PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
C.O. 885
4
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Spencer's Gulf.
St. Vincent's Gulf,
Adelaide, Port Adelaide, and Glenelg.
Other places on shore of St. Vin- cent'sGulf.
Railways termi- nating in St. Vin- cent's Gulf.
Places on shore of Spencer's Gulf, and railways connected there wit...
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Spencer's Gulf is to the westward of the other, and extends for some 200 miles in about a N.N.E. direction. The entrance is about 40 miles broad, and, except where it is obstructed by the Gambier Islands, which are in the middle of the passage, is open to
the Southern Ocean.
St. Vincent's Gulf, which is separated from Spencer's Gulf by the Yorke Peninsula, a promontory about 100 miles long and averaging about 25 broad, extends in a nortberly direction for about 100 miles. It is covered to the southward by Kangaroo Island, which forms a natural breakwater to the Gulf, measuring about 90 miles in length and averaging about 20 in breadth. The approach to the Gulf from the westward is in a nearly easterly direction, by Investigator Strait, about 50 miles long and 25 broad, between the Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The approach from the eastward is by the Backstairs Passage, about 7 miles broad, between Kangaroo Island and the southern point of the Gulf at Cape Jervis. For the navigation of the western passage there is a light- house at Cape Borda, the north-west point of Kangaroo Island, and another is being constructed on the Althorpe Islands, off the Yorke Peninsula. There are two lighthouses also for the navigation of the Backstairs Passage-one at Cape Willoughby, the eastern point of Kangaroo Island, the other at Cape Jervis.
Five miles, in a direct line, to the eastward of a point about the centre of the eastern shore of St. Vincent's Gulf, is the city of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and the seat of Government. About seven miles to the north-west of the city is Port Adelaide, situated about nine miles from the entrance of a navigable inlet running for the most part parallel with the shore, from which it is separated only by a low flat peninsula called Lefevre's Peninsula, about seven miles long and one wide. Ships of large size can navigate the inlet, and dredging operations are in progress which will ultimately enable vessels of twenty-five feet draught to come up to Port Adelaide. There is a railway between the port and the city, and there is likewise a railway-a private undertaking about six miles long, from the city to Glenelg, a considerable watering-place on the coast, nine miles to the southward of Port Adelaide. To the westward of the port, and about a mile from it, at a place on the shore named "The Semaphore," is a long wooden pier which affords communication from the outer anchorage without going up the inlet; there is also a pier at Glenelg, at which place the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's steamers now land and receive their mails.
To the southward, between Glenelg and Cape Jervis, are Brighton (population under 600): Ports Noarlunga and Willunga (total population under 100); Myponga, Norman. ville, and Rapid Bay (population about 250, 120, and 530 respectively). There are jetties at these three places, but the landing is generally bad, owing to exposure to the sea coming up Investigator Strait. On the western side of the Gulf are jetties at Clinton, Ardrossan, Stansbury, and Edithburgh-small places, each with a population of about 100, and outlets for the produce of the country in their neigh- ́ bourhood.
At the head of the Gulf is Port Wakefield (population about 400), situated on a small creek, where some deepening operations are going on, and the terminus of a railway, 42 miles in length, communicating with the interior by Balaclava and Blyth Plains.
As regards other railways, not yet mentioned, in connection with the Shores of St. Vincent's Gulf, 201 miles have either been constructed, or are in progress, con- necting Adelaide with the country to the northward of the capital, with the copper mines at the Burra, and with the Murray River at the North-west Bend. A junction about 22 miles long is also about to be undertaken, connecting the Port Wakefield line at Balaclava with the Adelaide railways at Hamley, a place about 40 miles north of the capital.
With respect to places on the shores of Spencer's Gulf, the first to be noticed is Port Augusta. For about fifteen or twenty miles to the north of the point which may be said to be the head of the Gulf there is a channel affording access for vessels of large size to this place, which is to be the terminus of a railway, about 200 miles in length, about to be constructed in a nearly northerly direction, to facilitate the transport of stock and produce from the interior. Port Augusta, though at present but a small place, with under 600 inhabitants, is probably destined to become an important town. About 50 miles to the southward of Port Augusta, and about three miles up a narrow chanuel, on the eastern shore of Spencer's Gulf, is Port Pirie, a thriving place of about 1,000 inhabitants, and one which will also probably become of great importance. The channel to it is being greatly improved by dredging, and a railway has already been constructed between it and Gladstone, a town at a distance of about 32 miles to the eastward. This railway is about to be extended to James Town, about 20 miles further in the interior. The country
in
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the vicinity is very rich, and a considerable trade is already carried on at Port Pirie. About 30 miles south of Port Pirie is Port Broughton, a small shipping place, from which a tramway about ten miles long has been carried into the interior. Again, about 30 miles further down the eastern shore of Spencer's Gulf, is the town of Wallaroo, with a popula- tion of more than 2,000, the seaport of the rich copper mines in its vicinity. Moonta, a few miles inland and about 12 miles further to the southward, is another rich mining district, the population of which is estimated at 5,000. A tramway already connects it with Wallaroo, and one is now being formed from Moonta to the adjacent coast. There is also a tramway from the latter place to Kadina, about six miles distant. Railways, respectively 26 and 35 miles in length, are in course of construction, the former from Kadina to the eastward, and the latter from Kadina to Port Wakefield. Thus Wallaroo and Moonta will be connected by railway with the head of St. Vincent's Gulf, and thence by lines, either existing or projected, with Adelaide,
Besides the places already mentioned on the shores of Spencer's Gulf, there are on the castern side three or four points to the southward of Moonta and Hardwicke Bay, where there are jetties for the shipment of wool. On the western side there is a good thou h shallow harbour, Port Franklin, in the neighbourhood of which the country is stated to be excellent. There is also a shipping jetty at Tumby (Harvey's) Bay.
Near the entrance to the Gulf, on its western shore, is the fine harbour of Port Port láncoln. Lincoln. There is, however, very little good agricultural land in its immediate neighbour- hood. It is stated that the back country is not rich, and the working of copper mines in the vicinity has not so far succeeded; consequently, the port is but little frequented. It is, nevertheless, the finest harbour in South Australia, and, next to Sydney, perhaps the finest in the Australian Colonies.
To the eastward of Gulf St. Vincent is Encounter Bay, in which are the harbours and Places to eastward small townships of Port Victor and Port Elliot. The mouth of the Murray River is also of St. Vincent's in Encounter Bay.
Gulf. A tramway has been laid, connecting Victor Harbour and Port Elliot with Strathalbyn, about 30 miles inland, and there is a branch from this line to Goolwa, on the Murray River.
Port Elliot is an insignificant anchorage, but Port Victor is capable of being made an admirable harbour for the accommodation of large ships. It is proposed to construct u breakwater there, and when this work has been carried out, and an efficient railway has ⚫ been constructed for the distance of 11 miles between it and Goolwa—although a portion of the traffic of the Murray will probably come by the 110 miles of railway between the North-west Bend and Port Adelaide-Victor Harbour cannot fail to be the main shipping port for produce coming down the Murray River and the other rivers which flow from the neighbouring Colonies into it.
Further on to the South-eastward are the small harbours and townships of Kingston, Robe Town, Rivoli Bay, Greylown, and Port MacDonnell. The population of all these places at present is small, varying from 50 to 500. They are, however, of more or less importance as shipping ports for wool and produce. A railway has been constructed from Kingston (Lacepede Bay) to Naracoorte, a place 52 miles to the eastward of it, near the border of Victoria. A railway, 50 miles in extent, is also to be constructed from Rivoli Bay to the rich district of Gambiertown.
As regards the coast between Spencer's Gulf and the boundary of Western Australia, Coast to westward there are several bays thereon, viz., Coffin's Bay, Waterloo Bay, Venus Bay, Streaky Bay, of Spencer's Gulf. Smoky Bay, and Fowler's Bay; but although some of these afford good harbours, the
country in their neighbourhood is very thinly inhabited, whilst their trade is exceedingly small, and limited to small coasting vessels.
From this short statement, relating to the coast of South Australia, and the railways Probable nature of either existing or about to be made from thence into the interior, it will be gathered that, attack. whilst a certain amount of traffic will be carried on by sea from the small harbours on the south-eastern part of the Colony, the main routes for vessels engaged in the trade of the province must be from St. Vincent and Spencer Gulfs, and especially the former, in which the capital is situated, and to which the chief communications of the country converge. When the breakwater at Port Victor is constructed, a large increase of shipping trade will, moreover, take place immediately to the eastward of Gulf St. Vincent.
This being the case, it must be inferred that one mode of attack which an enemy' might adopt against South Australia would be to cruise off the entrances to the Gulfs, with a view of capturing vessels laden with copper, wool, or other produce, in their passage from Adelaide, Wallaroo, and other porte. As regards Wallaroo, it should be noticed that large supplies of coal are kept there for the service of the mining districts in the neigh- bourhood, and an enemy would thus be enabled to supply his steamships with fuel for carrying on his operations.