Port Neill, South Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Port Neill
state = sa

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|thumb|250px
caption = "Lady Kinnaird" anchor on the Foreshore at Port Neill
lga = District Council of Tumby Bay
postcode = 5604
est = 1903
pop = 374
elevation= 0
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Flinders
fedgov = Grey
dist1 = 576
dir1 = West
location1= Adelaide

Port Neill is a small coastal town on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia about 3km off the Lincoln Highway between the major towns of Whyalla and Port Lincoln. It is 576 km by road from Adelaide.

The town offers protected beaches for swimming, as well as providing a venue for fishing, boating, sailing, skiing or skin-diving.

History

Matthew Flinders passed by and reported on 7 March 1802 of 'low front land, somewhat sandy, with raised land inland and of a barren appearance, its elevation diminishing to the northward.'

The explorer, Edward John Eyre passed through the area in 1840. The first settlers arrived in 1873 when John Tennant and his son Andrew took up land around the bay, then known as Mottled Cove.

The town was first called "Carrow" and was gazetted in 1903 and laid out in 1909. However, some confusion was caused by the similarity of the name to the town of "Warrow" and the town was renamed Port Neill on 19 September 1940. The name of the town honours a Warden of the Marine Board, Andrew Sinclair Neill.

The first jetty was built in 1912 to ship wheat and wool from the district. Shipments continued until 1970 when shipments by road to Port Lincoln's larger harbour facilities and grain silos commenced.

The "Lady Kinnaird" Anchor and a World War II cannon are situated on the foreshore lawns which provide an ideal family picnic spot. The "Lady Kinnard" was an iron barque carrying a load of wheat from Port Pirie to the United Kingdom which struck rocks off Cape Burr on January 20, 1880 and foundered and broke up. All aboard were rescued. The timbers from the vessel were salvaged and used to support a large galvanised roof to collect rain water into tanks for the use of wayfarers and travelling stock. These tanks became known as the "Lady Kinnaird" tanks and were situated a few miles north of Port Neill.

The Port Neill jetty and a goods shed indicate the town's past as a once busy seaport.

Economy

As in the past, much of Port Neill's economy is derived from the surrounding agricultural districts, with cereal crops and sheep prominently farmed.

Like many coastal towns of the Eyre Peninsula, Port Neill is a well established tourist destination, with town numbers swelling during summer holidays. As well as its history, Port Neill offers a laid back country atmosphere and a number of recreational activities.

Fishing is popular from the town jetty, the surrounding beaches and from boats, with boat launching facilities available. A number of other watersports including swimming and snorkelling are on offer in the clean sandy bay.

The town has a number of accommodation options including a caravan park, hotels and apartments.

Community

At the time of the 2001 census, Port Neill's population was 374, with the vast majority Australian born. Of those that immigrated, most came from the United Kingdom. Christianity is the dominant religion in the area with most following the Catholic, Anglican and Uniting denominations. There are a number of churches throughout the town.

Port Neill has a number of sporting clubs and facilities, including an oval, tennis courts and basketball courts.

The town has a large range of facilities including accommodation and dining facilities and a wide variety of shops.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.tep.com.au/region/port_neill.htm Tourism Eyre Peninsula]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Port-Neill/2005/02/17/1108500204610.html Sydney Morning Herald Travel]