Moonta, South Australia
Encyclopedia : M : MO : MOO : Moonta, South Australia
The town of Moonta () is located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia 163 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns, historically famous for their shared copper mining industry. Together the three towns and surrounds are sometimes known as "Little Cornwall", for all the miners who emigrated from Cornwall, England to work in the Copper Mines in the late 19th century. Moonta is about 20 kilometres southwest of Kadina and 19 kilometres south of the port town, Wallaroo, forming the triangle.
The population of Moonta is about 3000. It is thought that the name Moonta is derived from "Moontera", a (indigeneous) Narungga tribe word, meaning 'impenetrable scrub'.
There are several distinct localities or hamlets surrounding Moonta. These are Yelta, North Yelta, Moonta Bay, Port Hughes and Sims Cove.
History
Moonta, prior to European Settlement was occupied by the indigeneous tribe of Narungga. When he was navigating the coastline of Southern Australia in 1802, Matthew Flinders explored the coastline near Moonta. Settlers arrived in the Moonta area in the 1830s. The scrub in the area was indeed difficult to penetrate, as testified by the town's name, and settlers had a hard time clearing the land.Large and rich deposits of copper were discovered at Moonta in 1861 by shepherds from Walter Watson Hughes' sheep farm, now Wheal Hughes. The town was laid out in 1863 and a horse drawn tramway to Wallaroo was established inn 1863. Through advertisement by the South Australian Government, Cornish miners arrived in Moonta soon afterward. The mines at Moonta proved to be the richest mines in the whole of South Australia by 1917, exceeding the total wealth created by all other mines since 1836, the year of establishment of South Australia. The population of Moonta in 1875 was 12,000. The initial copper mining operations ceased in 1923, but smaller-scale modern operations, recommenced in the area in the 1990s.
Geography and climate
Moonta exists in a semi-arid location, above Goyder's Line. Moonta is surrounded by mallee scrub. The centre is located four kilometres inland and is 20 metres above sea level. Moonta has a dry mediterranean climate with seasonal temperatures a few degrees above Adelaide's temperatures. The temperature ranges are similar to those of Kadina and the weather patterns are similar to those of both Kadina and Adelaide.Moonta's surrounds are used for growing barley and other crops such as legumes, canola, chickpeas and field peas. Barley from the region is considered to be some of the best in the world.
The town today
Moonta, the town centre, consists of old limestone miners cottages and churches, giving the town a historical feel. There are plenty eateries in the town centre.The nearby locations of Moonta Bay, Port Hughes and Sims Cove are on the foreshore and are rapidly developing. They are extremely popular locations for retirement. The beaches are wide with fine, white sand, and are popular with recreational anglers and sailboarders. The natural state of the coast has largely been retained.
North Yelta is an old mining village just north of Moonta. Like Moonta, it has a historic ambience.
Moonta also contains the Wheal Hughes Tourist Mine at the site of Wheal Hughes, the Moonta Heritage Site, the Moonta School of Mines and a folk museum.
The popular three-day Kernewek Lowender Cornish festival is held every odd year in May in the Copper Triangle towns, where each of the three towns hosts the festival for one day.
Governance
The District Council of Copper Coast governs Moonta at the municipal level. Moonta lies in the state electoral district of Goyder and the federal electoral Division of Grey.References and external links
See also
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