Snowtown, South Australia

The town of Snowtown is located in the Mid North of South Australia 145 km north of Adelaide at coord|33|47|S|138|12|E|region:AU-SA_type:city(520) and lies on the main route between Adelaide and Perth. The town's elevation is 103 metres and on average the town receives 389 mm of rainfall per annum. According to the most recent town records, the population is 520.

History

The settlement of Snowtown by non-indigenous Australians initially grew up around a railway station on the Brinkworth-Wallaroo line. Located on what was traditionally the land of the Kaurna (indigenous) people, the first pioneers arrived sometime between 1867 and 1869 due to the rapid expansion of farming to the north of the area. During this period one of the first major structures, the old Snowtown Pub (1868), was built.

The Government only started showing interest in the settlement as late as 1869 when it planned to establish various new towns throughout the district and to divide the land into much smaller holdings.

Snowtown's charter was formally proclaimed by the then Governor of South Australia, Sir William Jervois, in 1878. [Jones, A. 1978 "Snowtown, the First Century, 1878-1978", Snowtown Centenary Committee, Australia] Jervois named the town after one of the members of the Snow family who were his cousins and lived on Yorke Peninsula (which lies immediately west and southwest of Snowtown). Thomas Snow became Jervois's aide de camp when Jervois received his posting in South Australia and it is widely thought by the people of Snowtown that the town was named after him.

Geography

Snowtown is situated approximately 7 kilometres east of a cleft in the Barunga range, named "Barunga Gap". The excess rainfall from these hills collects in Lake Bumbunga directly south of the township. North of the town near the highway and railway line are more lakes and an old settlement still known as "Lake View". Beyond the eastern edge of the town is the Snowtown Golf Course and a swampy region populated by saltbush and other salt-tolerant flora.

The town today

The town's main street is known as "Fourth Street" which is notable for its attractive public buildings - most notably the Snowtown Memorial Hall (1919) which is attached to the Old Institute (1889). Nearby is the town's tribute to the original pioneers telling visitors that the town's population is 520.

The two railway lines (Brinkworth-Wallaroo and Adelaide-Crystal Brook) intersecting the town figure less significantly in Snowtown today, since the main north-south road running just outside the western edge of the town was designated to form part of Australia's Highway 1 in 1955.

Governance

The town administration now falls under the control of the Wakefield Regional Council for local governance. This body came into effect on 1 July 1997 as a result of the amalgamation of the former District Council of Blyth-Snowtown and the former District Council of Wakefield Plains. It covers a geographical area of 3,469 square kilometres with a population of 6,588 (estimated as at 30 June 2002 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics).

Snowtown lies in the state electoral district of Frome and in the federal electoral division of Grey.

Local economy

Located in what is described as a wheat-belt, the local Snowtown economy is predominantly based on cereal crops. Other primary industries include woolgrowing, livestock production and salt mining (at the nearby Lake Bumbunga saltworks).

Snowtown remains a service centre today for the local area, providing various essential services for the district as well as a welcome a rest for motorists on the busy main road, Port Wakefield Road, the section of Highway 1 running past the town.

nowtown Area School

Snowtown Area School first opened in 1879 as a Provisional School by Mrs. Lamb, with a total enrolment of 14 students. Student enrolments in 2006 totalled 118, with many students also travelling from nearby Lochiel, Barunga Gap and Redhill. The school is located on 4.5ha of land, with an additional 10ha of land used for Agricultural Studies. Today, the school offers a range of subjects for students in Reception to Year 12, with a key focus on Agricultural Studies and Information Communication Technology. Students are also able to study via distance education through the Open Access College at Marden or via Local Delivery with neighbouring schools to increase their range of subject choices, particularly in Year 11 and Year 12.

The notorious 1999 murders

Since 1999, Snowtown has become notorious for being the location of a gruesome discovery as part of a criminal investigation. Popularly known as the "Bodies In The Barrels" case, dismembered parts from eight or more bodies were discovered in barrels in the vault of a disused bank.

Other items of note

* The secessionist micronation, the Province of Bumbunga, was located on a farm near Snowtown during the 1970s and 1980s.
* In 2008, a 42-turbine wind farm is expected to be completed in the Hummocks Ranges just west of Snowtown. The wind turbines will be 110 metres from the ground to tip of the top wing. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/28/2201937.htm|title=Wind farm ahead of schedule|date=2008-03-28|accessdate=2008-05-14|publisher=ABC News Online]
* The name 'Snowtown' is also shared by an emerging indie-rock band from Brisbane, Australia, who have been performing and recording under the name since 2003.

References

External links

* [http://www.wakefieldrc.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm Wakefield Regional Council]
* [http://www.wakefieldrc.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/snowtownmap1.pdf Town Map]
* [http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/SASnowtown.shtml A tourist guide to the town]
* [http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/salt.htm Local salt mining]
* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/snowtown/index_1.html?sect=11 The story of the murders]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW5064.latest.shtml Snowtown's weather - Government data]
* [http://terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=138.20899963400001&cpy=-33.7910003662&res=30&provider_id=340 Satellite Picture of Snowtown]
* [http://www.snowtownas.sa.edu.au/index.html Snowtown Area School]