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Streaky Bay (formerly Flinders) is a coastal town on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia just off the Flinders Highway, north-west of Port Lincoln and by road from Adelaide. At the , Streaky Bay recorded a population of 1, 378. The town of Streaky Bay is the major population centre of the
District Council of Streaky Bay The District Council of Streaky Bay is a local government area in South Australia located on the Eyre Peninsula. Streaky Bay is the main population centre of about 1,200 people serving an agricultural district based on farming wheat and other ...
, and the centre of an agricultural district farming cereal crops and sheep, as well as having established fishing and tourism industries.


History

For many thousands of years, the area around Streaky Bay has been inhabited by the
Wirangu people The Wirangu are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Western coastal region of South Australia. Name Daisy Bates stated that the Wirangu ethnonym was composed of two words: ''wira'' (cloud) and ''wonga'' (speech). Language Wirangu is usual ...
. In 1627, Dutch explorer Pieter Nuyts, in the ''
Gulden Zeepaard ''Gulden'' is the historical German and Dutch term for gold coin (from Middle High German "golden penny" and Middle Dutch " golden florin"), equivalent to the English term guilder. Gulden, Gülden, Guldens or Gulden's may also refer to: Coin ...
'' (Golden Seahorse), became the first
European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
to sight the area. A monument has been erected on the median strip in Bay Road. In 1802,
Matthew Flinders Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to u ...
named Streaky Bay whilst on his voyage in the ''
Investigator Investigator may refer to: Occupations Government and law * Detective, a person who investigates crimes, can be a rank and job in a police department, state or federal employee, or a civilian called a private detective * Inspector, a police rank ...
''. In his log of 5 February 1802, he notes: "And the water was much discoloured in Streaks... and I called it Streaky Bay" It is now thought these streaks are caused by the release of oils by certain species of
seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
in the bay. The first European land exploration was conducted on behalf of the Secondary Towns Association by
John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...
and Samuel Stephens, whose expedition arrived at Streaky Bay on 15 August 1839 using the chartered brig ''Rapid'' as a base. A fortnight later, on 25 August 1839, Edward John Eyre, who had explored overland from Port Lincoln, arrived at the locality and established a small base about 3 kilometres from what is now the Streaky Bay Township, which he used as a store for his overland expeditions to Point Bell. That site, known as Eyre's Waterhole, is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register, and can still be seen just off the Flinders Highway. The Streaky Bay and nearby Elliston areas became taboo for the Aboriginal people of the region following conflict with European settlers in the mid-19th century. There were killings on both sides, the most significant event being the
Waterloo Bay massacre The Waterloo Bay massacre, also known as the Elliston massacre, was a clash between European settlers and Aboriginal Australians that took place on the cliffs of Waterloo Bay near Elliston, South Australia, in late May 1849. Part of the Austra ...
of a large number of Aboriginal people in May 1849. Pastoralists moved into the area from 1854. The town was officially proclaimed in 1872. It was originally called ''Flinders'', but was changed to ''Streaky Bay'' in 1940, to reflect local usage of the name. Wheat growing began in the 1880s and, by 1906, 31,000 bags of wheat and 470 bales of wool had been exported from Streaky Bay by ship. By that time a telegraph office had been established and regular mail deliveries were made from Port Lincoln. In September 1918, a massive blue whale, over 26 metres long, was cast onto rocks on Gibson's Peninsula. Its
skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...
is still on display in the South Australian Museum.


Geography

Streaky Bay and the surrounding district show a great variety of landscapes, from largely untouched native
scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...
and farming country to cliffs and extensive surf beaches. The inland areas of the district are largely dominated by pastoral country; however areas such as the Calpatanna Waterhole Conservation Park located 30 km SE of Streaky Bay represents an example of the original coastal and salt lake environments, where wildlife still abounds. Possibly the areas most interesting geological features are
Murphy's Haystacks Murphy's Haystacks are inselberg rock formations located at Mortana, between Streaky Bay and Port Kenny on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. They are of a 'tumulus' form of weathered granite outcrop. They are made of a pink, massive, coar ...
. These pink granite formations have been dated at 1590 million years old. The features that most commonly draw tourists are along the immense stretch of coastline surrounding the bay. The Bay itself is relatively protected and quiet stretches of beach can be found along most of its length. However, where the coastline is exposed to the swells of the Southern Ocean, cliffs are exposed, along with sheltered areas that harbour large rockpools, such as Smooth Pool and The Granites. The islands of the Nuyts Archipelago lie to the north-west. Streaky Bay has a mild climate with the average a few degrees above Adelaide in summer and winter with an average rainfall of 378 mm per year. The township of Streaky Bay is situated on the southern end of the bay, on an enclosed inlet named Blanche Port (after Lady Blanche MacDonnell, the wife of Governor Richard MacDonnell) or Augusta Harbor.


Climate

Streaky Bay experiences a cold semi-arid climate, bordering a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification: ''Csa/BSk''; Trewartha: ''Csal/BSal''), with warm to hot, dry summers, mild to warm relatively dry springs and autumns, and mild winters with moderate precipitation. Due to its proximity to the vast desert to its north, Streaky Bay is prone to getting extremely hot extreme temperature in spite of its seaside position. However, the same geographical position tends to reduce summer relative humidity compared to many other Mediterranean climates. The hottest temperature was recorded at 47.2 °C on 23 January 1982.


Economy

Agriculture and fishing have long been the primary
industries Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial secto ...
of the Streaky Bay region, with modern
aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
now playing a large part in the local economy. The local economy is strongly dominated by agriculture, with an emphasis on wheat, barley and other cereals as well as sheep. Due to the relatively arid conditions,
dryland farming Dryland farming and dry farming encompass specific agricultural techniques for the non-irrigated cultivation of crops. Dryland farming is associated with drylands, areas characterized by a cool wet season (which charges the soil with virtually ...
techniques are successfully applied. Recent diversification has seen the successful testing of Damara sheep, Boer goats and olives which all offer potential future investments. Commercial fishing has played a major role in the economy of the area since the early 1900s, with Snapper and King George Whiting being the main targets of fishermen. More recently, aquaculture of
oysters Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...
and
abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Haliotidae. Other common name In biology, a common name of a taxon o ...
has also expanded and thrived in the waters of Streaky Bay. Tourism is an ever-growing component of the local economy, with town numbers swelling during the summer holidays and at Easter. Tourists are attracted by the many natural attractions of the area as well as a host of recreational activities. The most popular of these is undoubtedly recreational fishing, with hundreds of anglers flocking to the area to sample the renowned whiting on offer. Beach, rock and boat fishing are available, with a recently built boat ramp to cater for the boaters wishing to explore the area. King George whiting, Snapper and Blue Swimmer Crabs are the most commonly targeted species, with many more available. Other activities include hiking,
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
, snorkelling and scuba diving, with guided charters being available.


Community

In the , Streaky Bay had a population of 1,625. The majority (86%) of residents were born in Australia; with the other 223 born overseas, primarily in the United Kingdom. The most common response for religion was "No Religion" 26.6%, followed by Catholic 22.7%, and Anglican 17.2%. There are several churches in the area as well as a variety of active sports clubs, including
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
,
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
,
bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...
, netball, golf and a swimming pool. The district has strong health and education services in the form of the Streaky Bay Hospital, the local Area School and public library.


Government

Streaky Bay and its districts, including settlements such as Sceale Bay comprise the
District Council of Streaky Bay The District Council of Streaky Bay is a local government area in South Australia located on the Eyre Peninsula. Streaky Bay is the main population centre of about 1,200 people serving an agricultural district based on farming wheat and other ...
local government area. Streaky Bay is included in the state electoral district of Flinders and the federal
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 ...
.


Transport

Transport to and from Streaky Bay is usually done by car via the Flinders Highway, but
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
services to and from Adelaide do operate, as does the
Streaky Bay Airport Streaky Bay Airport is an airport located southeast of Streaky Bay, a town in the state of South Australia in Australia. Facilities The airport resides at an elevation of above sea level. It has two runways: 13/31 has an asphalt surface mea ...
. The Streaky Bay Airport is situated approximately 10 kilometres to the east of the town (Streaky Bay to Port Lincoln Highway). The facilities are open 24 hours a day with pilot activated, fully automated lighting facilities available. From 17 April 2009 Banksia Adventures will start a charter service to Adelaide with a plane from Renaissance Air every Friday and Sunday plus one morning and evening return flights on the third Wednesday of each month Residents and visitors are able to also access flights from either
Ceduna Airport Ceduna Airport is a public airport in Ceduna, South Australia. The airport, which is owned by the District Council of Ceduna is located adjacent to the Eyre Highway, approximately east of the town. It is the westernmost airport that receive ...
or Port Lincoln Airport.


References


External links


District Council of Streaky BayStreaky Bay on Facebook
{{authority control Coastal towns in South Australia Eyre Peninsula Bays of South Australia 1872 establishments in Australia Fishing communities in Australia