Wanbi, South Australia

Wanbi is a township on the Karoonda Highway in the Australian state of South Australia, about 160 kilometres (99 mi) east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 56 kilometres (35 mi) north-east of the municipal seat of Karoonda.^[5][1] Situated on a ridgeline covered by mallee trees, it has a one-street layout common to many South Australian townships. A hotel, advertised as being "in the heart of the scrub, stumps and sand", was built in 1932,^[9] when commercial activity was increasing and a general store, cream depot and several houses – most housing South Australian Railways employees – were present.^[10]

Wanbi Hotel in 1972. Memorabilia of the former nearby railway station and the South Australian Railways are displayed here.

Wanbi South Australia
Wanbi
Coordinates	34°46′08″S 140°18′36″E[1]
Population	23 (SAL 2021)[2]
Established	9 July 1914 (town) 11 November 1999 (locality)[3][1][4]
Postcode(s)	5310[5]
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT (UTC+10:30)
Location	157 km (98 mi) E of Adelaide 56 km (35 mi) NE of Karoonda
LGA(s)	District Council of Karoonda East Murray[1]
Region	Murray and Mallee[1]
County	Albert[1]
State electorate(s)	Hammond[6]
Federal division(s)	Barker[7]
Mean max temp[8] Mean min temp[8] Annual rainfall[8] 23.6 °C 74 °F 8.7 °C 48 °F 271.1 mm 10.7 in
Localities around Wanbi: Caliph Caliph Veitch Halidon Mindarie Wanbi Alawoona Schell Well Halidon Sandalwood Sandalwood
Footnotes	Locations[5][1] Adjoining localities[1]

Like much of the central and northern parts of the Murraylands, the sandy soil, inferior for cropping, was not attractive to would-be farmers. When it became evident that settlement was unlikely to proceed outward from the river to such areas, the state government decided – in contrast to its policy elsewhere of building railways following settlement – that the Mallee could only be opened up for settlement if the railway were built first.^[11] Wanbi railway station was established in 1912 on the 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad-gauge railway line built to Paringa.^{[note 1]} Thirteen years later, it became a junction when the Yinkanie branchline was opened.^[12] Wanbi became busier, meeting some of the needs of the branchline communities and railway staff alike. However, in the mid-1960s, the Moorook citrus-fruit cooperatives ceased sending their product by rail from Yinkanie, removing a large portion of the paying freight handled at the terminus. Along the line, grain and superphosphate lingered on, together with some general freight, until 1971, when the branch was closed. In 1996, the mainline through Wanbi, en route to Loxton^{[note 2]} was converted to 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge.^[13] In 2015, that line also closed.^[14]

Notes

1. Later extended over the River Murray to Barmera.
2. Later shortened to Tookayerta.

References

1. "Search results for 'Wanbi, LOCB' with the following datasets being selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Government Towns', 'Counties', 'Local Government Areas', 'SA Government Regions' and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wanbi (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
3. Bice, John G. (9 July 1914). "Town of Wanbi" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 66. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
4. Kentish, P.M. (11 November 1999). "Geographical Names Act 1991 Notice to Assign Boundaries to Places (in the District Council of Karoonda East Murray)" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 2321. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
5. "Postcode for Sandalwood, South Australia". Postcodes Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
6. "District of Hammond (map)". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
7. "Federal electoral division of Barker, boundary gazetted 16 December 2011" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
8. "Summary (climate) statistics CALIPH (nearest weather station)". Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
9. "The Wanbi Hotel". Ray White. 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
10. Olds, Cliff (1996). Wouldn't have missed it for quids: memoirs of a South Australian railwayman. Welland, South Australia: Gresley Publishing. p. 445. ISBN 187621600X.
11. Kloeden, Andrea; Kloeden, Paul (1998). "Heritage of the Murray Mallee" (PDF). Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
12. "The Moorook Railway". The Chronicle. Adelaide. 12 September 1925. p. 52. Retrieved 27 June 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
13. Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R. (2000). Australian railway routes 1854–2000. Redfern, New South Wales: Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. p. 54. ISBN 0909650497.
14. Strathearn, Peri (21 May 2015). "End of line for Murraylands, Mallee grain trains". The Murray Valley Standard. Fairfax Regional Media. Retrieved 4 August 2015.