Warooka Home Page

Entrance to Warooka from Yorketown, showing Institute.
In the early days farmers of the locality found that even though the pastures were luch, their sheep lost condition and lambs lost control of their limbs*. It was noticed that the samecondition prevailed in the South East of Australia, Kangaroo Island and the South Western District of Victoria. In 1876 it was believed to be due to vapours arising from mangrove swamps and was called the Coast Disease**. However, in the late 1920's it was discovered the disease was due to deficiencies in the soil of minerals such as cobalt, copper and manganese. These minerals, although not required to make pastures grow, were absorbed by plant life and passed on to the sheep. The problem for this area was overcome by adding manganese to the superphosphate when topdressing the pastures***. *"The Weekly Times". Farmers Handbook. Page 64. **West of the Peesey. Page 1. ***West of the Peesey Page 64

On September the 19th, 1902, Warooka was shaken by a very severe earthquake, Sir Charles Todd, who was Government Astronomer at the time, calculated the epicentre to be at Warooka. Mr GF Dodwell, employed at the Government Meteorological Bureau, estimated the epicentre to be near Troubridge Island where the lighthouse was severely damaged in the same earthquake. However, as there is a geological fault which extends from Warooka into St Vincent Gulf, and passing near Troubridge Island, it would appear the whole area was subject to the same shock wave. The shock was severe enough to stop the Glenelg Town Hall clock and was felt down in the south east of South Australia and to the north as far as Orroroo*. *The Geology of Yorke Peninsula

The earthquake, which lasted three minutes, caused the brick chimneys of the hotel to collapse and at least two houses were severely damaged*. *West of the Peesey. Page 94

A great many Irish people settled in this area and in 1876 the foundation stone of the first Catholic Church, St Brigid's, was laid.

In 1877 James McCabe, a mason, built the Warooka Hotel*. *West of the Peesey. Page 9

Warooka. SA Memory

Warooka is thought to mean 'muddy waterhole.' The site of the township of Warooka was originally farmland owned by Nicholas Player jr. A township sprang up here amongst the pastoral properties in the 1870s, with a post office in existence from 1874. By 1885 the town had a population of 400. A Methodist Church was opened in 1874, and this housed the public school from 1879 until 1882.

A jetty at nearby Point Turton was petitioned for in 1874, and when completed in October 1877 was just over 90 metres long. It was needed for the export of the locally grown grain, as well as the convenient shipping of goods for Warooka.

The Norwegian barque Ethel was stranded at the bottom of Yorke Peninsula near Warooka during a ferocious storm in January 1904. The only life lost was that of a sailor Leonard Stenersen, who drowned while attempting to secure a line to the shore. The ship was successfully refloated in May, but almost immediately an unexpected gale blew up, washing the ship back onto the shore, and causing the hull to crack. The remains of the Ethel can still be seen today.

State Library of South Australia - B 32265 - Baker Bros. at Warooka 1910

SOUTHERN YORKE'S PENINSULA.

[From a Special Correspondent.] Tue 29 Nov 1883

Leaving Yorketown I started for Warooka, a small but thriving township fifteen miles to the westward. The road is metalled nearly the whole way, and for about half the distance lies through land of fair quality. The farmhouses are for the most part good substantial buildings, and there is an appearance of permanence about them not seen in many districts. A peculiar feature of the country about here is the great number of salt lakes. I saw dozens of them. They vary in size from half an acre to upwards of two hundred acres. They are all shallow, none of them being more than about a couple of feet deep, and in summer time, when the water has evaporated the beds of the lakes are covered with a deposit of salt and gypsum which can be easily utilised for commercial purposes. A singular thing about these lakes is the fact that almost invariably the western banks are comparatively steep and broken, while those on the east are flat and shallow. They cover an aggregate of thousands of acres, and although in most cases the land is cultivated to their very edge they can be put to little practical use. Before reaching Warooka the traveller by making a short detour can pass through Moorowie station. This is the property of Mr. William Fowler, of Yarroo, Kulpara, and was for many years his residence. The homestead has been long occupied by Mr. Geo. Phillips, the manager of the station, During last winter some new ground on this station was broken up, ploughed, and sown, and the crop was looking splendid, and far better than anything I saw during the whole of my trip. Mr. Phillips expects to reap at least twenty bushels an acre, and rather more than this may be obtained from the best of the ground. The extent of this good soil is, however, limited, and the average of the whole 500 acres sown will probably be about fifteen bushels. The whole country about here when I saw it was well grassed, and all kinds of farm and station stock were looking in first-rate condition. Between Moorowie and Warooka lies the "Big Swamp." This is a flat miserable piece of country, about four miles wide from east to west and six miles from north to south, of rough limestone formation, with patches of saltbush growing about. In winter it is said to be nearly all under water, and crossing it at that time of the year in the face of a gale of wind must be a treat. From the geological appearances there can scarcely be a doubt that at no very remote age what is now known as the "swamp" was simply a narrow strait between Hardwicke Bay on the north and Sturt Bay on the south, through which the sea found its way. All the land here is useless. Getting on to Warooka the aspect of the country changes wonderfully, and I again saw some capital wheat paddocks. The township is well situated on a ridge of the Peasey Ranges, commanding a very extensive view in every direction. There are a public-house, a store, post-office, two village blacksmiths, a State school, a good sized and handsome Roman Catholic Church, a small Wesleyan Chapel, and a police-station. The view of the surrounding country, with the sea, the shipping, and Point Turton jetty is picturesque. The Warookaites are justly proud of their city on the hill, and woe betide the unfortunate visitor who fails to appreciate and express his admiration of the place. A large portion of the farming and about here is the property of Mr. J. Day, of Edithburgh, and the crops about the township will not be less than from 10 to 12 bushels per acre. I saw some self-sown hay crops on the slope of the hill which reached a couple of tons per acre.

Proceeding by the south coast eastward for about twenty miles Tucockcowie in passed through a small station formerly owned by Mr. W. Gilbert, of Pewsey Vale, but now in the hands of Messrs. C. & J. Day, and Port Moorowie is reached. There is not much farming along the line of road. At Port Moorowie, and from there to Mount Melville, most of the ground is taken up, but the area of good land is extremely limited. The population is small, the farms are poor, and the paddocks are nearly all very dirty. Not more than five or six bushels will be reaped through most of the district, although three or four paddocks looked as if they would yield about eight bushels. There is a good jetty at Port Moorowie, which is used only for shipping wool and wheat. The village of Mount Melville has decayed considerably, and the little public school which was formerly conducted there has been closed.

State Library of South Australia - B 33389 - Warooka Bakery 1940

State Library of South Australia - B 26755 - View of Warooka 1926

State Library of South Australia - B 32092 - Memorial Hall, Warooka 1930

State Library of South Australia - B 32183 - Warooka Hotel after the earthquake 1902

State Library of South Australia - B 32186 - Warooka Methodist Church 1930

State Library of South Australia - B 32156 - Mr James Murdock's home at Warooka 1900

State Library of South Australia - B 32082 - Scrub rolling near Warooka 1910

State Library of South Australia - B 32196 - Team of eight drawing a cutti-packer 1910

State Library of South Australia - B 62599

WAROOKA: Four fishermen standing outside the local Warooka garage where they each hold a large crayfish caught at Pondalowie Bay near Warooka, South Australia 1930