Koppio is a locality in the Australian state 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 ...

located on 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 ...

about west of the state capital 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 about north of Port Lincoln, and within the

Tod River The Tod River is the only stream on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia with a reliable water flow. Its main tributary is Pillaworta Creek. The Tod River Reservoir was built across the river between 1918 and 1922. The Tod River flows southeast in ...

catchment area. While long-established agricultural activities dominate (including sheep, cattle and buffalo grazing and wheat cropping) the region is also prospective for

graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on large ...

and iron ore. The ''Koppio Smithy Museum'' is a local tourist attraction replete with buildings and artifacts representing the early pioneer heritage of Eyre Peninsula.

Mining and mineral exploration

Companies actively exploring the area early in the 21st century included Eyre Iron Pty Ltd (a joint venture of

Centrex Metals Centrex Metals Limited is an Australian resources exploration and mining company. History Founded in 2001, Centrex Metals was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2006 with the aim of developing several iron ore projects on the Eyre ...

) and Lincoln Minerals. Eyre Iron's proposed

Fusion Magnetite Project Centrex Metals Limited is an Australian resources exploration and mining company. History Founded in 2001, Centrex Metals was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2006 with the aim of developing several iron ore projects on the Eyre ...

was the most advanced prospective mine development project in the area. Graphite was first mined in the area in 1866. The ''Koppio Graphite Mine'' originally operated in the early 1900s and was revisited between 1941 and 1944.

Koppio Smithy Museum

The Koppio Smithy Museum is a property managed by the

National Trust of South Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

which features a collection of early colonial buildings and heritage artifacts collected from across Eyre Peninsula. The entrance is via the old Smithy's cottage, constructed by Tom Brennand after he migrated to the region from Lochiel in 1903. One of the museum's oddities is a replica World War I tank, which was abandoned in the sand dunes of

Coffin Bay Coffin Bay, originally Coffin's Bay, is a town at the southern extremity of the Eyre Peninsula, a wheat growing area of South Australia. At the 2016 census, Coffin Bay had a population of 611. Material was copied from this source, which is avai ...

after its use in the feature film ''The Lighthorsemen''. As of 2014, the museum is open to the public from 10 am until 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday and entry is $10 for adults and $4 for concessions.

Exhibits

The museum includes the following exhibits:Koppio Smith Museum
''National Trust''. Retrieved 2014-01-15. * Blacksmith shop and two-bedroom cottage (restored) * 'Glenleigh' thatch cottage (1890) * Koppio one-teacher schoolhouse (1934 to 1970) * A unique collection of very early Aboriginal artefacts * Port Lincoln tailor shop (1910) * Bank of Adelaide building * White Flat Post Office (reportedly the smallest Post Office in South Australia), * Heritage Hall (Jericho family collection) * Display sheds featuring: tractors & farm machinery, stationary engines, shearing, grain story, hay story, vehicles * Print Room

Koppio Cemetery

The Koppio Cemetery contains 36 plots, with the earliest grave dating from 1866.
''AustralianCemeteries''.''com'' Retrieved 2014-01-15.

Governance

Koppio is located within the federal

Division of Grey The Division of Grey is an Australian electoral division in South Australia. The division was one of the seven established when the former Division of South Australia was redistributed on 2 October 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who wa ...

, the state electoral district of Flinders and the local government area of the

District Council of Tumby Bay The Tumby Bay District Council is a local government area of South Australia covering an area of the North Eastern Eyre Peninsula. It was established in 1906, only six years after the town of Tumby Bay was established, when the district was seve ...

References