Browse / Australia / South Australia / Blanchetown

Blanchetown

South Australiatown

Photograph of Blanchetown
Featured view

Blanchetown

Total population

247

Elevation28 m
WeatherAvg high 74.8°F
Coordinates-34.35°, 139.61°

Demographic figures from Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

Loading additional data from public sources…0 / 11
CensusWikipediaWeatherPlacesPeopleEnvironmentHealth & SchoolsRelatedGeography & CultureLive MonitoringEvents & Gallery
0% complete

City facts

Elevation
28 m

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 Wikipedia

History & 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.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Geography

Latitude
-34.3517
Longitude
139.6117
Water area
View on OpenStreetMap

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

Avg high
74.8°F
Avg low
52.6°F
Annual precipitation
10.8 in

10-year averages from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo).

Air quality

Walkability

Amenities nearby

Wildlife & biodiversity

Observations (last 5 yrs, 10 mi)
15,100
Distinct species (top 10)
10

Most-observed species

  • Galah
    Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
    481
  • Australian Magpie
    Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
    419
  • Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
    Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
    385
  • Red-capped Robin
    Petroica goodenovii (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves
    354
  • Weebill
    Smicrornis brevirostris (Gould, 1838) · Aves
    352
  • Australian Ringneck
    Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805) · Aves
    343
  • Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
    Acanthiza uropygialis Gould, 1838 · Aves
    337
  • Striated Pardalote
    Pardalotus striatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
    333

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Earthquake history

Quakes ≥ 2.5 (25 yrs, 62 mi)
6
Largest magnitude
3.9
Largest event
2017-02-01

Most recent

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Photos

Sights & places nearby

Notable people from here

Nearby places in South Australia

Browse all 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

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