Mount Burr

History

The nearby mountain was named Mount Burr by Governor George Grey after George Dominicus Burr, a surveyor and Professor of Mathematics at Sandhurst Military College. His son, Thomas Burr, a surveyor, accompanied Governor Grey on the expedition to Mount Gambier in 1844: Also in the surveying party was artist George French Angas. In 1873, an Act of Parliament was passed which encouraged the planting of forests, and the South Australian Department of Woods and Forests was quite likely the first government forestry department created in the British Commonwealth. The first trees planted included not only the native eucalypts, but also hardwoods from Europe and conifers from Europe and North America. The radiata pine, native to California, proved especially successful, and huge numbers were planted. In late 2000 the timber mill closed.

Geography

The town is named after a local mountain called Mount Burr, which it measures tall and is a dormant volcano. Mount Burr lies within the Limestone Coast region. The mountain of Mount Burr is home to the SES-8 television transmitter, which is responsible for transmitting WIN Television, Seven SA, Ten SA, SBS and ABC television to households across the south-east of SA and western Victoria.

Most-observed species

• Australasian Bittern

  Botaurus poiciloptilus (Wagler, 1827) · Aves
  1,733
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  707
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  594
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  493
• Gray Fantail

  Rhipidura albiscapa Gould, 1840 · Aves
  454
• Brown Thornbill

  Acanthiza pusilla (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  411
• Pacific Black Duck

  Anas superciliosa J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  396
• Gray Shrikethrush

  Colluricincla harmonica (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  386

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2006-04-19
  50 km SW of Millicent, Australia
• M 3.6 — 2002-01-05
  44 km S of Moorak, Australia