Port Germein is a small sea-side town 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 about north 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 the city of Port Pirie on the eastern side of

Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and ...

overlooking

Germein Bay Germein Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located at the northern end Spencer Gulf on the gulf's east coast to the immediate north of the city of Port Pirie. Its extent includes the port known as ‘Port Pirie’ and the fo ...

. Port Germein was named after Samuel Germein, who moved into the territory in 1840, although some credit his brother John to be the first European to traverse the area. The township was proclaimed in 1878. Port Germein's population in the was 249.

History

Port Germein was once an important transport hub for the surrounding districts following the opening of its

jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...

in 1881 – at the time known as the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Due to the shallow water along the coast, the long jetty was built to allow sailing ships to be loaded with grain from surrounding districts. Bagged wheat came from the local area, the eastern side of the Southern Flinders Ranges via Port Germein Gorge (opened in 1879), and from the west coast in smaller boats. About 100,000 bags of wheat were loaded per year. The jetty was extended to its full length of 1680m in 1883. With the opening of the port came an influx of workers from Adelaide, and by 1900 the town's population had grown to over 300. Use of the port declined when rail was extended to Port Germein in 1934, and the jetty was later reduced to its present length of 1532m due to storm damage. The historic

Port Germein Jetty Site A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

is 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'' ...

. It formerly had its own municipality, the

District Council of Port Germein The District Council of Port Germein was a local government area in South Australia, centred on the town of Port Germein. It was gazetted on 5 January 1888 under the provisions of the ''District Councils Act 1887'' and encompassed the hundreds of B ...

; since 1980, it has been part of the

District Council of Mount Remarkable The Mount Remarkable District Council is a local government area located between the top of the Spencer Gulf and the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The district encompasses a wide variety of towns, including coastal port ...

Transport

The

Augusta Highway Augusta Highway is the part of Australia's ring route ( Highway 1) located in South Australia between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta. Route Augusta Highway starts at the intersection with Eyre and Stuart Highways in Port Augusta West, then ...

and the Adelaide-Port Augusta railway line both pass the east side of the township. The railway line has an 1800m

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

and a goods

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

was commissioned in 2015 and is operated by

SCT Logistics SCT Logistics is an Australian interstate transport company operating rail and road haulage, with facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Parkes, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. History SCT Logistics was founded in 1974 as Specialised Container Tran ...

Lighthouse

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

was erected at the end of the jetty in 1894, replacing the Port Germein Lightship. The lighthouse was manned until July 1917, when it was replaced by an AGA flashing light. The lighthouse was re-established at its current site in 1975.

Jetty

The Port Germein jetty opened in 1881, and in 1883 it was extended to a length of 1680 metres. This length, which was necessary because of the town's extremely shallow beach, briefly made it the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Currently, following storm damage and subsequent repairs, the jetty is 1532 metres long, still the longest jetty in South Australia. Previously it had a narrow-gauge railway line extending into the township.

References

External links

Port Germein development timeline
Viewed 4 June 2014. Populated places established in 1878 Coastal towns in South Australia Spencer Gulf {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub