Kingston on Murray, South Australia
Town in South Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kingston on Murray (formerly Thurk and Kingston O.M.) is a town on the south bank of the River Murray[note 1] in the Riverland region of South Australia. Its name is derived from Charles Kingston, who was Premier of South Australia from 1893 to 1899.[8] At the 2021 census, the town had a population of 312.
Kingston on Murray | |||||||||||||
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Houseboats on the River Murray at Kingston on Murray | |||||||||||||
  Kingston on Murray | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 34°13′23″S 140°20′39″E[1] | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | South Australia | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Established | 21 November 1918 (town) 28 September 2000 (locality)[2][3] | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 312 (SAL 2021)[4] | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+9:30 (ACST) | ||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+10:30 (ACST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 5331[5] | ||||||||||||
| County | Albert[1] | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 26.0 °C (78.8 °F)[6] | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 9.7 °C (49.5 °F)[6] | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 238.5 mm (9.39 in)[6] | ||||||||||||
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| Adjoining localities[1] | |||||||||||||
History
The town was surveyed in January 1915 and originally proclaimed as Thurk on 21 November 1918.[1][2] Its declared size was reduced on 19 July 1934 and again on 13 July 1939.[9][10]
The town's original name was derived from Thurk Homestead; the word Thurk is itself derived from an Aboriginal word, tharko, that means mouth.[1] On 19 September 1940, the name was changed to Kingston O.M. – the initials standing for "on Murray", thereby distinguishing itself from the larger town of Kingston SE in the south-east of the state. "Kingston" derived from Charles Kingston, the Premier of South Australia at the time, after whom the Kingston Village Settlement Area had been named on being established in 1896.[1][11][12][13]
Subsequently, residents requested a name change to expand "O.M." to become Kingston on Murray, and that name was gazetted on 31 March 1994.[14][note 2]
Boundaries for the locality, as distinct from the town, of Kingston on Murray, which were promulgated on 28 September 2000, include the town and the sites of the Kingston Ferry shack.[1][3]
River crossing
The Sturt Highway now bypasses the town and crosses the River Murray over a bridge. Before the bridge was opened in 1973,[16] two vehicular cable ferries carried road traffic over the river.
Governance
Kingston on Murray is in the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, the state electoral district of Chaffey and the federal Division of Barker.
Landmarks
Kingston Estate and Accolade Wines' Banrock Station brand have wineries near Kingston on Murray. The 1375-hectare (5.3-square-mile) Banrock Station Wetland Complex is listed under the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands.[17]
The ruins of the historically significant Kingston on Murray pump site and feeder tank are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[18]
See also
Notes
- Historically, South Australian usage (for example, in legislation, newspapers, maps and everyday speech) has been to refer to the River Murray rather than Murray River, and similarly with the other significant river in the state, the River Torrens.[7] This word order is not frequently followed in the other Australian states.
