Elliston, South Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Elliston
state = South Australia


caption = Elliston Beach
lga = District Council of Elliston
postcode = 5670
est = 1878
pop = 377Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC43531|name=Elliston (L) (State Suburb)|accessdate=2007-08-25]
elevation= 16
maxtemp = 21.3
mintemp = 11.7
rainfall = 425.9
stategov = Flinders
fedgov = Grey
dist1 = 641
dir1 = West
location1= Adelaide

Elliston is a small coastal town in South Australia on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula 169 km northwest of Port Lincoln and 641 km west of Adelaide. The township is located on Waterloo Bay.It has a population of approximately 380, rainfall of 426 mm per annum, and a Mediterranean climate. [Citation
last = Bureau of Meteorology | title = Elliston | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_018069.shtml
access-date = 2007-05-26 ]

History

The first recorded exploration of the adjacent coastline was by Matthew Flinders in the vessel Investigator from 10–13 February 1802. He named the offshore islands but did not note the presence of Waterloo Bay in his log.

Edward John Eyre explored the area on land in 1840 and 1841 on a journey to Western Australia from Port Lincoln. Originally named Waterloo Bay, the township was later named by Governor Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois on a plan for the town on 23 November 1878. Locally it is believed to be named after the writer and educator Ellen Liston who was born in England in 1838 and emigrated to South Australia in 1850. She was a governess working on a local property (Nilkerloo) owned by John Hamp.

It has also been suggested that Jervois, who had a military background chose to honour Sir Henry Walton Ellis (1783 – 1815) who was a hero of the Battle of Waterloo during which campaign he died of his wounds. The area was settled in the 1840s with Elliston being the central port from which the early settlers transported their wool and wheat to market. Sailing ships and later steam ships crossed Waterloo Bay’s notorious reefed entrance. A number of ships foundered in the bay due to its narrow entrance and variable tides.

Historic Buildings

The hall, which was officially opened on 10 February 1968, is distinguished by its mural which was painted with the help of local community members under the direction of artists Siv Grava and John Turpie. According to the placard erected by the District Council of Elliston, it is the largest mural of its type in Australia, depicts the historical life of Elliston and covers more than 500 square metres in area.

The first District Council of Elliston Council Chambers were built in 1913 and still stand adjacent to Waterloo Bay Caravan Park.

The Country Women’s Association Rooms were the first to be built in South Australia by that organisation and opened on 4 July 1936.

The Post Office was opened on 13 August 1880 and is the oldest public building still in use.The first Police Station (which still stands) was opened in 1881 and continued in use until 1971.

Geography

The town of Elliston lies on Waterloo Bay, a small coastal inlet which is partially protected by a number of reefs lining the entrance to the bay. Outside of the bay, the coastline is exclusively large cliffs, with a number of surf beaches located on these stretches. [Citation
last = Tourism Eyre Peninsula | title = Elliston | url = http://www.tep.com.au/region/elliston.htm
access-date = 2007-05-26 ] .

Inside the bay, it is relatively calm and shallow, full of seagrass beds and reef, with sandy beaches lining most of the bay. Inland, the country is mostly flat agricultural land.

Offshore, Flinders Island is approximately 55 km away from the mainland.

Economy

Agriculture, fishing and tourism make up Elliston's economy. Barley and wheat farming take place alongside sheep grazing on the adjacent farmland. Marine activities include abalone diving, offshore abalone aquaculture, lobster and scale fisheries.

The area is an increasingly popular tourist destination, the town having two caravan parks as well as motel and hotel accommodation. Fishing, swimming and other water based activities are common in the protected bay.

Surfing is also possible at a number of stretches along the coast, but high numbers of sharks make it risky. Many surf beaches are known for catches of salmon, mulloway and shark as well, with Lock's Well one of the more established beaches.

Community

In the 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing, the population of the Elliston town census area was 377 people. Males outnumbered females 201 to 176. Some 92.8% of the population was born in Australia, with immigrants coming from the England, France, Germany, Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Korea.

Christianity is the most followed religion in the town with 51% of the town following the religion. The major denominations in the town are the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting churches. 29% of the town had no religious beliefs.

The town has a number of sporting clubs and facilities, as well as churches, hotels and a large number of local businesses.

External links

* [http://www.elliston.sa.gov.au/ District Council of Elliston]
* [http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/SAElliston.shtml Walkabout]

References

Further reading

*cite book|title=Across the Bar to Waterloo Bay|publisher=Elliston Centenary Committee|id=ISBN 0-9596178-0-9
*cite book|title=The Custodians|first=Dianne|last=Gillman|id=ISBN 0-7316-3363-6