Kyancutta, South Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Kyancutta
state = sa

---

caption = Location of Kyancutta in South Australia
lga = District Council of Le Hunte
postcode = 5651
est = 1917
pop = [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/AS/5/Kyancutta.html 33]
elevation= 74
maxtemp = 25.1
mintemp = 9.2
rainfall = 314.4
stategov = Flinders
fedgov = Grey
dist1 = 558
dir1 = North West
location1= Adelaide

Kyancutta is a small wheatbelt town located at the junction of the Eyre and Tod Highways on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Once a busy town with an airport, Kyancutta is now nearly a ghost town, acting only as a centre for the agricultural districts surrounding it, as well as passing tourists.

History

The town was established in 1917 to support the surrounding agricultural lands.Citation
last = Sydney Morning Herald Travel | title = Kyancutta | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Kyancutta/2005/02/17/1108500204350.html | access-date = 2007-06-15 ] The name is thought to be derived from the Aboriginal 'kanjakatari'; kanja - 'stone' and katari - 'surface water', inferring water in rocks.Citation
last = State Library of South Australia Manning Index | title = Kyancutta | url = http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/k/k7.htm | access-date = 2007-06-15 ] Another possible origin is that the name was taken from a nearby hill 'Kutta kutta' which was the local Aboriginal name for the night hawk.

An airport was built not long after establishment, and flights between Adelaide and Perth stopped there regularly. This added another facet to the towns economy, and caused the town to fall into a steady decline after its closure in 1935. ]

A school was built in the town in 1920, remaining active for 25 years before closing in 1945. ]

An official weather station, established at Kyancutta in 1928 became Australia's first fully automated station with a three hourly programme of weather observation which is still ongoing under the care of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.Citation
last = Australian Bureau of Meteorology | title = Climate statistics for Australian locations - Kyancutta | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_018044.shtml | access-date = 2007-06-15 ]

In 1986, a memorial park was established to honour the pioneers of agricultural settlement in the area.Citation
last = Tourism Eyre Peninsula | title = Kyancutta | url = http://www.tep.com.au/region/kyancutta.htm | access-date = 2007-06-15 ]

Economy

The town now is the service centre for the surrounding agricultural districts, with cereal crops and sheep grazing the prevalent industries. Wheat silos for storage are also located within Kyancutta.

It also serves as a rest point for travellers making their way across the Eyre Highway. Kyancutta has no real attractions of its own, but a number of natural features including 'Waddikee Rock' and 'Corrobinne' Hill do lie within 20km of the town. ]

Facilities

Kyancutta has no accommodation or eating facilities available, however a general store with petrol pumps is present. For the locals, a post office and a sporting complex including 18 hole golf course, tennis, football and netball facilities are also located in the town. ]

References

External links

* [http://www.tep.com.au/region/kyancutta.htm Tourism Eyre Peninsula page]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Kyancutta/2005/02/17/1108500204350.html Sydney Morning Herald Travel page]