Yorke Peninsula

Geographical location

The Yorke Peninsula (English Yorke Peninsula ) is a large peninsula on the west coast of the Australian state of South Australia between the Spencer Gulf and the Gulf Saint Vincent and approximately 150 km from Adelaide. The Yorke Peninsula is about 200 km long and 50 km wide and resembles the shape of a foot.

The peninsula is sparsely populated. Among the most important places include the mining towns of Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo on the Copper Coast to the northwest, the agricultural centers of Maitland and Minlaton in the central area and Yorketown in the south of the island and the beach towns Ardrossan and Edithburgh on the east coast. The island is a popular weekend destination for families from Adelaide.

On the south-west of the peninsula lies the Innes National Park.

History

The island was named by the explorer Matthew Flinders after the British politician Charles Philip Yorke. He sat down beside it against Frenchman Nicolas Baudin by who wanted to call the island Cambaceres Peninsula.

Prior to settlement by Europeans in 1840, the peninsula was home to the Aboriginal tribe of Narungga who lived there as nomads and lived by fishing and hunting. Even today live a few natives of this tribe on the peninsula, supported by the Narungga Aboriginal Progress Association in Maitland.

Almost all the coastal towns have their own pier, which was used in the past to transport goods and goods by steamboat. Today, the piers are still mainly used for fishing, as most goods are transported by truck through the expansion of roads on the peninsula.

Economy

On the Yorke Peninsula is much grain, especially barley grown. Since the peninsula has no railway transported the grain by sea. The main ports for this purpose are located in Port Giles, Wallaroo and Ardrossan, this port is used also to ship dolomite rock from the nearby mine the company OneSteel.