Browse / Australia / South Australia / Blanchetown
Blanchetown
South Australiatown
Blanchetown
Total population
247
Demographic figures from Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Blanchetown is a small township in South Australia, on the (west) bank of the Murray River, 130 kilometres (81 mi) northeast of Adelaide. The Blanchetown Bridge is the westernmost of the four crossings of the Sturt Highway over the Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important transportation centre on the lower Murray. In the early 21st century, Blanchetown has been described as "a strange mixture of historic buildings and temporary shacks built by holidaymakers on the banks of the river". Blanchetown is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland district.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Blanchetown is in the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people. Blanchetown was originally surveyed in October 1855 as Blanche Town. It was named after Lady Blanche MacDonnell, the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Richard MacDonnell. The Governor selected the site personally, to replace an earlier settlement of Murrundi (or Moorundee) - five kilometres downstream - which was subject to flooding. Murrundi had been chosen as the base of the Protector of Aborigines by Edward John Eyre since 1841. There had been a ferry crossing at Blanchetown since 1869 (private before 1879, then government-run). In February 1876 Blanchetown was described as a "small but ambitious settlement, containing a dozen houses, and having a population of about 50 people". The buildings in the township were "substantially built of a stone quarried in the neighbourhood". The post and telegraph office, the hotel and store were described as "the main buildings". When land was first sold at Blanche Town it was on the "understanding that a railway should be made there, and some of the allotments consequently fetched as much as £1,200 per acre". By 1876, however, it was apparent that the railway would by-pass Blanchetown. It was reported that "the inhabitants regard the non-fulfillment of this promise as savouring of repudiation". The railway line connecting Adelaide with the town of Morgan, upstream of Blanchetown, was opened in 1878. This development adversely affected the progress of Blanchetown and resulted in a decline of steamer traffic to the town.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
10-year averages from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo).
Air quality
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- GalahEolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves481
- Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves419
- Spiny-cheeked HoneyeaterAcanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves385
- Red-capped RobinPetroica goodenovii (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves354
- WeebillSmicrornis brevirostris (Gould, 1838) · Aves352
- Australian RingneckBarnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805) · Aves343
- Chestnut-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza uropygialis Gould, 1838 · Aves337
- Striated PardalotePardalotus striatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves333
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 3.2 — 2018-08-0811 km WNW of Mannum, Australia
- M 3.9 — 2017-02-019 km NW of Murray Bridge, Australia
- M 2.7 — 2007-08-0323 km SSE of Burra, Australia
- M 2.5 — 2007-06-1226 km E of Angaston, Australia
- M 2.7 — 2006-08-2641 km NE of Kapunda, Australia
- M 3.3 — 2004-05-2317 km NE of Nuriootpa, Australia
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
Nearby places in South Australia
Geography & sun
Nearby airports
Public attention
Books about this place
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species









Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).
Events
Gallery
Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Blanchetown, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis)
- • Wikimedia Commons
- • Wikidata
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • iNaturalist