Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier is a city in the state of South Australia. It is the second-largest city in the state and is located in the southeastern part of South Australia, close to the border with Victoria. The city is famous for its unique landscape, which was formed by a volcano.
| Mount Gambier South Australia | |||||||||
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Commercial Street | |||||||||
Mount Gambier | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°49′46″S 140°46′58″E / 37.82944°S 140.78278°E | ||||||||
| Population | 25,591 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||
| • Density | 132.39/km2 (342.89/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Established | 1854 | ||||||||
| Area | 193.3 km2 (74.6 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACDT (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||
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| County | Grey | ||||||||
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Geography
Mount Gambier is built on the slopes of a volcano of the same name. This volcano is considered dormant. The area is known for its volcanic features, including:
- Blue Lake: This is a large crater lake that is the city's main water source. It is famous for its color, which changes from a dark steel-grey in the winter to a bright, brilliant blue in the summer. The traditional owners of the land, the Bungandidj people, call the lake "Waawor".
- Umpherston Sinkhole: This is a collapsed cave that has been turned into a beautiful sunken garden. It is a popular tourist attraction where you can see possums and other animals. It is also known as "Balumbul" in the local Indigenous language.
- Other Caves and Sinkholes: The region has many other limestone caves and sinkholes that are popular with visitors and cave divers.
History
The area was first seen by a British explorer in 1800. The city itself was founded in 1854. It was first called "Gambier Town" and was named after Admiral James Gambier. The town grew quickly because it was an important center for the surrounding farming and forestry industries. Mount Gambier officially became a city in 1954.
Economy
The economy of Mount Gambier is based on a few key industries:
- Farming: The land around Mount Gambier is very fertile because of the volcanic soil. This makes farming, especially dairy farming and raising sheep, an important industry.
- Forestry: The area has many large forests, so the timber industry is also a big part of the local economy.
- Tourism: Because of its unique volcanic attractions, Mount Gambier is a major tourist destination. Many people stop there when traveling between Adelaide and Melbourne.
Climate
Mount Gambier has a temperate mediterranean climate (Csb), having mild to warm, dry summers with very cool days; mild springs and autumns with moderate rainfall; and cool winters with heavy rainfall. August is the wettest month, with an average of 100.4mm of rain falling on 21 days; and February normally records the lowest rainfall, with an average of 25.7&mm on 7 days. The highest temperature recorded in Mount Gambier was 45.9°C on 20 December 2019.[2] The lowest temperature recorded was −3.9°C on 20 June 1950 and 2 July 1960.[3]
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mount Gambier (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ↑ [1]Bureau of Meteorology, Mount Gambier, South Australia, January 2014 Daily Weather Observations Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2 February 2014.
- ↑ Climate of Mount Gambier. bom.gov.au