Population 14,522 (2015 est) Mayor Sam Johnson Website City of Port Augusta Area 1,153 km² Council seat Port Augusta Federal division Division of Grey | Established 1875 State electorate(s) Stuart City of Port Augusta Mount Remarkable Founded 1875 Region Far North | |
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Points of interest Australian Arid Lands Botanic G, Wadlata Outback Centre, Water Tower Lookout, Great Western Bridge, Winninowie Conservation Park | ||
The City of Port Augusta is a local government area located at the northern end of Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is centred on the town of Port Augusta. The city is the site of South Australia's main power supplier, the Port Augusta powerhouse, located on the coast in Spencer Gulf.
Contents
Map of Port Augusta, SA, Australia
History
The Port Augusta region is a natural crossroads and aborigines have been trading in the area for 40 000 years. European settlement began in the 1840s and the town grew from a pastoral service centre to a railway town with the construction of the overland telegraph line, then the commencement of the railways towards Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie.
The municipality was created as the Corporate Town of Port Augusta on 3 November 1875. A number of smaller separate municipalities were subsequently proclaimed in the Port Augusta area, including the Corporate Town of Davenport (25 August 1887), the Corporate Town of Port Augusta West (6 October 1887), and the District Council of Davenport (later Woolundunga) (5 January 1888). The municipalities in the area were amalgamated on 16 February 1933, with Port Augusta West, Davenport and part of Woolundunga being merged into a larger Port Augusta municipality. It became the City of Port Augusta with the granting of city status in late 1964, and the current council was formed.
The Port Augusta Town Hall was built to house the municipality in 1886-87. It was severely damaged by fire in 1944, rebuilt in 1946, but was vacated by the City in 1983 after the completion of the new Port Augusta Civic Centre. The former town hall subsequently fell into disuse, and was advertised for sale by the state government in June 2015 awaiting redevelopment.
Another major industry now is the production of electric power, with three coal-fired power stations burning coal mined at Leigh Creek, the first of which was completed in 1954.
Localities
The district also includes two closely neighbouring areas, one of which is a significant town. This means there are two towns in the district:
Council
The City of Port Augusta has a directly-elected mayor.