Edithburgh

Edithburgh is a small town on the south-east corner of Yorke Peninsula situated on the coastline of Salt Creek Bay, in the state of South Australia.

Edithburghis a small town on the south-east corner of Yorke Peninsula situated on the coastline of Salt Creek Bay, in the state of South Australia. Edithburgh is about 50 km (31 mi) west of Adelaide across Gulf St Vincent, but 226 km (140 mi) away by road. At the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 516of which454 lived in its town centre.Edithburgh is in the Yorke Peninsula Council, the South Australian House of Assembly electoral district of Narungga and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Grey.

In the Narangga language of the Indigenous Narungga people, Edithburgh was known by the place name Pararmarati. Some sources give the pronunciation "Barram-marrat-tee".The first European pioneers arrived in the 1840s and were sheep graziers and pastoralists. With closer settlement, in 1869 the Marine Board fixed a site for a jetty to service the developing farming district. An adjacent town was then surveyed, the layout closely emulating (on a smaller scale) that of Adelaide, with a belt of parklands. Edithburgh was named by Governor Sir James Fergusson after his wife Edith. The new jetty opened in 1873.

From 20-21 November 2019, at least 11 homes were destroyed or damaged by fires burning across the Yorke Peninsula. On the 21 November, a stubble fire threatened Edithburgh, Coobowie and Wool Bay as it burnt towards the coast, fanned by strong south-westerly winds. At the height of the emergency, many residents of the area took shelter overnight in the Edithburgh Town Hall. No lives were lost, and it was found to have been caused by a power network fault.

Occupying a commanding position on the coastline at semi-circular Salt Creek Bay, Edithburgh is noted for its magnificent seascapes which include steep rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. Troubridge Island can be seen offshore. As a result, tourism is now a growth industry. It is a popular holiday destination with a variety of accommodation types available including a caravan park. The Troubridge Hotel and the Edithburgh Hotel sit diagonally opposite each other at the intersection of Blanche and Edith Streets, both named after Governor Fergusson's daughters.

For those who prefer not to swim in the open sea, the town has a unique seawater swimming pool constructed at the shoreline. Its sheltered waters are refreshed with each rising tide.