Black Rock, South Australia

Black Rock (formerly known as Dalton) is a hamlet in South Australia on the Black Rock Plains at the intersection of the south–north RM Williams Way (B80) between Jamestown and Orroroo and the west–east Wilmington–Ucolta Road (B56) to Peterborough, in the Mid North section of the state.

Black Rock
South Australia
Black Rock Station Sign
Black Rock is located in South Australia
Black Rock
Black Rock
Coordinates32°49′37″S 138°41′23″E[1]
Population36 (SAL 2016)[2][3]
Elevation435 m (1,427 ft)(railway station)[4]
Location
LGA(s)District Council of Orroroo Carrieton
State electorate(s)Stuart
Federal division(s)Grey
Localities around Black Rock:
Orroroo Orroroo Minvalara
Pekina Black Rock Minvalara
Tarcowie Yatina Minvalara
FootnotesAdjoining localities[1]

It is also the site (and name of) a former railway siding on the now removed Peterborough–Quorn railway line.[5]

History

Located 19 km south east of Orroroo, the town was originally laid out as "Dalton" and proclaimed on 15 December 1881. It is named after a nearby hill identified by Captain E.C. Frome in 1842. The town was renamed "Black Rock" in 1940[6]

Railways

The railway line through Dalton was built in 1881, as part of the Great Northern Railway. In its day, Dalton was home to a gang, and a station master. The last commercial trains to operate through Black Rock were grain trains between Peterborough and Orroroo, in 1988.[7]

The railway connecting Black Rock to Orroroo and Peterborough was removed in late 2008. However track was left in situ in the yard, and over the Black Rock Bridge, located approximately 1 km south.[8][9] Black Rock Bridge, at 241 metres (792 feet), is the longest bridge on the old Peterborough Division[7]

Black Rock Yard hosted the first of a proposed annual Kalamazoo race on 27 March 2010. The event was reported as being very successful.[5]

The town

Whilst people still live in Black Rock, the town is nearly empty.

A number of buildings still stand, including the Black Rock Hotel. This last traded commercially in the mid-1980s.[7]

Name

Governor Jervois named the town. He possibly named it after Charles James Dalton who, from 1829, was an officer in the Royal Artillery and a contemporary of Governor Jervois while serving in the Royal Engineers. Alternatively he may have named it after the English town of Dalton which translates as 'village in the dale (valley)’ or it may come from the Gaelic dall-dun – 'dark hill'.[10]

References
  1. "Search results for 'Black Rock, LOCB' with the following datasets being selected - 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Counties', 'Government Towns', 'Local Government Areas', 'SA Government Regions' and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Black Rock (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2016. 
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Black Rock (SA) (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2016 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  4. "Search results for 'Black Rock Railway Station' with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and localities', 'Government Towns' and 'Gazetteeer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  5. "Back on the rails at Black Rock" Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Northern Argus accessed 30 April 2010
  6. "NEW TOWN NAMES APPROVED". The Advertiser. South Australia. 26 July 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 5 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Evans, John (2009). Proceed to Quorn: An Operational History of the Last Years of the Terowie – Peterborough – Quorn Railway Line, in Particular the Years 1957 to 1987. Elizabeth, SA: Railmac Publications. OCLC 472581258.
  8. Mannion, J; "Ripping up the tracks – Eurelia to Peterborough" Catchpoint Magazine March 2009 pp14-16
  9. Mills S. "Harvest time for the Eurelia rail line" Archived 9 July 2012 at archive.today Flinders News – 19 September 2008, accessed 10 October 2008
  10. South Australian Names.
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