Barmera ( ) is a town in the
Riverland
The Riverland is a region of South Australia. It covers an area of along the Murray River, River Murray from where it flows into South Australia from New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), Victoria downstream to Blanchetown, South Australia ...
region of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. It is on the
Sturt Highway A20, 220 kilometres north-east of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, the capital of the state of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. It is primarily an
agricultural
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
and
viticultural
Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing 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, ...
town and is located on
Lake Bonney Riverland, a freshwater lake.
History
The original inhabitants were the Barmerara Meru clan of the
Ngawadj people.
It is not known where the name "Barmera" comes from but it is suspected that it means "water place" or "land dwellers", being a word from the local
Aboriginal group. Others postulate it comes from
Barmeedjie, the name of the tribe that lived to the north of the Murray River prior to European settlement.
Lake Bonney was first seen by
Charles Bonney and
Joseph Hawdon in 1838 drove cattle along the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
.
The land however, was settled in 1859 with the establishment of
Overland Corner Hotel. It was a popular area with drovers that drove sheep from
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
into
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. A police station was also built to prevent and stop arguments between the aboriginal people and settlers.
An irrigation system was established in the town in 1921. The town became gazetted. An influx of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
veterans settled with promises of irrigated land from the government. A railway station was opened in 1928 and the town was proclaimed in the same year. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
an internment camp was established south of Barmera in
Loveday and was one of the largest World War II camps in Australia.
Heritage listings
Barmera has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* 2-4 Barwell Avenue:
Bonney Theatre
* 2 Fowles Street:
Barmera Irrigation Office
* North Lake Road:
Napper's Accommodation House Ruins
Railway
Barmera was served by the
Barmera railway line from 1928 until 1990.
Climate and geography
Barmera exists in a
semi-arid
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a aridity, dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below Evapotranspiration#Potential evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, but not as l ...
location, north of
Goyder's Line. Barmera is surrounded by
mallee scrub. It is 29 metres above sea level. Barmera has a dry climate with hot summers and warm days and cold frosty nights in winter with seasonal temperatures a few degrees above
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
's temperatures and similar to those of
Berri. The weather patterns are similar to those of Berri. It receives less than 250 mm of rain per annum. Rain patterns shift from year to year over a nineteen-year cycle.
Floods in 2022.
Present day
Lake Bonney has sandy beaches, a jetty, fishing and sailing. Every Easter, a sailing regatta is held on Lake Bonney and a country music festival is held every June. Riverland
Field Days are held in September a Show is held in March. The town is home to the sporting teams Barmera/Monash Roos Football Club and the Barmera United Soccer Club.
Barmera is in the
Berri Barmera Council 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
, the
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly (also known as the lower house) is one of two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia, the other being the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.
Overview
The House of Assem ...
electoral district of Chaffey
Chaffey, created in 1936, is a single-member Electoral districts of South Australia, electoral district for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the Riverland region of South Australia including the towns of Renmark, South Australia ...
and the
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Australian Senate, Senate. Its composition and powers are set out in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia.
...
Division of Barker
The Division of Barker is an Australian electoral division in the south-east of South Australia. The division was established on 2 October 1903, when South Australia's original single multi-member division was split into seven single-member d ...
.
See also
*
Murray River Crossings
The Murray River in south-eastern Australia has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. This article lists and briefly describes all of the recognised crossing points. Many of these had also developed as river ports for transp ...
References
External links
Murray River Towns – Barmera
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-05/sa-woman-builds-own-flood-levee-is-not-entitled-to-assistance/101732922
{{authority control
Towns in South Australia
Australian soldier settlements
Riverland
1859 establishments in Australia