County of Fergusson is a cadastral unit located in the Australian state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

which spans

Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula, known as Guuranda by the original inhabitants, the Narungga people, is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula ...

south of

Price A price is the (usually not negative) quantity of payment or compensation expected, required, or given by one party to another in return for goods or services. In some situations, especially when the product is a service rather than a ph ...

. It was proclaimed in 1869 by Governor Fergusson after whom the county was named.

Description

The County of Fergusson covers the part of Yorke Peninsula "lying to the south of the south boundary of the

County of Daly The County of Daly is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia. It was proclaimed in 1862 and named for Governor Dominick Daly. It covers the northern half of Yorke Peninsula stretching just east of the Hummock- Barunga Range in the ...

, including Wauraltee Island", the county boundary approximately aligning with

town centre.

History

The County of Fergusson was proclaimed by

Sir James Fergusson James Fergusson may refer to: Politics *Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet (1832–1907), Governor of South Australia, New Zealand and Bombay *Sir James Fergusson, 8th Baronet (1904–1973), Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire *Sir James Fergusson, Lord Ki ...

, the eighth

Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-general of Aust ...

on 18 February 1869 along with three of its constituent hundreds, Melville, Moorowie and Para Wurlie. The county was named after Governor Fergusson, who held office from 1869 to 1873. Sixteen hundreds were proclaimed within the county from 1869 to 1878: Carribie and Coonarie in 1878, Cunningham in 1873, Curramulka in 1874, Dalrymple and Kilkerran in 1872, Koolywurtie in 1874, Maitland in 1872, Melville in 1869, Minlacowie in 1874, Moorowie in 1869, Muloowurtie in 1874, Para Wurlie in 1869, Ramsay in 1872, Warrenben in 1878 and Wauraltee in 1874. The earliest local government bodies established within the county were the District Council of Melville, formed in 1875 and comprising the Hundred of Melville and part of the Hundred of Moorowie, the

Corporate Town of Yorketown A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of sta ...

which seceded from Melville in 1879, the

Corporate Town of Edithburgh A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of sta ...

which seceded from the same in 1882, the

Corporate Town of Maitland A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of sta ...

, formed in 1883 within the

Hundred of Maitland County of Fergusson is a cadastral unit located in the Australian state of South Australia which spans Yorke Peninsula south of Price. It was proclaimed in 1869 by Governor Fergusson after whom the county was named. Description The County ...

, and the

District Council of Dalrymple A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

, formed in 1877 and comprising the

Hundred of Dalrymple The Hundred of Dalrymple is a cadastral unit of hundred in South Australia on the southern Yorke Peninsula. It is one of the 16 hundreds of the County of Fergusson. Proclaimed on 20 June 1872, it is officially thought to be named after Dalrymple ...

. Until 1888 the remaining residents of Yorke Peninsula, scattered across 14 hundred divisions, strongly resisted the establishment of local government. This allowed them to escape being subject to the expense of council rates until 1888 when the promulgation of the

District Councils Act 1887 The District Councils Act 1887 was an act of the Parliament of South Australia. It received assent on 9 December 1887, and its provisions came into effect when proclaimed by Governor William C. F. Robinson on 5 January 1888. The legislation intr ...

forced the incorporation of the entire peninsula into district councils. Thus, from January 1888: * The hundreds of

Cunningham Cunningham is a surname of Scottish origin, see Clan Cunningham. Notable people sharing this surname A–C *Aaron Cunningham (born 1986), American baseball player * Abe Cunningham, American drummer *Adrian Cunningham (born 1960), Australian ...

, Kilkerran, Wauraltee and Muloowurtie were incorporated as the new District Council of Yorke Peninsula, along with a previously unincorporated portion of the Hundred of Maitland; * The hundreds of

Curramulka Curramulka, nicknamed "Curry", is a town in the Australian state of South Australia on the Yorke Peninsula. Curramulka is within easy driving distance of the coastal resort towns of Port Victoria and Port Vincent and is north-east of Minlat ...

, Koolywurtie and Minlacowie were incorporated as the new District Council of Minlaton, along with a previously unincorporated portion of the Hundred of Ramsay; and * The hundreds of Carribie, Coonarie, Para Wurlie and Warrenben were incorporated into the District Council of Melville along with a previously unincorporated portion of the Hundred of Moorowie.

List of constituent hundreds

Description of layout of the hundreds

The hundreds located within the County of Fergusson are laid out as follows: *West coast of the peninsula overlooking

Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe an ...

(from south to north) - Warrenben, Carribie, Para Wurlie, northern end of Moorowie, Minlacowie, Koolywurtie, Wauraltee and Kilkerran. *South coast of the peninsula overlooking

Investigator Strait Investigator Strait is a body of water in South Australia lying between the Yorke Peninsula, on the Australian mainland, and Kangaroo Island. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his ship, HMS ''Investigator'', on his voyage of 1801–1802. ...

(from west to east) - Warrenben, Coonarie, Moorowie and Melville. *East coast overlooking

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...

(from south to north) - Melville, Dalrymple, Ramsay, Curramulka, Muloowurtie and Cunningham. *Boundary with the County of Daly (from west to east) - Kilkerran, Maitland and Cunningham.

Hundred of Kilkerran

The Hundred of Kilkerran () was proclaimed on 20 June 1872.Counties and hundreds of South Australia
Maureen M Leadbeate

It covers an area of and its name is derived from “Governor Fergusson's estate in Scotland.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Yorke Peninsula. Localities include Balgowan, Point Pearce, South Kilkerran and part of the Maitland boundary.

Hundred of Maitland

The Hundred of Maitland () was proclaimed on 20 June 1872. It covers an area of and was named after Julia Maitland who is considered to be a relative of Governor Fergusson., The first local government bodies within the hundred were the District Council of Yorke Peninsula and the

. Localities include most of the Maitland boundary including the township, Yorke Valley and the western area of Cunningham.

Hundred of Cunningham

The Hundred of Cunningham () was proclaimed on 19 June 1873. It covers an area of around the

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns#Scotland, Three Towns'. Ardrossan is loca ...

and

areas and its name is reported as being derived from Hastings Cunningham which was the founder of what is now

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

and “a friend of Governor Fergusson.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Yorke Peninsula. The localities included are

(eastern part), Dowlingville, Petersville,

, Winulta (southern part).

Hundred of Wauraltee

The Hundred of Wauraltee () was proclaimed on 31 December 1878. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from the aboriginal words “waural” which means ‘bandicoot’ and “tee” which means ‘island island (sic).’!! The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Yorke Peninsula. Localities include Port Victoria,

Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...

and Wauraltee.

Hundred of Muloowurtie

The Hundred of Muloowurtie () was proclaimed on 31 December 1874. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an aboriginal word meaning “a rat burrow.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Yorke Peninsula. The localities of Sandilands, James Well, Rogues Point, Pine Point and Black Point, and a northern section of

are within the hundred.

Hundred of Koolywurtie

Proclaimed in 1874 on central Yorke Peninsula and first governed at the local level by the District Council of Minlaton.

Hundred of Curramulka

The Hundred of Curramulka () was proclaimed on 31 December 1874. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from the aboriginal words "curra" which means

emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...

and "mulka" which means ‘deep waterhole.’ The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Minlaton. The localities of

, PortJulia, Sheoak Flat and part of the Port Vincent are within the hundred.

Hundred of Minlacowie

The Hundred of Minlacowie () was proclaimed on 26 March 1874. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an aboriginal word meaning “sweet water.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Minlaton. Localities include Minlaton, Brentwood, Parsons Beach and part of the

Hardwicke Bay Hardwicke Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the west coast of Yorke Peninsula in Spencer Gulf. Extent & description Hardwicke Bay is located on the west coast of the Yorke Peninsula within Spencer Gulf in Sou ...

boundary.

Hundred of Ramsay

The Hundred of Ramsay () was proclaimed on 20 June 1872. It covers an area of and was named after J G Ramsay, a South Australian parliamentarian. The first local government bodies within the hundred were the District Council of Minlaton and the

. Localities include Ramsay, Port Vincent and part of Stansbury

Hundred of Carribie

The Hundred of Carribie () was proclaimed on 24 January 1878. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an Aboriginal word meaning “Emu Flat.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Melville.

Hundred of Para Wurlie

The Hundred of Para Wurlie () was proclaimed on 18 February 1869. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from the aboriginal words “Para” which means ‘water’ and “Wurlie” which means ‘hut’. The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Melville.

Hundred of Moorowie

The Hundred of Moorowie () was proclaimed on 18 February 1869. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an aboriginal word meaning “a sandy or dusty water.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Melville.

Hundred of Dalrymple

Proclaimed in 1872 on the southern Yorke Peninsula and first governed at the local level by the

Hundred of Melville

Proclaimed in 1869 at the south-eastern corner of

and first governed at the local level by the District Council of Melville, the

and the

Hundred of Coonarie

The Hundred of Coonarie () was proclaimed on 24 January 1878. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an aboriginal word meaning “Hollow Tree.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Melville.

Hundred of Warrenben

The Hundred of Warrenben () was proclaimed on 24 January 1878. It covers an area of and its name is reported as being derived from an aboriginal word meaning “a waterhole.” The first local government body within the hundred was the District Council of Melville.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson Counties of South Australia Yorke Peninsula