Stirling North, South Australia

Stirling North is a town located 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of Port Augusta in the Australian state of South Australia.[4] The now abandoned Marree railway line forms the official border line separating the two towns. Primarily, Stirling North is a satellite town to Port Augusta, in part because the Stirling North railway station was a rail junction at various times for four railway lines. Married railway employees from the station and Port Augusta were accommodated in about 100 houses near the station, and facilities such as a recreation hall were built by the Commonwealth Railways. A junction of the Augusta Highway and the Flinders Ranges Way also adjoins the town.[6] At the 2016 census, Stirling North had a population of 2,673.[7]

Stirling North
South Australia
Stirling North is located in South Australia
Stirling North
Stirling North
Coordinates32°31′11″S 137°50′13″E[1]
Population2,793 (SAL 2021)[2]
Established1859 (sub-division)
17 February 1994 (locality)[1][3]
Postcode(s)5710[4]
Time zoneACST (UTC+9:30)
 • Summer (DST)ACST (UTC+10:30)
Location311 km (193 mi) North West of Adelaide
LGA(s)City of Port Augusta
RegionFar North[1]
CountyFrome[1]
State electorate(s)Stuart
Federal division(s)Grey
Mean max temp[5] Mean min temp[5] Annual rainfall[5]
24.7 °C
76 °F		 13.6 °C
56 °F		 257.0 mm
10.1 in
Localities around Stirling North:
Wami Kata Wami Kata
 Saltia
Port Augusta
Port Paterson		 Stirling North Saltia
Woolundunga
Port Paterson Port Paterson
Woolundunga		 Woolundunga
FootnotesLocation[4]
Adjoining suburbs[1]

History

The locality that became Stirling North was originally known as Minchin Well – named after Henry Paul Minchin, the Sub-protector of Aborigines, who visited Aboriginal people at their camp next to a spring they had used for millennia and in 1854 organised a well to be dug. Later a stand pipe was constructed in the centre of the town to water stock and people. In 1859 Robert Barr Smith laid out a township there and named it "Stirling" after Edward Stirling, his business partner in Elder Smith & Co. Ltd, the firm that became the large agribusiness company, Elders Limited.[8] [note 1]

The town of Stirling North was surveyed in 1859 as "Stirling North" after Edward Stirling Snr,[8] but was renamed 'Catninga' after a nearby creek. In 1916 however, this decision was overturned and the name was reverted to 'Stirling North'.[9]

On 17 February 1994, suburban boundaries were assigned.[1][3]

the Great Northern Railway eastwards, which finally ended at Alice Springs; a standard gauge line southwards to Port Pirie; a mainly coal-haulage line headed northwards to Leigh Creek Coalfield and Marree; and a 6 kilometres (4 miles) dual-gauge branch line to the Port Augusta power stationPort Augusta power station.

The town has existed mainly to service the railways, with Leigh Creek coal freighted down to Port Augusta for use in the power station. The historic Pichi Richi Railway runs through Stirling North, between Port Augusta and Quorn, one of the only tourist attractions within the town.[10]

The town's historic Davenport Reservoir and Storage Tank is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[11]

Facilities

Stirling North is not normally a tourist destination, but is commonly used as a service stop by travellers who do not want to travel the extra 8 km into Port Augusta. The town is situated at the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges, and is often used by people travelling north.

The town has a number of services including accommodation in the form of hotels, a public bar, a number of food shops, general store, fuel outlets, a post office and public telephones.[12]

Only two sporting venues are present in the town, a tennis court, bike track, park (with toilets), public school which has a large oval and a golf course.

Notes
  1. Edward Stirling's friendship with Peter D. Prankerd had also resulted in the town of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills being named after him five years earlier.[8]

References
  1. "Search results for 'Stirling North, LOCB' with the following datasets being selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Postcodes', 'Counties', 'Hundreds', 'Local Government Areas', 'SA Government Regions', 'Railway' and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Stirling North (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  3. "Geographical Names Act 1991, Notice to Assign" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. 17 February 1994. p. 482. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. "Search result for " Stirling North (SUB)" (Record no SA0063254)". Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure , Government of South Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  5. "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics Port Augusta Power Station (nearest station)". Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  6. "Port Augusta City Council Rural Roads" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Stirling North (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  8. Manning, Geoffrey H. (2012). "A compendium of the place names of South Australia". The State Library of South Australia. p. 70 of section S. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  9. South Australian State Gazetteer, Stirling North, archived from the original on 30 September 2007, retrieved 15 May 2007
  10. Port Augusta City Council, Pichi Richi, retrieved 15 May 2007
  11. "Davenport Reservoir and Storage Tank". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  12. "Stirling North", Flinders Ranges and Outback Town Directory, archived from the original on 29 August 2007, retrieved 15 May 2007
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