Simmonston was a former town 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 ...

which was abandoned before completion in the early 1880s. The town was originally intended to be on the new railway extending north from

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 bo ...

, but the final route passed through

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

instead. Today, the stone ruins of a hotel and its cellars are still visible. The town is reported as being "named after Sir Lintorn Simmons, Field Marshal and Commandant of the Royal Engineers" by

William Jervois Lieutenant General Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois (10 September 1821 – 17 August 1897) was a British military engineer and diplomat. After joining the British Army in 1839, he saw service, as a second captain, in South Africa. In 18 ...

, the 10th

Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gene ...

. The creation of the town was announced in April 1880 as follows: "Portions of Crown Lands in the

Hundred of Kanyaka Kanyaka may refer to: * ''Kanyaka'' (magazine), an Indian women's magazine * ''Kanyaka'' (film), a 1976 Indian film directed by J. Sasikumar *Sri Kanyaka Parameshwari Temple, a temple in Shadnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India * Kanyaka Kingdom, an anci ...

have been reserved as a site for the new town of Simmonston." Plans to build the hotel were announced three weeks later in May 1880 by a D. McFie. The site of the former town is currently located in the gazetted locality of Kanyaka and within the local government area of 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 ...

References

External links

Simmonston Geocache Description

webpage on exploroz website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonston Ghost towns in South Australia Far North (South Australia)