Halbury, South Australia

Halbury
South Australia
Western entry sign, Halbury
Halbury is located in South Australia
Halbury
Halbury
Coordinates34°05′0″S 138°31′0″E / 34.08333°S 138.51667°E / -34.08333; 138.51667
Population211 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)5461
Location
LGA(s)
RegionMid North
State electorate(s)Goyder
Federal division(s)Grey
Localities around Halbury:
Stow Hoyleton Auburn
Watchman Halbury Woolshed Flat
Balaklava Owen Salter Springs

Halbury is a former railway town in South Australia, west of the Clare Valley, halfway between Balaklava and Auburn.

Etymology

Halbury is situated in the Hundred of Hall, named after politician George Hall.[2]

Railway

Halbury was a stop on the Port Wakefield railway line, an isolated narrow gauge horse-drawn railway[3] connecting to the port at Port Wakefield from Balaklava and Hoyleton. Halbury was where this railway crossed the Gulf Road from Auburn and Burra to the port.[4]

The Gladstone railway line ran from Hamley Bridge through Balaklava to Blyth and further on into the Mid North of the state. The line was originally narrow gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), but was converted to broad gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) in 1927.[5] Due to various reasons, this particular line became obsolete and the tracks were dismantled in the late 1980s. After Halbury, the railway line veered to the north-east, travelling on to the towns of Hoyleton, Kybunga and further north to Blyth.[6]

The railway siding at Halbury was opened in 1870 and closed to all goods and parcels traffic in 1981.[7] Station brand: "HY". Station code number 1274. Railway distance from Adelaide: 74 miles, 1 chain.[8]

Shamus Liptrot Cycling Trail

The former Halbury to Balaklava railway line was re-opened as a 12 km low-gradient cycling trail in 2016, named after elite junior local cyclist Shamus Liptrot who died in 2011, several years after suffering serious injuries in a cycling accident. The trail extends from Balaklava to Halbury, Shamus's home town.[9] The trail is the central link of the 26 km Copper Trail, which extends from Leasingham in the Clare Valley, to Port Wakefield at the head of the Gulf St Vincent.[10]

Railway Signboard Project

In 2022, to commemorate the railway history of the area, a group of Christian railway enthusiasts reinstalled an exact replica of the original Halbury railway station sign.

The text on the plaque affixed to the sign reads: "This is the site of the Halbury railway siding, 74 Miles, 1 Chain. 1870 – 1981. Sign made and reinstalled Easter 2022 by J. Leigh and E. Green, Railway Infrastructure Services. This sign would not be here if not for Lorraine Zaharuiko, 1984-2021. John 3:16-21."[11]

Government

The township of Halbury in the west of the locality is in the Wakefield Regional Council local government area. The hillier east of the locality is part of the District Council of Clare and Gilbert Valleys.

  • Former railway yard site
    Former railway yard site
  • War Memorial gate
    War Memorial gate
  • Ford at Hellfire Creek
    Ford at Hellfire Creek
  • Copper Trail monument, east of Halbury
    Copper Trail monument, east of Halbury
  • The new Halbury railway station sign, as installed
    The new Halbury railway station sign, as installed
  • The plaque affixed to the new railway station sign
    The plaque affixed to the new railway station sign

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Halbury (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "Place Names of South Australia – H". The Manning Index of South Australian History. Government of South Australia.
  3. ^ "PORT WAKEFIELD RAILWAY". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 21 August 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. ^ "PORT WAKEFIELD RAILWAY". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 10 August 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. ^ ""THE BIG PUSH."". The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 1 August 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  6. ^ Horse and Steam, Wheat and Copper Callaghan, W.H. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, January;February, 2002 pp9-27;46-63
  7. ^ "Stations Remembered: SAR – Halbury, Hoyleton & Kybunga by Steve McNicol – Paperback – 1st Edition 1st Printing – 2021 – from Train World Pty Ltd (SKU: ARMP-0223)". Biblio.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Stations Remembered: SAR – Halbury, Hoyleton & Kybunga by Steve McNicol – Paperback – 1st Edition 1st Printing – 2021 – from Train World Pty Ltd (SKU: ARMP-0223)". Biblio.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Shamus Liptrot Cycling Trail – Clare Valley Tourism". clarevalley.com.au. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Shamus Liptrot Cycling Trail, Balaklava to Halbury". Walking SA. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  11. ^ Halbury Railway sign plaque 18Apr2022.jpg

Media related to Halbury, South Australia at Wikimedia Commons