The Regional Council of Goyder is a

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 ...

located 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 ...

. The council area is reliant on agriculture as a mainstay of its economy, with manufacturing and tourism also becoming prominent. The council seat lies at Burra, with a branch office situated at

Eudunda Eudunda is a rural town in South Australia, roughly 103 kilometres northeast of Adelaide, established in 1870 after settlers began moving into the area in the 1860s. As of the 2006 census, Eudunda had a population of 640. Eudunda is in the Regio ...

History

The Regional Council of Goyder was created in 1997, when four municipalities in the region were amalgamated: the

District Council of Burra Burra The District Council of Burra Burra was a local government area in South Australia from 1935 to 1997. It was proclaimed on 21 March 1935, with effect from 1 May 1935, as a result of the amalgamation of the District Council of Burra, District C ...

, the

District Council of Eudunda The District Council of Eudunda was a local government area in South Australia from 1932 to 1997. The central town and council seat was Eudunda. It was established on 12 May 1932 with the amalgamation of the District Council of Julia and the ...

, the

District Council of Hallett The District Council of Hallett was a local government area in South Australia from 1877 to 1997. The council was proclaimed on 13 September 1877 representing the Hundred of Hallett, establishing a council of eight members divided into four wards ...

and the

District Council of Robertstown The District Council of Robertstown was a local government area in South Australia from 1932 to 1997. The central town and council seat was Robertstown. It was established on 3 May 1932 with the amalgamation of the District Council of Apoinga ...

. Mining features prominently in the region's history, particularly the mining of copper. Goyder is named after former Surveyor General

George Goyder George Woodroffe Goyder (24 June 1826 – 2 November 1898) was a surveyor in the Colony of South Australia during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He rose rapidly in the civil service, becoming Assistant Surveyor-General by 1856 ...

who mapped

Goyder's Line Goyder's Line is a line that runs roughly east–west across South Australia and, in effect, joins places with an average annual rainfall of . North of Goyder's Line, annual rainfall is usually too low to support cropping, with the land being sui ...

(of rainfall) in 1865. This map is still of great relevance to local cereal cropping as the line dissects the council area. It is also of great cultural importance to whole upper Mid North region of South Australia, with the 150th anniversary of Goyder's Line being celebrated in Orroroo, just north of the Goyder council area, in November 2015.

Economy

In the past, the district was heavily reliant on mining industries as the integral part of its economy, but since the mines shut down many years ago, agriculture has become the prevailing industry. Agriculture in the Goyder region is primarily associated with

cereal crops A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

, such as wheat and barley, as well as sheep grazing for

merino The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...

wool. Dairy and beef cattle, piggeries, and chicken farms also play a minor part in the economic structure of the region. More recently established industries include

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

and locally grown and produced food products. Manufacturing interests are increasingly entering the area. Tourism makes up a part of the economy, with the town of Burra still a major attraction, known for its mining history and rural lifestyle.

Localities

The largest town and council seat of the district is Burra; it also encompasses the towns and localities of Apoinga, Australia Plains, Baldina, Booborowie,

Bower Bower may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Catherine, or The Bower'', an unfinished Jane Austen novel * A high-ranking card (usually a Jack) in certain card games: ** The Right and Left Bower (or Bauer), the two highest-ranking cards in the g ...

, Brady Creek,

Bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...

, Buchanan, Bundey, Burra Eastern Districts, Canowie, Collinsville, Emu Downs,

Franklyn ''Franklyn'' is a 2008 British science fantasy film written and directed by Gerald McMorrow as his debut feature. Produced by Jeremy Thomas, it stars Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green and Sam Riley. Shooting took place in London in the fourth quarter ...

, Geranium Plains, Gum Creek, Hampden, Hallelujah Hills, Hallett,

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...

, Koonoona, Leighton, Mongolata, Mount Bryan, Mount Bryan East, Neales Flat, Ngapala, North Booborowie, Peep Hill, Pine Creek, Point Pass, Porter Lagoon, Robertstown, Rocky Plain, Sutherlands, Terowie, Ulooloo, Whyte Yarcowie, Willalo, Wonna and Worlds End, and part of Brownlow, Canowie Belt, Dutton,

Farrell Flat Farrell Flat (formerly Hanson) is a town in South Australia. The town is located east of Clare and southwest of Burra on the former Peterborough railway line, in the Regional Council of Goyder. At the 2006 census, Farrell Flat and the surrou ...

, Frankton, Hansborough and Steinfeld. The pastoral lease of

Ketchowla Station Ketchowla Station is a pastoral lease operating as a sheep station in the Mid North region of South Australia. The property homestead is situated in the locality of Pine Creek approximately south east of Terowie and north west of Morgan. ...

is also located in the council area.

Council

References

External links

Regional Council of Goyder
{{Coord, 33.6833333333, S, 138.933333333, E, source:dewiki_region:AU-SA_type:adm2nd, format=dms, display=title Local government areas of South Australia