Towitta, South Australia

Towitta South Australia
Towitta
Coordinates	34.53°S 139.255°E / -34.53; 139.255
Population	26 (SAL 2021)[1]
Established	1 June 1876[2]
Postcode(s)	5353
Location	8 km (5 mi) northwest of Sedan
LGA(s)	Mid Murray Council
State electorate(s)	Chaffey
Federal division(s)	Barker
Localities around Towitta: Truro Keyneton Towitta Sedan
Footnotes	[3]

Towitta is a locality in the Murray Mallee region of South Australia at the foot of the eastern side of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is a rural community dominated by growing cereal grain crops. Its name is taken from Tewitty, the native name of a permanent spring nearby.[3] The town was surveyed by H.C. Talbot in March 1876, and the Towitta public school was open from 1880 to 1942.[4]

The murder of Bertha Schippan in January 1902 occurred on a farm to the north of the township of Towitta. Her sister Mary was later acquitted in Adelaide of the murder, which has never been officially solved.[5] In 1984, the ABC produced a television film titled The Schippan Mystery covering the case.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Towitta (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. Musgrave Jnr., A. (1 June 1876). "Untitled proclamation re the Town of Towitta" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 1048. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
3. "Placename Details: Towitta (LOCB)". Property Location Browser Report. Government of South Australia. 4 March 2010. SA0010046. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
4. "School = Towitta - Teachers listed by year". Teachers. University of South Australia. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
5. Royal, Simon (19 February 2017). "'Sensational' Towitta murder mystery of 1902 keeping residents guessing to this day". Retrieved 25 September 2018.