Peterborough, South Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peterborough (32°58′S, 138°50′E) is a town in the mid north of South Australia, in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. It was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, who sold land to create the town. It was one of 69 places in South Australia renamed in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I.

Contents 1 History 2 Government 3 Railways 4 Education 5 External links 6 References

[edit] History

The first settlers in area purchased land from the government in 1875. The first building in the town was constructed four years later. Settler Peter Doecke transferred his land to J H Koch in 1876, who found out in 1880 that the land would be the site of a railway junction. He subdivided it and sold 33 acres for £1700, after failing to get £500 for it in 1879.^[1] By 1880 a hotel and post office had been erected, followed by a school in 1883, and a town hall in 1884.^[2]

[edit] Government

Peterborough is the seat of the District Council of Peterborough. It is the largest town in the council area. It is bounded by the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton in the northwest, Northern Areas Council to the southwest, and the Regional Council of Goyder to the south, with unincorporated areas to the north and east. Peterborough is in the state electorate of Stuart and federal Division of Grey.

[edit] Railways

Peterborough sits on the intersection of the East-West railway linking Port Pirie and Broken Hill, and the North-South railway linking Adelaide eventually to Alice Springs via Quorn, both narrow gauge (3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)) lines.

The line from Port Pirie and Jamestown arrived in 1881, followed shortly after by the line from Terowie in the south. The line to Broken Hill was completed in 1887.^[3]

In 1970, the East-West line was converted to standard gauge (4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm)), and the line south of Peterborough to Terowie to broad gauge (5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)). Thus Peterborough became one of three, triple-gauge railway junctions in Australia. The others being Gladstone and Port Pirie, all on the same railway corridor.

The broad gauge connection to Adelaide, via Burra, was severed in the late 1980's. The narrow gauge line north to Quorn last carried freight in 1980, and was removed, between Eurelia and Bruce in the mid 1980s. Grain trains ran as far as Orroroo into the mid 1980s. In its later years it was used by tourist trains from the now defunct Steamtown as far as Eurelia. Steamtown ceased operations in 2002, however the roundhouse is still used to display its coaches and locomotives.^[4]

The town is still served by the twice-weekly Indian Pacific train run by Great Southern Railways, which heads to Adelaide on Sundays and Thursdays, and to Sydney on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Preceding station		Great Southern Railway		Following station
Gladstone towards East Perth	Indian Pacific			Broken Hill towards Sydney

[edit] Education

Peterborough High School was opened in 1927 and caters for students from years 8 to 12.^[5] Julie-Ann Markey, a student, won the Prime Minister's Award for Skills Excellence 2005.^[6]

[edit] External links

• Steamtown
• Walkabout - Peterborough
• District Council of Peterborough
• Peterborough Tourist Promotion Association

• Peterborough, South Australia is at coordinates 32°34′58″S 138°30′04″E / -32.5828, 138.5011 (Peterborough, South Australia)Coordinates: 32°34′58″S 138°30′04″E / -32.5828, 138.5011 (Peterborough, South Australia)

[edit] References

v • d • e Local Government Areas of South Australia Metropolitan City of Adelaide · City of Burnside · City of Campbelltown · City of Charles Sturt · Town of Gawler · City of Holdfast Bay · City of Marion · City of Mitcham · City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters · City of Onkaparinga · City of Playford · City of Port Adelaide Enfield · City of Prospect · City of Salisbury · City of Tea Tree Gully · City of Unley · City of West Torrens · Town of Walkerville Aboriginal Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara · Gerard · Maralinga Tjarutja · Nepabunna · Yalata Central Barossa Council · Barunga West DC · Clare and Gilbert Valleys DC · Copper Coast DC · Flinders Ranges Council · Goyder RC · Light RC · Mallala DC · Mount Remarkable DC · Northern Areas Council · Orroroo Carieton DC · Peterborough DC · Port Pirie RC · Yorke Peninsula DC · Wakefield RC Murray Mallee Berri Barmera Council · The Coorong DC · Karoonda East Murray DC · Loxton Waikerie DC · Mid Murray Council · City of Murray Bridge · Renmark Paringa Council · Southern Mallee DC Outback Coober Pedy DC · Roxby Downs MC · Outback Areas CDT South East Grant DC · Kingston RC · Naracoorte Lucindale Council · City of Mount Gambier · Robe DC · Wattle Range Council · Tatiara DC Hills & Fleurieu Adelaide Hills Council · Alexandrina Council · Kangaroo Island Council · Mount Barker DC · City of Victor Harbor  · Yankalilla DC West Coast Ceduna DC · Cleve DC · Elliston DC · Franklin Harbour DC · Kimba DC · Le Hunte DC · Lower Eyre Peninsula DC · City of Port Augusta · City of Port Lincoln · Streaky Bay DC · Tumby Bay DC · City of Whyalla