Koolunga (postcode 5464) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

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 ...

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 ...

. According to the 2016 Australian Census, the population of the town and surrounding area is approximately 200.

History

On 5 March 1846, John Hope applied for a land occupation licence covering what is now the township. Koolunga township was established in the 1880s beside the Broughton River near the ford known as "Hope's Crossing". The town was surveyed for the government by W.G. Evans on 30 August 1875 and the first lots of land went on sale on 7 October 1875. ''Koolunga'' is believed to be a

Ngadjuri 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 ethnon ...

(Aboriginal) word meaning "red banks", with reference to the banks of the Broughton River east of Hope's Crossing. By the early twentieth century, Koolunga had a general store, a hotel, post office, butcher shop, town hall, church, and a garage. However, by the end of the century, the general store, post office, and butcher shop had closed and been turned into residential properties. There was a railway station named Koolunga on the

Gladstone railway line William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, later renamed to Boucaut station, but this was southeast of the town and the railway did not pass through the town of Koolunga.

Economy

The main economic activities of the town and surrounding area are cereal and canola cropping, with sheep husbandry to a lesser extent.

Services

Much like the other small towns in the area, Koolunga provides the bare essential services for its residents and the agriculture industry. Residents will typically travel to the larger towns of

Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. The city has an expansive history which dates back to 1845. Port Pirie was the first proclaimed regional city in South ...

, Crystal Brook, or Clare for shopping and public services. There is a small primary school and bowling green on the edges of town. Bunyip Park is situated on the south-east side of Koolunga with a gate leading to the Bunyip River Trail. This short circular trail follows both sides of the Broughton River. Bunyip Park has basic barbecue facilities and can be used as a camp site. A large creature from Aboriginal mythology known as the

bunyip The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology of southeastern Australia, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. Name The origin of the word ''bunyip'' has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia ...

was believed to have been sighted at a nearby waterhole in 1883, giving rise to the name. Koolunga-hotel

Governance

Koolunga is in the

Port Pirie Regional Council The Port Pirie Regional Council (PPRC) is a local government area in South Australia, focused on the city of Port Pirie. It has a population of about 18,000 people. The council's main administrative facilities and works depot can be found in Por ...

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

, the

South Australian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide. Overview The House of Assembly was creat ...

electoral district of Frome and the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members of the ...

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 ...

References

External links

Koolunga Hotel

Koolunga Primary School
Towns in South Australia Mid North (South Australia) {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub