Kingscote is a town in the Australian 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 ...

located on

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

about south-west of the state capital 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 ...

. It is South Australia's oldest European settlement and the island's largest town. It is a well-established tourist centre and the administrative and communications centre. It is home to a colony of the smallest penguins in the world, the Australian little penguin. The town is served by Kingscote Airport with passenger flights on two airlines.

History

The South Australian Company established its colony at Kingscote at Reeves Point on 27 July 1836, as South Australia's first official European settlement, the first settlers having arrived on the ''

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...

'', and named for Henry Robert Kingscote, one of the founding directors of the company. It was early suggested that Kingscote could serve as the capital of South Australia, but the island's resources were insufficient to support such a large community; the South Australian Company moved almost six months later to

after sending surveyors to find a better site. The history of the area is displayed in the museum in Hope Cottage, to the north of the town. Hope Cottage was one of the three earliest houses built in Kingscote, circa 1850, with the adjoining cottages of ''Faith'' and ''Charity''. (''Faith'' has been subsequently demolished.) Joyce Debenham Seager arrived here as the only doctor on the island in 1925 and she established the first temporary hospital travelling by horse to visit patients. The Old Mulberry Tree at Reeves Point was planted in 1836 and still bears fruit. Reeves Point has been placed on the Australian Heritage Places List. The current town of Kingscote is now immediately to the south of the original Kingscote settlement at Reeves Point in the area originally known as Queenscliffe (the origin of the name of the Queenscliffe Hotel in Dauncey Street).

State heritage places

Kingscote contains the following places which are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register: * Hope Cottage Museum * The Bluff Cottage * Barrett's Store * Reeves Point Settlement Site being the site of the first official settlement in the Colony of South Australia * Old Government Quarry

Facilities

Kingscote has a school offering years reception to 12 (R-12), a hospital, supermarket, post office and government offices. It is the administrative centre for the Kangaroo Island Council, whose offices have recently undergone a significant upgrade. Recreational facilities include a sports centre and adjoining oval and netball courts.

Foreshore

A wharf and jetty stand at the waterfront. They were previously used by the roll-on, roll-off vessels, ''Troubridge'' and '' Island Seaway'' and now serve smaller vessels. The jetty is accessible for recreational

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

and pelican feeding and nocturnal penguin tours are offered at the Penguin Centre, which is adjacent to the jetty. The Aurora Ozone Seafront Hotel, with its mermaid statue, is a well-known landmark on the Kingscote foreshore. The hotel opened in 1907. It was destroyed by fire 27 Aug 1918, but was rebuilt and opened for business again on 29 December 1920.

Shark proof tidal swimming pool

A shark-proof tidal

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

is open to the public. Fundraising commenced in 1947 and plans were drafted by the South Australian Harbours Board. The Harbours Board estimated the total construction cost for the pool to be £607 and Mr W. S. Myers, won the contract for its construction. A subscription list was started and maintained to update local residents on fundraising progress and matching funding was offered by the South Australian Tourist Bureau. Construction commenced in 1949. Work continued in 1950, following delays owing to labour shortages and inclement weather.

Media

Kingscote and the island receives most of its radio stations from

which includes ABC Radio Adelaide, SAFM, Mix 102.3, Triple M Adelaide, Nova 919, and

Radio Adelaide Radio Adelaide (call sign: 5UV) is Australia's first community radio station. The signal reaches across the Adelaide metropolitan area to the Mid North, the Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula, the southern Barossa Valley, Barossa, Kangaroo ...

. Kix FM 90.7 is Kangaroo Island's own community based station which is run by local volunteers. Television coverage is provided by public broadcasters, ABC South Australia, SBS, and commercial broadcaster channels 7, 9, and 10. The local newspaper is served by '' The Islander'' which publishes on print and online.

Little penguin colony

In 2007, the Kingscote colony of little penguins' population was 868 adults and fell to 706 in 2010.Black, Shaun
"Local politics blamed for penguin inaction"
''The Islander'', Kangaroo Island, South Australia (6 June 2013). Retrieved 2014-02-07. In 2011, it was believed to be either declining or stable.Wiebken, A. S
"Conservation management priorities for little penguin populations in Gulf St Vincent"
''Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board'' / ''SARDI'', South Australia (2011–06). Retrieved 2014-02-06. In 2012, the population fell to 300 adults according to DEW figures. In 2013, the Kingscote colony of little penguins had dropped to 20 birds, according to tour operator John Ayliffe. Official 2013 census figures were greater, estimating 154 breeding adults, down 48 per cent from the previous year and 82 per cent since the population peak in 2007. Increasing populations of long-nosed fur seals are believed to be a factor in the decline. Other predators of penguins on Kangaroo Island include rats, dogs, cats, goannas, sea lions and sea eagles. Since the 1990s, penguin tour operators have improved the nesting habitat in the visitation area at Kingscote, through vegetation, habitat protection and constructing boardwalks for tourists. In October 2011, 15 dead penguin chicks were found near the Kingscote colony with their heads removed. A dog or cat attack was presumed to be the cause of death. A similar event also happened in 2010. Disease and declining fish stocks have also been blamed for declines in Little penguin numbers. Other colonies in South Australia have experienced dramatic declines since the 1990s. The nearest examples of colonies in decline are found in Encounter Bay ( Granite Island, Wright Island and

West Island The West Island (, ) is the unofficial name given to the city, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Lachine (specific ...

) and at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island.Austin, Nige
"Kangaroo Island little penguins at giant risk as colony drops to 20"
''The Advertiser'', South Australia (29 July 2013). Retrieved 2014-02-06. Accounts of little penguins at Kingscote exist from the 1930s.

The Spit

Historically, little penguins have also been observed in burrows on The Spit which lies across the mouth of Bay of Shoals. Observations of penguins at this location were published in 1888, 1911, 1915, 1934 and 1938. A child visiting in 1947 found at least six penguin burrows. The species did not appear in the list of birds observed at Busby Islet Conservation Park (part of The Spit) which was published in 1987.Conservation parks of Kangaroo Island management plan ''Parks & Wildlife Service'', Department of Environment & Planning, South Australia (1987–12). The colonies at Busby and Beatrice Islets became extinct after introduced African boxthorn vegetation was removed. This destabilised the sand and rendered the habitat unsuitable for penguin burrows.

Climate

Kingscote experiences a

warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Csb''), Trewartha: ''Csbl''); with warm, dry summers; mild, relatively dry springs and autumns; and mild winters with moderate precipitation. ''(direct
Final Revised Paper
'' There is also data at the airport in Kingscote, 12.0 km away. It experiences similar climatic conditions, but due to its inland location, the weather station has a greater seasonal difference between winter and summer; and the diurnal range is greater.

Gallery

File:Kingscote, South Australia main street.jpg, Commercial Street File:Kingscote1.jpg, Dauncey Street File:Pelican feeding in kinsgote.jpg, Pelican feeding File:Kangaroo Island Council.jpg, Council chambers File:Ozone Hotel.jpg, Ozone Hotel

References

External links

Hope CottageKangaroo Island
{{authority control Towns on Kangaroo Island Coastal towns in South Australia 1836 establishments in Australia Penguin colonies