Port Augusta, Australia

Port Augusta (32°29′ S 137°46′ E, population 15,250) is a town in South Australia. The town is located at the head of the Spencer Gulf, 322 km north of state capital Adelaide.

A natural harbour, the port was settled on 24 May 1852 by Alexander Elder and John Grainger. The port was named after Lady Augusta Sophia Young, the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Henry Edward Fox Young.

Government

Port Augusta is the seat of the City of Port Augusta local government area.

It is in the state electorate of Stuart, and the federal Division of Grey. Its postcode is 5700.

Railways

In 1878, the town became the southern terminus of a proposed North South transcontinental line, headed for Darwin 2500km away. This 3' 6" gauge line never got there, and was later taken over by the Commonwealth in 1910, to be renamed the Central Australian Railway.

Between 1913 and 1917, an East West Transcontinental railway 2000km long was built from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. This was built in 4' 8½" gauge as part of a long term plan to harmonise gauges between the mainland states, causing a temporary 60 year break-of-gauge at Port Augusta.

In the 1990s the Pichi Richi heritage Railway reached Port Augusta from Quorn.

The standard gauge Central Australian Railway to Darwin was finally completed in 2003.