Population 584 (2006 census) Postcode(s) 5607 Postal code 5607 | Established 1830s Local time Wednesday 9:29 PM | |
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Weather 20°C, Wind SE at 11 km/h, 66% Humidity Points of interest Almonta Beach, Gunya Beach, Long Beach | ||
Coffin bay national park eyre peninsula south au
Coffin Bay (34°37′S 135°28′E), originally Coffin's Bay, is a town at the southern extremity of the Eyre Peninsula, a wheat growing area of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Coffin Bay had a population of 584.
Contents
- Coffin bay national park eyre peninsula south au
- Map of Coffin Bay SA 5607 Australia
- Coffin bay 2016
- History
- References
Map of Coffin Bay SA 5607, Australia
The town is situated on the western side of the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula about 46 km from Port Lincoln. The population swells during holiday seasons to more than 2,000 people due to its proximity to the Coffin Bay National Park.
It is a popular location for boating, sailing, swimming, water-skiing, skindiving and wind-surfing, as well as fishing (rock, surf, angling and boat).
Oyster farming is conducted in the quiet waters of Coffin Bay.
Coffin Bay is in the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula local government area, the state electoral district of Flinders and the federal Division of Grey.
Coffin bay 2016
History
The Parnkalla people occupied the area prior to European settlement in the 1830s.
British naval explorer Matthew Flinders named the bay on 16 February 1802 in honour of his friend Sir Isaac Coffin, who was Resident Naval Commissioner at Sheerness, where the Investigator was fitted out. The same year, French explorer Nicolas Baudin provided the alternative French name of Baie Delambre.
The bay remained uncharted until explored in March 1839 by Captain Frederick R. Lees (d.1839) in command of the brig Nereus. Lees' thorough charts became a standard reference for mariners through until the electronic era.
In 1966, Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited established a private railway between Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln to convey lime sands. It was closed in 1989, with the track removed in 2001.
The historic former Coffin Bay Whaling Site at Point Sir Isaac lies within the locality and is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.