Paringa is a small 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 ...
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 ...
, from the border with
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
. It is known for its vineyards and almond, citrus and stone fruit orchards. Its main feature is a six-span bridge that
crosses the River Murray. One of the spans can be raised to allow houseboats and paddle-steamers to pass underneath.
Railway
Paringa was the terminus for 14 years of what eventually became the
Barmera railway line – one of six lightly built lines that were built to encourage agricultural development in the
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 ...
. Initially it extended from
Tailem Bend
Tailem Bend (locally, "Tailem") is a rural town in South Australia, south-east of the state capital of Adelaide. It is located on the lower reaches of the River Murray, near where the river flows into Lake Alexandrina (South Australia), Lake Al ...
to
Meribah
Massah () and Meribah (, also spelled "Mirabah") are place names found in the Hebrew Bible. The Israelites are said to have travelled through Massah and Meribah during the Exodus, although the continuous list of visited stations in Numbers 33 ...
, in the Brown's Well district, in mid-1913 as planned. Soon afterwards the line was extended northwards to Paringa; the official opening took place on 3 October 1913.
Fourteen years elapsed before the railway crossed the river to
Renmark.
By August 1928 the railway had been extended to
Barmera: from Tailem Bend and from
Adelaide railway station
Adelaide railway station is the central Terminal station, terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. All lines approach the station from the west, and it is a terminal station with no through lines, with most of the traffic on the metropol ...
.
The railway closed in 1990 but the bridge continues to carry the
Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway is an Australian national highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is an important road link for the transport of passengers and freight between Sydney and Adelaide and the regions along the route.
Initiall ...
as part of the main road link between
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 ...
and
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
.
The
Paringa bridge
The Paringa Bridge carries the Sturt Highway across the Murray River in Paringa, South Australia. Until 1982, it also carried the Barmera railway line.
The bridge consists of a vertical-lift span long which can rise in one and a half minu ...
was designed to carry a single railway line in the centre and a road lane on each side of it. It has a total of six spans, including one lift span to allow river traffic to pass underneath.
It opened on 31 January 1927, enabling the railway to extend to Renmark.
It is listed on the
South Australian Heritage Register
The South Australian Heritage Register, also known as the SA Heritage Register, is a statutory register of historic places in South Australia. It extends legal protection regarding demolition and development under the ''Heritage Places Act 1993'' ...
.
The town today
Paringa today is a satellite town to the much larger Renmark, upstream. Many new homes have been built there in recent years. It is a service centre for the large agricultural enterprises on the
Murtho and
Lindsay Point roads and has a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
, general store, museum and antiques shop. There is a riverfront picnic area adjacent to the bridge.
Governance
Paringa is within
Renmark Paringa Council
The Renmark Paringa Council is a local government area located adjacent to the Victorian border, in the Riverland, South Australia. The area is known for its various fruit production, and is heavily dependent on the River Murray as a water source ...
jurisdiction as a result of the District Council of Paringa amalgamating with Renmark Council in July 1996. The town had only one serving mayor, Alan Eckermann, before the amalgamation.
See also
*
List of crossings of the River Murray
Notes
References
Towns in South Australia
Populated places on the Murray River
Riverland
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