goolwa (excluding Goolwa Beach, Goolwa North and Goolwa South) had a population of 2,201. At June 2018, the estimated urban population for Goolwa together with nearby Victor Harbor was 26,532, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. having increased at an average annual rate of 1.07% year-on-year over the preceding five years. The portion of this combined urban area residing in Goolwa is 11,578.

History

Before 1837 the area was briefly considered for the site of the colony's capital; a 'special survey' was undertaken in 1839–40 with a sizeable township laid out at Currency Creek and land for a port with substantial warehousing on the river where Goolwa now stands. A wharf was constructed in 1852 and government buildings soon followed, including a post office in 1853. However, the treacherous waters of the

made it difficult for shipping and made the town unsuitable as a major port. Goolwa nevertheless developed as Australia's first inland port (1853) built to connect the town to

Port Elliot Port Elliot is a town in South Australia toward the eastern end of the south coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. It is situated on the sheltered Horseshoe Bay, a small bay off the much larger Encounter Bay. Pullen Island lies outside the mouth of t ...

and later extended to Victor Harbor, allowing goods to move from river boats to sea boats, so that neither had to negotiate the Murray Mouth. The spread of railways to inland Australia put an end to the river trade and Goolwa's significance as a port. With the decline of the river trade Goolwa became dependent on local farming and fishing, as well as becoming a popular destination for holidaymakers from Adelaide.''The Goolwa to Port Elliot Railway'' Callaghan, W.H.

Australian Railway History ''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions.Goolwa Barrage) was constructed between

and

Sir Richard Peninsula Sir Richard Peninsula is a narrow peninsula consisting of sand which extends from Goolwa, South Australia to the Murray Mouth. It separates the Goolwa Channel, which is part of the estuary of the River Murray, from Encounter Bay. It is approx ...

on the south eastern outskirts of Goolwa. The barrage separates the fresh water of the River Murray from the salt water coming up from the River Murray mouth. The barrage was constructed to prevent the salt water traversing further up the River Murray and polluting much needed fresh water. Goolwa had earlier been connected to Hindmarsh Island by a cable ferry; this was replaced in 2001 by the official opening of the Hindmarsh Island bridge, the construction of which had been a focus of national controversy during the 1990s. During 2008 and 2009 Goolwa suffered from one of the worst droughts in Australian history and the river which has sustained the town throughout its history was reduced to nothing much more than a channel and mudflats. The crisis prompted ongoing discussions with state and federal governments with the aim of releasing more water from upstream to ensure the survival of the river. In 2009 a temporary

levee A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...

(called the Clayton Regulator) was constructed between

Clayton Bay Clayton Bay is a town in South Australia located on Lake Alexandrina and Lower Murray River, part of the lower lakes and Coorong region at the end of the Murray River System. The town is located north of the north-east tip of Hindmarsh Island ...

and the north east side of Hindmarsh Island. The Regulator was put in place to protect the Goolwa Channel and its tributaries from the danger of

acid sulfate soil Acid sulfate soils are naturally occurring soils, sediments or organic substrates (e.g. peat) that are formed under waterlogged conditions. These soils contain iron sulfide minerals (predominantly as the mineral pyrite) and/or their oxidation produ ...

s. The low water level was exposing the river bed and scientific evidence warned of the devastating impact of acidification of the Lower Lakes region. The Regulator immediately increased the water level between the Regulator and the Goolwa Barrage. In 2010 increased rainfall and water from upstream allowed the Regulator at Clayton Bay to be substantially removed. The rainfall has replenished much of the river and lower lakes. In late 2010 some gates on the Goolwa Barrage were opened for the first time in many years to allow fresh water to flow to the Murray Mouth. Continued rainfalls combined with flooding upstream in NSW and Victoria has led to massive flows down the River Murray and by January 2011 all the gates on the Goolwa Barrage were open.

Culture

Every odd-numbered year, Goolwa hosts the South Australian Wooden Boat Festival. The town is a popular holiday destination and home to the ''

PS Oscar W The PS ''Oscar W'' is a restored paddle steamer located at Goolwa in South Australia. History (Frans) Oscar "Charlie" Wallin (1867 – 16 August 1934), born in Sweden and naturalized as a British Subject in Australia in 1897, owned and skipper ...

'', a

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

. Goolwa, along with the neighbouring towns of Middleton and

and the city of Victor Harbor have in the 2000s enjoyed a nationally recognised " sea change" boom, with people moving there from more metropolitan areas for an improved lifestyle on the coast. The local councils are left with the dilemma of how to provide sufficient services for the influx of new residents, while at the same time not spoiling the character and appeal of the area that attracts newcomers. In March 2007, Goolwa was declared a

Cittaslow Cittaslow is an organisation founded in Italy and inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life a ...

by visiting Cittaslow representatives. Goolwa was the first non-European town to gain Cittaslow status. On 22 January 2010 the 4th stage of the

Tour Down Under The Tour Down Under (branded as the Santos Tour Down Under under a partnership arrangement) is a cycling race in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and is traditionally the opening event of the UCI World Tour and features all 19 UCI World ...

finished at Goolwa. As part of the event more than 8,000 cyclists, that participated in the preceding Mutual Community Challenge Tour, rode into Goolwa on the day.

Climate

Goolwa experiences a

warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, bordering on a cold-semi arid climate (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Csb/BSk''), Trewartha: ''Csbl/BSbl''); with warm, dry summers; mild, relatively dry springs and autumns; and mild winters with moderate precipitation.

References

{{authority control Towns in South Australia Populated places established in 1857 Populated places on the Murray River River ports of Australia 1857 establishments in Australia

History

Culture

Climate

See also

References