In
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 ...
, one of the
states of
Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, desert or mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as common land use. South Australia is divided by numerous sets of regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.
Informal divisions
Convention and common use has divided South Australia into a number of regions. These do not always have strict boundaries between them and have no general administrative function or status. Many of them correspond to regions used by various administrative or government agencies, but they do not always have the same boundaries or aggregate in the same way. The generally accepted regions are:
*
Adelaide Plains (the northern part is sometimes known as the Lower North)
*
Adelaide Hills/
Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and ...
*
Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major wine-producing region and tourist destina ...
*
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 af ...
*
Far North
*
Far West Coast (&
Nullarbor
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...
), defined as such for tourism (including
whale-watching the
southern right whale); cultural (including a
native title claim by the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation as well as
language revitalisation
Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, o ...
projects;)
recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing fo ...
;
[ ]weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the conditions of the atmosphere for a given location and time. People have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia and formally since the 19th cent ...
; and other purposes
* Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula () is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide.
History
Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the ...
* Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about north of Adelaide. The ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna.
The Adnyamathanha people are the Aboriginal group who have inhabit ...
* Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...
* Limestone Coast is a name which came into use in the early 21st century, supplanting the names Lower South East and Upper South East
* 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 ...
** Clare Valley
* Murray Mallee
The Murray Mallee is the grain-growing and sheep-farming area of South Australia bounded to the north and west by the Murray River (in South Australia, "River Murray"), to the east by the Victorian border, and extending about 50 km sout ...
** Murraylands
The Murraylands is a geographical region of the Australian state of South Australia (SA); its name reflects that of the river running through it. Lying due east of South Australia's capital city, Adelaide, it extends from the eastern slopes of ...
** Riverland
The Riverland is a region of South Australia. It covers an area of along the River Murray from where it flows into South Australia from New South Wales and Victoria downstream to Blanchetown. The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxt ...
* Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula is separated from Kangaroo Island to the south by Investigator Str ...
** Copper Triangle
Most of the other regional divisions of the state use a combination of these same labels, sometimes grouped, and sometimes with precise boundaries that might be slightly different in each case.
Australian government
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has multiple regional structures for which it analyses and reports data. These regional structures derive from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification
The Census in Australia, officially the Census of Population and Housing, is the national census in Australia that occurs every five years. The census collects key demographic, social and economic data from all people in Australia on census nig ...
(AGSC). The AGSC defines at the very smallest level, the ''Census Collection District'' (CCD). These CCD's aggregate to form the Statistical Local Area (SLA), which is the common base unit for each of the larger regional structures.[1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) - Electronic Publication, 2005](_blank)
Australian Bureau of Statistics website, accessed 13 November 2006 The boundaries of the SLA are designed to be typically coterminous with Local Government Areas unless the LGA does not fit entirely into a Statistical Subdivision (SSD), or is not of a comparative nature to other LGA's. Bureau of Statistics provides statistics for Local Government Areas, as well as three other statistical structures: ''Statistical Divisions'', ''Statistical Regions'', and ''Statistical Districts''.
Statistical Divisions
Statistical Divisions (SD) form the main structural hierarchy of statistical analysis. These regions are structured to provide a broad range of social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
, demographic and economic
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...
statistics. The basis for the boundary delineations center on socioeconomic criteria. The eight Statistical Divisions in South Australia are:
* Adelaide
* Outer Adelaide
* Yorke and Lower North
* Murray Lands
* South East
* Eyre
* Northern
* Offshore & Migratory
Weather forecasting
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together ...
(BOM) provides forecasts and observations within South Australia and its adjoining waters using the following 15 land areas which are known as “districts” and 11 areas known as “coastal waters” which are located within both the state’s jurisdiction and Australia’s maritime jurisdiction:
;Districts
* Adelaide Metropolitan
* Mount Lofty Ranges
* Yorke Peninsula
* Kangaroo Island
* Upper South East
* Lower South East
* Murraylands
* Riverland
* Flinders
* Mid North
* West Coast
* Lower Eyre Peninsula
* Eastern Eyre Peninsula
* North West Pastoral
* North East Pastoral
;Coastal waters
* Adelaide Metropolitan Waters
* Gulf St Vincent
Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger S ...
* Investigator Strait
Investigator Strait is a body of water in South Australia lying between the Yorke Peninsula, on the Australian mainland, and Kangaroo Island. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his ship, HMS ''Investigator'', on his voyage of 1801–1802 ...
* Far West Coast
* Upper West Coast
* Lower West Coast
* Spencer Gulf
* Central Coast
* South Central Coast
* Upper South East Coast
* Lower South East Coast
South Australian Government
South Australian Government regions
South Australian government
The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...
departments and agencies with some exceptions use a uniform set of boundaries to describe the extent of 12 administrative regions within the state which are used to “develop and improve reporting, planning and service delivery systems”.
Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills occupies the area in the Mount Lofty Ranges immediately east of the regions of East, Northern and Southern Adelaide, and consists of the following local government areas - the Adelaide Hills Council
Adelaide Hills Council is a local government area in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. It is in the hills east of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and extends from the South Para Reservoir in the north to the Mount Bold Reservoir ...
and the District Council of Mount Barker
The Mount Barker District Council is a local government area centred on the town of Mount Barker just outside the Adelaide metropolitan area in South Australia.
The council was first established in October 1853. It expanded to four times its o ...
.[
]
Barossa Light and Lower North
Barossa Light and Lower North occupies land located immediately of the north of the Adelaide metropolitan area and contains the following local government areas - the Town of Gawler, the Adelaide Plains Council, the Barossa Council
Barossa Council is a local government area in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. The council area covers 912 square kilometres and had a population of over 23,000 as at the 2016 Census.
History
It was proclaimed on 1 July 1996 following t ...
and the Light Regional Council.[
]
Eastern Adelaide
Eastern Adelaide occupies the area to the immediate north, east and south of the Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ad ...
and consists of the following local government areas: the City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of South ...
, the City of Burnside
The City of Burnside is a local government area in the South Australian city of Adelaide stretching from the Adelaide Parklands into the Adelaide foothills with an area of . It was founded in August 1856 as the District Council of Burnside, the ...
, the City of Campbelltown, the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters is a metropolitan local government area of South Australia. It covers the inner eastern suburbs of Adelaide. It is divided into five wards: Torrens, Payneham, West Norwood/Kent Town, Kensington (each ele ...
, the City of Prospect, the City of Unley and the Town of Walkerville.[
]
Eyre Western
Eyre Western consists of land 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 af ...
which is part of a local government area, land in the west of the state on the coastline between Eyre Peninsula and the border with Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
including the Maralinga Tjarutja
The Maralinga Tjarutja, or Maralinga Tjarutja Council, is the corporation representing the traditional Anangu owners of the remote western areas of South Australia known as the Maralinga Tjarutja lands. The council was established by the ''Mara ...
lands, all of the islands within the Great Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.
Extent
Two definitions of the extent are in use – one used by the International Hydrog ...
and those islands adjoining the Eyre Peninsula coastline. It includes the following local government areas - District Council of Ceduna, District Council of Cleve, District Council of Elliston, District Council of Franklin Harbour
The District Council of Franklin Harbour is a local government area in South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula. Cowell is the major population centre of an agricultural district based on farming wheat and sheep, supplemented by a fishing and oyste ...
, District Council of Kimba
The District Council of Kimba is a Local government in Australia, local government area located on the northern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The district is mostly agricultural in nature, with the township of Kimba, South Australia, Kimba ...
, District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula
The District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula is a Local government in Australia, local government area located on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The district covers the southern tip of the peninsula, except for the small area taken up by the ...
, City of Port Lincoln
The City of Port Lincoln is a Local government in Australia, local government area located on the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It consists of one suburb - Port Lincoln, South Australia, Port Lincoln. It is surrounded on ...
, District Council of Streaky Bay, District Council of Tumby Bay, Wudinna District Council
Wudinna District Council is a rural local government area on central Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Its seat is Wudinna, on the Eyre Highway, west of Adelaide. The district's economy is largely driven by agriculture, mainly cereal crops, with ...
and City of Whyalla
The City of Whyalla (formally The Corporation of the City of Whyalla) is a local government area in South Australia, located at the north-east corner of the Eyre Peninsula. It was established in 1970, replacing the town commission, which had been ...
.[
]
Far North
Far North consists of all inland regions in the north of the state including the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, also known as APY, APY Lands or ''the Lands'', is a large, sparsely-populated local government area (LGA) for Aboriginal people, located in the remote north west of South Australia. Some of the aṉangu ...
lands. It is bounded to the north and north-east by the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
and Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, in part to the west by Western Australia and in part to the east by New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and by the regions of Eyre Western, Yorke and Mid North, and Murray and Mallee from west to east in the state’s south. While most of it is in the state’s unincorporated area, it does include the following local government areas - the City of Port Augusta, the Flinders Ranges Council
Flinders Ranges Council is a local government area (LGA) located in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.
The LGA is approximately 100 km from north to south, and 45 km from east to west, with a total area of 4,198 square kilometres ...
, the District Council of Coober Pedy and the Municipal Council of Roxby Downs.[
]
Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island
Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island consists of all of the land on both the Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula () is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide.
History
Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the ...
and Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...
, and some land to the north-east of the Fleurieu Peninsula including the western side of Lake Alexandrina and islands both in the Lake Alexandrina system and adjoining the coastline. It consists of the following local government areas: 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 ...
, the City of Victor Harbor
The City of Victor Harbor is a local government area of South Australia. It covers an area of along the coast, about south of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The council is responsible for the town of Victor Harbor, which contains ...
, the Kangaroo Island Council
The Kangaroo Island Council is a local government area in South Australia that covers the entirety of Kangaroo Island, 13 km off the coast of the mainland. The council was formed on the 28 November 1996 by the amalgamation of the District ...
and the District Council of Yankalilla
The District Council of Yankalilla is a local government area centred on the town of Yankalilla on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.
It was created on 23 October 1856, when the District Council of Yankalilla and Myponga was divided i ...
.[
]
Limestone Coast
Limestone Coast consists of land in the state’s south east of the state which includes the following local government areas - the City of Mount Gambier and the District Councils of Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
* Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
* Grant, Inyo County, ...
, Kingston, Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...
, Tatiara and Naracoorte Lucindale, and the Wattle Range Council.[
]
Murray and Mallee
Murray and Mallee consists of land in east of the state extending from the continental coastline in the south to the borders with New South Wales and Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
in the east. It is also bounded by the Limestone Coast to its south and by the following regions to its west and north - Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Light and Lower North, Yorke and Mid North and Far North. It includes the following local government areas - the Berri Barmera Council
Berri Barmera Council is a local government area in the Riverland region of South Australia.
It includes the towns of Barmera, Berri, Cobdogla, Glossop, Katarapko, Loveday and Winkie, and parts of Monash and Overland Corner.
History
The ...
, the Coorong District Council, the District Council of Karoonda East Murray, the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, the Mid Murray Council
The Mid Murray Council is a local government area in South Australia in the Murray and Mallee region of South Australia. The council spans the area from the Riverland through the Murraylands to the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It i ...
, the Southern Mallee District Council, the Renmark Paringa Council and the Rural City of Murray Bridge.[
]
Northern Adelaide
Northern Adelaide occupies the northern end of the Adelaide metropolitan area and consists of the following local government areas: the City of Playford
The City of Playford is a local government area of South Australia in Adelaide's northern suburbs. It was named in recognition of Sir Thomas Playford, who played a part in the development of the area, and was South Australia's premier from 1938 ...
, the City of Salisbury
The City of Salisbury is a local government area (LGA) located on the northern fringes of Adelaide, South Australia. It had population of 137,979 people in 2016 and encompasses an area of 158 km². The council's main offices are situated in ...
, the City of Tea Tree Gully and the east half of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield, located across inner north and north-western suburbs of Adelaide, is one of the largest metropolitan councils within South Australia. It was established on 26 March 1996 by the amalgamation of the City of Port ...
.[
]
Southern Adelaide
Southern Adelaide occupies the southern end of the Adelaide metropolitan area and consists of the following local government areas: the City of Holdfast Bay
The City of Holdfast Bay is a local government area in the south-western coastal suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.
History
The council was formed 1 January 1997, when the City of Glenelg and City of Brighton councils were amalgamated by ...
, the City of Marion, the City of Mitcham and the City of Onkaparinga
The City of Onkaparinga () is a local government area (LGA) located on the southern fringe of Adelaide, South Australia. It is named after the Onkaparinga River, whose name comes from ''Ngangkiparinga'', a Kaurna word meaning women's river. It ...
.[
]
Western Adelaide
Western Adelaide occupies the area in the Adelaide metropolitan area located to the north-west of the Adelaide city centre and consists of the following local government areas: the City of Charles Sturt, the City of West Torrens and the western half of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.[
]
Yorke and Mid North
Yorke and Mid North consists of land on the Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula is separated from Kangaroo Island to the south by Investigator Str ...
including some nearby islands and land on the east side of Spencer Gulf extending from just south of Hamley Bridge in the south to just south of Quorn
Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products, or the company that makes them. Quorn originated in the UK and is sold primarily in Europe, but is available in 14 countries. The brand is owned by parent company Monde Nissin.
Quorn is sold as b ...
in the north. The latter area is commonly known as 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 ...
. Yorke and Mid North consists of the following local governments within the area commonly known as the ‘Mid North’ - the District Council of Clare and Gilbert Valleys, the Regional Council of Goyder
The Regional Council of Goyder is a local government area located in the Mid North region of South Australia. The council area is reliant on agriculture as a mainstay of its economy, with manufacturing and tourism also becoming prominent. The co ...
, the District Council of Mount Remarkable, the Northern Areas Council
Northern Areas Council is a local government area in the Yorke and Mid North region of South Australia. The council seat and main council offices are at Jamestown, while the council also maintains district offices at Gladstone and Spalding.
...
, the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton, the District Council of Peterborough, 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 ...
and Wakefield Regional Council
Wakefield Regional Council is a local government area in the Yorke and Mid North region of South Australia. The council seat is at Balaklava.
Geography
The Wakefield Regional Council includes the towns and localities of Avon, Balaklava, Bar ...
, and the following local government areas fully or partly within the Yorke Peninsula - the District Council of Barunga West, the District Council of the Copper Coast
The Copper Coast Council is a local government area in the Australian state of South Australia located at the northern end of the Yorke Peninsula. It was established in 1997 and its seat is in Kadina.
Description
The Copper Coast Council is l ...
and the Yorke Peninsula Council
The Yorke Peninsula Council is a local government area in South Australia. Its boundaries include most of the Yorke Peninsula. The council seat is at Maitland; the council also maintains branch offices at Minlaton and Yorketown.
History
It c ...
.[
]
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
Protected areas
South Australia's protected areas are grouped into 11 regions:
*Adelaide
* Adelaide Hills
* Barossa
* Clare Valley
* Eyre Peninsula
* Fleurieu Peninsula
* Flinders Ranges and Outback
* Kangaroo Island
* Limestone Coast
* Murray River
* Yorke Peninsula
Natural resource management
The ''Natural Resources Management Act 2004'' established the following Natural Resources Management (NRM) regions “to give ownership of and responsibility for NRM to regional communities”: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin and the South East.
Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)
Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) supports economic development in the non-metropolitan regions of South Australia. It identifies eight non-metropolitan regions:
* Adelaide Hills
* Barossa, Light and Lower North
* Eyre and Western
* Far North
* Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island
* Limestone Coast
* Murray and Mallee
* Yorke and Mid North
Electoral districts
South Australia is divided into 47 electoral districts
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
each of which elects a single member into 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 South Australian Legislative Council, Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament House in the st ...
(also called the lower house of parliament).
It is divided into ten electoral divisions which each elect a member into the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
of the Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the ...
. These divisions are:
* 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 ...
* Barker
* Boothby
* Grey
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
* Hindmarsh
* Kingston
* Makin
* Mayo Mayo often refers to:
* Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo"
* Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo may also refer to:
Places
Antarctica
* Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land
Australia
* Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
* Sturt
* Spence
The federal divisions overlay the state electoral districts, but do not aggregate them. A state district may be divided amongst two or more federal divisions.
Local government
South Australia's Local Government Areas (LGAs) have grouped themselves into seven Regional Local Government Associations. These are:
* LGA Metropolitan Group
* Central Local Government Region
* Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association
* Murray and Mallee Local Government Association
* Southern and Hills Local Government Association
* South East Local Government Association
* Provincial Cities Association
* Outback areas do not have local government except for a small number of towns
Biogeographic regions
The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...
regionalisation of Australia; divided into 89 bioregions and 419 subregions. Each region is a land area made up of a group of interacting ecosystems that are repeated in similar form across the landscape. Regions and subregion cross state and territory boundaries. The bioregions that are located wholly or partly in South Australia are:
* Broken Hill Complex
The Broken Hill Complex (code ''BHC''), an interim Australian bioregion, is located in both New South Wales and South Australia, and comprises an area of of inland Australia.
IBRA 5.1 describes ''BHC'' as being:
Hills and colluvial fans on P ...
(shared with New South Wales)
* Central Ranges (shared with Western Australia and Northern Territory)
* Channel Country
The Channel Country is a region of outback Australia mostly in the state of Queensland but also in parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, ...
(mostly in Queensland but also South Australia, New South Wales and Northern Territory)
* Eyre Yorke Block
* Finke (shared with Northern Territory)
* Flinders Lofty Block
Flinders Lofty Block is an interim Australian bioregion located in South Australia. It has an area of , which includes the Mount Lofty Ranges and Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, whic ...
(mostly in South Australia but extends to New South Wales)
* Furneaux (shared with Victoria)
* Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is a sparsely populated desert ecoregion and interim Australian bioregion in Western Australia and South Australia.
History
In 1875, British-born Australian explorer Ernest Giles became the first European to cros ...
(shared with Western Australia)
* Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
* Kanmantoo
* Murray Darling Depression
The Murray Darling Depression , also known as the Murray-Darling woodlands and mallee, is a 19,717,651 HA biogeographic region and an ecoregion in southeastern Australia consisting of a wooded plain through which flow two of Australia's biggest r ...
(shared with New South Wales and Victoria)
* Naracoorte Coastal Plain (shared with Victoria)
* Nullarbor
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...
(shared with Western Australia)
* Riverina
The Riverina
is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...
(mostly in New South Wales and Victoria)
* Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields
The Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields, an interim Australian bioregion, comprises , and is part of four state/territories of Australia: the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland (shared with New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland)
Industry regions
Tourist regions
South Australia has been divided into the following 12 tourism region
A tourism region is a geographical region that has been designated by a governmental organization or tourism bureau as having common cultural or environmental characteristics. These regions are often named after historical or current administrati ...
s for the purpose of coordinating both government and tourism industry efforts to promote South Australia as a visitor destination: Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, Barossa, Clare Valley, Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, Flinders Ranges and Outback, Kangaroo Island, Limestone Coast, Murray River, Lakes & Coorong, Riverland and Yorke Peninsula.
Wine regions
The wine industry has a number of defined wine zones and regions, however they do not cover the entire state (especially as some areas are not suitable for growing grapes). These are controlled as Australian geographical indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
s by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority. As of March 2015, the following zones are in use in South Australia: Barossa, Far North, Fleurieu, Lower Murray, Limestone Coast, Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and ...
and The Peninsulas.
See also
* List of regions of Australia
References
{{South Australia
Regions of Australia