Yongala is a small town located in the state of South Australia, Australia. It has a population of approximately 240 people and is situated on the Clare-Peterborough Road (B79), 238 km (148 mi) from Adelaide, the state capital.
Yongala South Australia | |||||||||||||||
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![]() Scene from the hill overlooking Yongala | |||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() Yongala | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 33°02′0″S 138°45′0″E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 243 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 5493 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 512 m (1,680 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | District Council of Peterborough | ||||||||||||||
County | Dalhousie | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Stuart | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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The Hundred of Yongala was proclaimed in the County of Dalhousie in 1871, one of the first of the twelve hundreds to be declared in that county, opening up the area for closer settlement and small-scale cultivation.[3] The town was proclaimed on 23 May 1876. Within five years there was a population of 353 as developers anticipated the connection of a railway. Instead, the railway was built through the nearby town of Peterborough.[4]
The SS Yongala launched in 1903 and owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company was named after the town. It sank in a storm in 1911 off the coast of Townsville, Queensland and its wreck site is protected by the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.
Yongala has a warm semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). It is situated on a plateau of 512 metres (1,680 ft) and winter snowfalls can occur. The town holds several records for the lowest minimum temperature in South Australia:[4][5] including its all-time record low of −8.2 °C (17.2 °F) on 20 July 1976,[6] in addition to the record low temperatures in South Australia for the months of May, June, August and September.[7]
Climate data for Yongala (1881–2014) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 43.5 (110.3) |
44.0 (111.2) |
39.5 (103.1) |
36.0 (96.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
32.8 (91.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
41.8 (107.2) |
41.5 (106.7) |
44.0 (111.2) |
Average high °C (°F) | 30.8 (87.4) |
30.1 (86.2) |
27.1 (80.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.1 (62.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.6 (83.5) |
21.8 (71.3) |
Average low °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.6 (40.3) |
2.8 (37.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
2.6 (36.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.3 (45.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 22.1 (0.87) |
21.4 (0.84) |
16.5 (0.65) |
25.1 (0.99) |
34.9 (1.37) |
39.6 (1.56) |
39.7 (1.56) |
43.3 (1.70) |
38.0 (1.50) |
33.6 (1.32) |
27.8 (1.09) |
24.4 (0.96) |
366.4 (14.41) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 92.8 |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[6] |
Towns and localities of the District Council of Peterborough | |
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