Incubator escapee wiki

Port Pirie

Article Discussion

{{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian place

Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, Template:Convert<ref>UBD South Australia and Northern Territory Country Road Atlas, 6th Edition, 2005. Universal Publishers Pty Ltd. Template:ISBN</ref> north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an expansive history which dates back to 1845. Port Pirie was the first proclaimed regional city in South Australia, and is currently the second most important and second busiest port in SA.<ref>https://www.stateprosperity.sa.gov.au/upper-spencer-gulf</ref>

At the 2021 Census, Port Pirie had a population of 13,896.<ref name="ABS2021"/> Port Pirie is the eighth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Gawler, Mount Barker, Whyalla, Murray Bridge and Port Lincoln.

The city's economy is dominated by one of the world's largest lead smelters,<ref name="ABC2018">Port Pirie's lead smelter at risk of breaching licence to operate due to spike in lead levels ABC News, 8 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2019.</ref> operated by Nyrstar.<ref name="Zinifex PP">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It also produces refined silver, copper, acid, gold and various other by-products.

In 2014, the smelter underwent a $650 million upgrade, of which $291 million was underwritten by the state government to replace some of the old existing plant and to reduce airborne lead emissions drastically.<ref name="ABCreferb">Port Pirie smelter could reopen old high-polluting sinter plant after new infrastructure damaged ABC News, 13 August 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2021.</ref> Regardless of these upgrades, blood lead levels in young children continue to rise. In 2021 a report from the South Australian Health Department found an average blood level of 7.3 μg/dL in young children, compared to a finding of 5.3 μg/dL in 2014, and an upward trend of airborne lead levels.<ref name="ABC2021lead">Port Pirie lead levels in two-year-olds hit 10-year high after Nyrstar's EPA licence breach ABC News, 22 February 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.</ref>

HistoryEdit

Prior to British settlement, the location that became Port Pirie was occupied by the indigenous tribe of Nukunu. The location was called 'Tarparrie', which is suspected to mean "Muddy Creek".Template:Cn The first European to see the location was Matthew Flinders in 1802, as he explored the Spencer Gulf by boat. The first land discovery of the location by a European was by the explorer Edward Eyre, who explored regions around Port Augusta. John Horrocks also discovered a pass through the Flinders Ranges to the coast, now named Horrocks Pass.Template:Cn

The town was originally called Samuel's Creek after the discovery of Muddy Creek by Samuel Germein. In 1846, Port Pirie Creek was named by Governor Robe after the Template:Ship, the first vessel to navigate the creek when transporting sheep from Bowman's Run near Crystal Brook. In 1848, Matthew Smith and Emanuel Solomon bought Template:Convert and subdivided it as a township to be known as Port Pirie. Little development occurred on site and by the late 1860s there were only three woolsheds on the riverfront.<ref>Erik Eklund, Mining Towns: making a living, making a life, New South Publishing, Sydney, 2012, p. 137</ref>

The locality was surveyed as a government town in December 1871 by Charles Hope Harris. The thoroughfares and streets were named after the family of George Goyder, Surveyor General of South Australia.Template:Cn In 1873, the land of Solomon and Smith was re-surveyed and named Solomontown. On 28 September 1876, with a population of 947, Port Pirie was declared a municipality.<ref>https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/port-pirie-sa</ref>

With the discovery of rich ore bearing silver, lead and zinc at Broken Hill in 1883, and the completion of a narrow gauge railway from Port Pirie to close to the Broken Hill field in 1888, the economic activities of the town underwent profound change. In 1889 a lead smelter was built by the British Blocks company to treat the Broken Hill ore. BHP initially leased the smelter from British Blocks but began constructing its own smelter from 1892. In 1913, the Russian consul-general Alexander Abaza reported that Port Pirie had a population of more than 500 Russians, mostly Ossetians, who had come to work at the smelter. At that time the town supported a Russian-language school and library.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1915, the smelter was taken over by Broken Hill Associated Smelters (BHAS) – a joint venture of companies operating in Broken Hill. Led by the Collins House Group, by 1934 BHAS became the biggest lead smelter in the world.<ref>Eklund, Mining Towns, pp. 137-138.</ref> The smelter gradually passed to Pasminco, then Zinifex, and since 2007 has been operated by Nyrstar.<ref>https://www.nyrstar.com/operations/metals-processing/nyrstar-port-pirie</ref>

In 1921, the town's population had grown to 9,801, living in 2,308 occupied dwellings. By this date, there were 62 boarding houses to cater for the labour demands at the smelter, and the increasingly busy waterfront.<ref>Eklund, Mining Towns, pp. 143-144.</ref>

During World War II (1941-1943), a Bombing and Gunnery school (2BAGS) was established by the Royal Air Force at Port Pirie. 22 men lost their lives there during training exercises. It was re-designated the 3 Aerial Observers School (3AOS) in December 1943.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Port Pirie was declared South Australia's first provincial city in 1953, and today it is South Australia's second-largest port.<ref>https://www.stateprosperity.sa.gov.au/upper-spencer-gulf</ref>

Heritage listingsEdit

File:Pt Pirie butcher 21503.jpg
The former Sampson's butcher shop at 64-68 Ellen Street has been converted into a residence.

The city is characterised by an attractive main street and some interesting and unusual historic buildings.<ref>"Port Pirie", Travel section, smh.com.au, 17 February 2005. Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> Heritage-listed sites include:

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 94 Ellen Street: Sample Rooms, rear of Portside Tavern<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 134 Ellen Street: Family Hotel<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 32 Florence Street: Carn Brae<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DemographicsEdit

In the Template:CensusAU, the population of the Port Pirie urban area was 13,896 people. Approximately 51.0% of the population were female, 85.9% were Australian born, and 5.2% were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Port Pirie has significant Italian and Greek communities.

In 2021, the most popular industries for employment were copper, silver, lead and zinc smelting and refining (11.0%), non-psychiatric hospitals (6.0%), residential aged care (4.3%), other social assistance services (4.2%) and supermarket and grocery stores (3.9%). The unemployment rate was 7.7%. The median weekly household income was A$1044 per week. 48.5% of the population identified with no religion, while 21.0% identified themselves as Catholic.<ref name="ABS2021"/>

GeographyEdit

Port Pirie is at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level. It is approximately Template:Convert inland, on the Pirie River, which is a tidal saltwater inlet from Spencer Gulf. It is on the coastal plain between Spencer Gulf to the west, and the Flinders Ranges to the east.

ClimateEdit

Port Pirie has a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), with hot, dry summers and cool, somewhat wetter winters. The town is above Goyder's Line, and is surrounded by mallee scrub. Temperatures vary throughout the year, with average maxima ranging from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in July, and average minima fluctuating between Template:Convert in February and Template:Convert in July. Annual precipitation is low, averaging Template:Convert, with a maximum in winter. There are 78.3 precipitation days, 125.0 clear days and 100.0 cloudy days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from Template:Convert on 4 January 1979 to Template:Convert on 27 June 1958.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:Weather box

TransportEdit

Port Pirie is Template:Convert off the Augusta Highway. It is serviced by Port Pirie Airport, six kilometres south of the city.

RailwaysEdit

The first railway in Port Pirie opened in 1875 when the South Australian Railways Template:RailGauge gauge Port Pirie-Cockburn line opened to Gladstone, ultimately being extended to Broken Hill.<ref>Wilson, John, Port Pirie - The Narrow Gauge Era (1873–1935), Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, March 1970, pp. 49–62</ref> The original Ellen Street station was located on the street with the track running down the middle.<ref>Bakewell, Guy and Wilson, John, Farewell to Ellen Street, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin September 1968, pp. 210–213</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The station today is occupied by the Port Pirie National Trust Museum.<ref>Port Pirie National Trust Museum Template:Webarchive Explore South Australia</ref>

In 1937, it became a break-of-gauge station when the broad gauge Adelaide-Redhill line was extended to Port Pirie. At the same time the Commonwealth Railways standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway was extended south from Port Augusta to terminate at the new Port Pirie Junction station where it met the broad gauge line, in the suburb of Solomontown.<ref>Solomontown Railway Station Adelaide Advertiser 14 July 1937</ref><ref>Port Pirie Template:Webarchive National Railway Museum</ref>

As far back as 1943, a plan existed to build a new station to remove trains from Ellen Street.<ref>Council Wants No Trains in Ellen Street The Recorder 31 March 1943</ref> As part of the gauge conversion of the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line, Mary Elie Street station was built to replace both Ellen Street and Port Pirie Junction stations.<ref>The Planning & Evaluation of Rail Standardisation Projects in Australia GR Webb 1976</ref>

When opened, the new station was the meeting point for the Commonwealth Railways and South Australian Railways networks with through trains changing locomotives and crews, so the disadvantages were not as notable. However, after both became part of Australian National in July 1975 and trains began to operate in and out with the same locomotives, trains began to operate via Coonamia station on the outskirts of the city.

Mary Ellie Street station was eventually closed in the 1990s and in 2009 was redeveloped as the city's library. Until 2012, a GM class locomotive and three carriages were stabled at the platform.<ref>Port Pirie Marie Elie Street Display Western Langford Railway Photography</ref>

A freight line continues to operate into Port Pirie, feeding the metals plant with raw materials from Broken Hill, and transporting the processed material to Adelaide. This line is managed by Bowmans Rail.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

Sea transportEdit

Port Pirie's marine facilities, managed by Flinders Ports, handle up to 100 ship visits annually, up to Handymax size, for commodities such as mineral concentrates, refined lead and zinc, coal, grain, and general cargo.<ref>Access to Prime Infrastructure Port Pirie Regional Council. Retrieved 26 February 2020.</ref>

Bridge to nowhereEdit

File:John Pirie Bridge.jpg
John Pirie Bridge

John Pirie Bridge, locally known as "the bridge to nowhere", was built in the 1970s to encourage development of industry on the other side of Port Pirie Creek. Construction cost $410,000 and lasted 26 weeks. It was officially named the John Pirie Bridge in 1980. The land across the bridge remains undeveloped.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EconomyEdit

The main industries are the smelting of metals, and the operation of silos to hold grain.

Template:As of, Port Pirie is the locality of the largest lead smelter and refinery in the southern hemisphere; a lead smelter has been there since the 1880s. The owner since 2007, Nyrstar, is the city's main employer.,<ref name="Zinifex PP"/> and high blood lead levels in the local population are an ongoing concern.<ref name="ABC2018" /> In 2006 Zinifex formed a joint venture with Umicore to create Nyrstar, which owns the smelter, with the intention that it would eventually be an entity separate from the parent companies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>


Waterfront developmentEdit

The PPRC completed a major redevelopment of its foreshore area in 2014 including the construction of the Solomontown Beach Plaza, opening up Beach abroad to through traffic, replacing lighting along the beach and improving security.

Efforts to combat lead poisoningEdit

Template:Further Lead smelters contribute to several environmental problems, especially raised lead levels in the blood of some of the town population. The problem is particularly significant in many children who have grown up in the area. A state government project addressed this.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Update inline Nyrstar plans to progressively reduce lead in blood levels such that ultimately 95% of all children meet the national goal of 10 micrograms per decilitre. This has been known as the "tenby10" project. Community lead in blood levels in children are now at less than half the level that they were in the mid 1980s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Port Pirie smelter conducted a project to reduce lead levels in children to less than 10 micrograms per decilitre by the end of 2010.<ref name="tenby10.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Update inline

"The goal we are committed to achieving is for at least 95% of our children aged 0 to 4 to have a blood lead level below ten micrograms per decilitre of blood (the first ten in tenby10) by the end of 2010" (the second ten in tenby10).<ref name="tenby10.com"/>

Higher concentrations of lead have been found in the organs of bottlenose dolphins stranded near the lead smelter, compared to dolphins stranded elsewhere in South Australia.<ref>Lavery, T.J., Butterfield, N., Kemper, C.M., Reid, R.J., Sanderson, K. 2008. Metals and selenium in the liver and bone of three dolphin species from South Australia, 1988–2004. Science of the Total Environment, 390: 77–85</ref> The health impacts of these metals on dolphins has been examined and some associations between high metal concentrations and kidney toxicity were noted.<ref>Lavery, T.J., Kemper, C.M., Sanderson, K., Schultz, C.G., Coyle, P., Mitchell, J.G., Seuront, L. 2008. Heavy metal toxicity of kidney and bone tissues in South Australian adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus), {{#invoke:doi|main}}</ref>

EducationEdit

Port Pirie has many educational institutions, including John Pirie Secondary School<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (years 7–12), St Mark's College<ref>St Mark's College Template:Webarchive</ref> (Foundation - year 12), Mid North Christian College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (reception - year 12), many preschools and primary schools, and a TAFE campus (adult education).

Risdon Park High School (formerly Port Pirie Technical High School) was a co-ed state school.<ref name="NLAgov">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1973, Port Pire Technical High School changed its name to Ridson Park High School,<ref name="NLAgov" /> and in 1995 the school merged with Port Pirie High School forming John Pirie Secondary School.<ref name="NLAgov" />

CultureEdit

File:Port Pirie Railway Station.jpg
The former Ellen Street railway station, now a museum

Port Pirie is home to the National Trust Historic and Folk Museum and Memorial Park,Template:Cn and the Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery also serves the regional community.<ref name=pprc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Every September and October the city hosts a country music festival.

The Keith Michell Theatre, within the Northern Festival Centre, is named after the renowned actor Keith Michell, who grew up in Warnertown, Template:Convert from Port Pirie.Template:Citation needed

A play by actress and playwright Elena Carapetis, The Gods of Strangers, set in Port Pirie, is based on the oral histories of Greek, Cypriot and Italian people who migrated to regional South Australia after World War II. It was staged by the State Theatre Company South Australia in 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It played at the Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide as well as in Port Pirie. It was also filmed by local production company KOJO and intended to be shown by Country Arts SA in regional cinemas in 2020, but it was later shown online owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

News mediaEdit

The town's main newspaper, The Recorder, was first published 21 March 1885 as The Port Pirie Advocate and Areas News. In 1971, a brief experiment, known as the Northern Observer (7 July - 30 August 1971), occurred when The Recorder and The Transcontinental from Port Augusta were published under a combined title in Port Pirie.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Recorder, which is still in print today (Tuesdays and Thursdays), has recently changed to a morning paper, after being delivered at around 3:00 pm.<ref>The Recorder - About Us Accessed 2 June 2013.</ref> Other Port Pirie newspapers include the free The Flinders News (Wednesdays), and The Advertiser, which covers some Port Pirie news, but to a very small extent.

Another newspaper, the Port Pirie Advertiser (7 April 1898 – 28 June 1924) was also published by Robert Osborne.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A further publication was the short-lived Saturday Times (6 December 1913 – 15 August 1914), printed by Roy Harold Butler and closed at the start of the Great War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Television coverage in the city is provided by the ABC, SBS, Southern Cross (7, 9 and 10) and Austar. Several radio stations cover Port Pirie, including ABC 639AM, ABC 891AM, 1044 5CS, 1242 5AU, ABC Classic FM, Radio National, ABC NewsRadio, triple j, Magic FM and Trax FM (a community radio station).

GovernanceEdit

State and federalEdit

Port Pirie West
State Elections
2006<ref>Port Pirie West Polling Booth, District of Frome, House of Assembly Division First Preferences, 2006 State Election. Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> 2009<ref>Port Pirie West Polling Booth Template:Webarchive, District of Frome, House of Assembly Division First Preferences, 2009 By-election, 24 January 2009. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref>
Template:Australian party style|  Labor 60.2% 36.6%
Template:Australian party style|  Liberal 28.8% 16.9%
Template:Australian party style|  Family First 5.7%
Template:Australian party style|  SA Greens 3.4% 2.6%
Template:Australian party style|  Democrats 1.9%
  Geoff Brock 40.9%
Template:Australian party style|  Nationals SA 2.4%
Template:Australian party style|  One Nation 0.5%
Port Pirie West
2007 Federal Election<ref>Port Pirie West Polling Booth, Division of Grey, House of Representatives Division First Preferences, 2007 Federal Election. Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref>
Template:Australian party style|  Labor 58.79%
Template:Australian party style|  Liberal 28.02%
Template:Australian party style|  Family First 5.18%
Template:Australian party style|  Greens 4.29%
Template:Australian party style|  National 1.46%
Template:Australian party style|  Democrats 1.38%
  Independent 0.89%

The results shown are from "Port Pirie West", the largest polling booth in Port Pirie, which is at the SA TAFE Campus.

Port Pirie is part of the federal division of Grey, and has been represented by Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey since 2007. Grey is held with a margin of 4.43% but is considered a safe Liberal seat.

The city is part of the state electoral district of Frome, which had been held since 1993 by former Liberal Premier, Rob Kerin, with a margin of 3.4%. It also has been considered a safe Liberal seat.

Although the region is generally Liberal-leaning because of its agricultural base, Port Pirie is an industrial centre that is favourable to the Australian Labor Party.

In late 2008, Rob Kerin announced his retirement, which led to a by-election being held in January 2009. Port Pirie mayor Geoff Brock announced his candidacy as an independent, and subsequently took the seat from the Liberals at the 2009 Frome by-election. After the poll for the by-election had closed and first preferences had been counted, (but before other preferences had been distributed), the result was LNP: 39.2%; ALP: 26.1%; Brock 23.6%; Nat: 6.6%; Greens: 3.8%; Other: 0.7%.<ref name=byelection1>Frome 2009 By-election results, abc.net.au, 2 February 2009. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref><ref name=byelection2>District of Frome - Electoral Results Template:Webarchive, Electoral Commission SA, 24 January 2009. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref>

State Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith (Liberal Party) claimed victory, prematurely.<ref>Libs claim Frome victory, AdelaideNow, 21 January 2009. Retrieved on 15 March 2009.</ref> Distribution of National Party, Greens and other preferences placed Brock ahead of the ALP candidate. Hence with the assistance of the ALP candidate's preferences, Geoff Brock won the by-election 51.7% to 48.3% for the Liberal candidate.<ref name=byelection1/><ref name=byelection2/>

Local governmentEdit

Port Pirie and some of the sparsely inhabited areas around it are in the Port Pirie Regional Council local government area.

Notable residentsEdit

SportspeopleEdit

OthersEdit

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

Template:Port Pirie Regional Council localities Template:South Australia

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://zalansite.site/mediawiki/index.php?title=Port_Pirie&oldid=295657"