Mount Gambier | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Commercial Street | |||||||||||||
  Mount Gambier | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:37°49′46″S140°46′58″E / 37.82944°S 140.78278°E /-37.82944; 140.78278 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | South Australia | ||||||||||||
| LGAs | |||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Established | 1854 | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area [5] (2011 urban) | |||||||||||||
• Total | 193.3 km2 (74.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 25,591 (2021 census)[2] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 132.39/km2 (342.89/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+9:30 (ACST) | ||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+10:30 (ACDT) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | |||||||||||||
| County | Grey | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 8.2 °C (46.8 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 711.1 mm (28.00 in) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Mount Gambier is the second most populated city inSouth Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes ofMount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about 450 kilometres (280 mi) south-east of the capitalAdelaide and just 17 kilometres (11 mi) from theVictorian border. Thetraditional owners of the area are theBungandidj (or Buandik) people. Mount Gambier is the most important settlement in theLimestone Coast region and the seat of government for both theCity of Mount Gambier and theDistrict Council of Grant.
The city is well known for its geographical features, particularly its volcanic and limestone features, most notablyBlue Lake/Waawor/Warwar, and its parks, gardens, caves andsinkholes.
BeforeBritish colonisation of South Australia, theBungandidj (or Buandik/Boandik) people were the originalAboriginal inhabitants of the area. They referred to the peak of the volcanic mountain as 'ereng balam' or 'egree belum', meaning 'home of the eagle hawk',[6] but the mountain itself was called Berrin. A sinkhole in the township was referred to as "thu-ghee".[7]
The peak of thedormant Mount Gambier crater was sighted in 1800 by LieutenantJames Grant from the survey brig,HMS Lady Nelson, and named after LordJames Gambier, Admiral of the Fleet. It was the first place named by the British in what was later to become the colony of South Australia. The peak is marked by Centenary Tower, built in 1901 to commemorate the first sighting by colonists.
In 1839,Stephen Henty, one of theHenty brothers who occupied large landholdings atPortland andMerino, led an overland expedition to explore the Mount Gambier region. He was the first white man to climb the peak and view theblue crater lake.[8]
TheHenty brothers subsequently laid claim to Mount Gambier in 1842 and established asheep station there.[9] Conflict with the local Aboriginal residents quickly ensued that same year with Henty's men shooting a number and burning their corpses.[10] In March 1844, a band of Aboriginal people led by Koort Kirrup took a large number of Henty's sheep. Henty's men pursued and engaged them in a prolonged skirmish which resulted in the colonists having to retreat.[11][12]
Other British pastoralists and their shepherds in the region were being robbed, speared and murdered by the local Aboriginal population and they proposed to form hunting parties to shoot them indiscriminately.[13] After the Aboriginal population destroyed between 200 and 300 sheep, the Henty brothers were forced to abandon the Mount Gambier property later in 1844 with significant loss of capital.[14]
Evelyn Sturt, the brother of the explorerCharles Sturt soon took up the leasehold, establishing himself at nearby Compton and bringing 500 cattle and 3000 sheep to pasture at Mount Gambier.[15] Sturt claimed he was able to control the Bungandidj people by "a good rifle aimed by a correct eye".[16] In May 1845, seven armed colonists pursued Aboriginal groups after livestock were taken.[17] In late 1845, the first police station at Mount Gambier was formed.[18] In 1846, theSouth Australian Mounted Police were involved in an affray with the Aboriginal people, shooting one and wounding another two.[19]
In 1847, Aboriginal people speared cattle and threatened to spear Sturt.[20] Subsequently, Corporal McCulloch and his troopers went on a mission to disperse them.[21] In November, two police and three men tracked a group of Aboriginal people who had taken about 300 sheep to the coast. In their attempt to handcuff them, spears were thrown at them, and during the ensuring fight, four were shot dead.[22]
Industries soon began to appear. The Post Office opened on 22 September 1846,[23] an Afro-American named John Byng built the Mount Gambier Hotel in 1847,[24] and Dr Edward Wehl arrived in 1849 to begin a flour-milling operation.
Hastings Cunningham founded "Gambierton" in 1854 by subdividing a block of 77 acres (31 ha). From 1861 to 1878, the Post Office was known by this name before reverting to Mount Gambier. Local government appeared in 1863 when Dr Wehl, who now owned a substantial millhouse on Commercial Road, was elected chairman of the District Council of Mount Gambier. In December 1864, this became the District Council of Mount Gambier West and, at the same time, a separate District Council of Mount Gambier East was formed.[citation needed]
Incorporation in 1876 saw a further division, with the creation of the town council and John Watson electedmayor. Mount Gambier was governed in this fashion until 1932, when the District Council of East and West merged to form a single District Council of Mount Gambier once more.[citation needed]
On 9 December 1954, Mount Gambier was officially declared a city.[25]
As of October 2022[update], the town had not been officiallydual-named, but the lakes and several other culturally significant features of the location were given dual names in February 2022, and dual naming is being planned for the city, mostly likely as Berrin, the name by which it is known to the local Indigenous community.[26]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 3,965 | — |
| 1933 | 5,542 | +39.8% |
| 1947 | 6,771 | +22.2% |
| 1954 | 10,331 | +52.6% |
| 1961 | 15,388 | +48.9% |
| 1966 | 17,251 | +12.1% |
| 1971 | 17,934 | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 19,292 | +7.6% |
| 1981 | 19,880 | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 20,813 | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 21,153 | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 22,037 | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 22,656 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 23,494 | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 27,756 | +18.1% |
| 2016 | 26,148 | −5.8% |
| 2021 | 26,734 | +2.2% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[27][28] | ||
Mount Gambier's urban area is located mainly along the northern slopes and plain of amaarvolcano of the same name,Mount Gambier. Comprising severalcraters, it is part of theNewer Volcanics Province complex of volcanoes. One of these contains a huge lake of high-qualityartesian drinking water which changes colour with the seasons. In winter, it is a steel grey and then changes to a spectacularcobalt blue in the summer, giving rise to its name,Blue Lake.
This 75-metre (246 ft) deep lake accommodates a range of unusual aquatic flora and fauna, in particular fields of largestromatolites. There are several other craters in the city includingValley Lake and the Leg of Mutton River. The region surrounding the city includes other volcanic features such asMount Schank, along with manykarst features such as water-filled caves, cenotès andsinkholes.
Mount Gambier’s urban area encompasses the City of Mount Gambier and parts of the District Council of Grant. The city’s metropolitan area includes the following suburbs: Mount Gambier CBD (inner-city suburb),Suttontown (north-western suburb),Wandilo (north-western suburb),Mil-Lel (northern suburb),Worrolong (north-eastern suburb),Glenburnie (eastern suburb),Yahl (south-eastern suburb),Compton (western suburb),Moorak (southern suburb), Square Mile (south-eastern suburb), andOB Flat (south-eastern suburb).[29]
Mount Gambier has atemperate mediterranean climate (Csb), having mild to warm, dry summers with very cool mornings; mild springs and autumns with moderate rainfall; and cool winters with high rainfall. August is the wettest month, with an average of 100.4 mm 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.[30] The lowest temperature recorded was −3.9 °C on 20 June 1950 and 2 July 1960.[31]
Mount Gambier is part of southern Australia which has seen substantialdecline in rainfall in recent decades due to anexpansion and strengthening of the subtropical high pressure zone meaning that the present rainfall is almost certainly lower than the long term average.
Mount Gambier has only 40.5 clear days on an annual basis.[32] Summer and annual mean temperatures are very cool for the latitude, being exposed to theRoaring Forties. Extreme summer minima near 0 °C (32 °F) are especially of note, as these are unheard-of in northern hemisphere locations at a similar latitude and near the coast at sea level. Snow can occasionally fall in the city with falls in 1951 and 1932.[33] Snow flakes were reported as falling in 1967 and also in 1986, the latter falling as part of the weather system which later broughtheavy snow to Hobart.
| Climate data for Mount Gambier Aero37°45′S140°46′E / 37.75°S 140.77°E /-37.75; 140.77, elev. 63 m (207 ft) (1991–2020, extremes 1942–2025) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.1 (111.4) | 44.9 (112.8) | 41.3 (106.3) | 35.8 (96.4) | 28.5 (83.3) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.4 (72.3) | 26.6 (79.9) | 32.2 (90.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 41.2 (106.2) | 45.9 (114.6) | 45.9 (114.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.6 (74.5) | 20.0 (68.0) | 16.4 (61.5) | 14.1 (57.4) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.2 (61.2) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) | 12.3 (54.1) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 7.6 (45.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 5.6 (42.1) | 5.9 (42.6) | 6.7 (44.1) | 7.5 (45.5) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.4 (50.7) | 8.6 (47.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) | 2.8 (37.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | −1.8 (28.8) | −2.8 (27.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −2.6 (27.3) | −3.4 (25.9) | −1.6 (29.1) | −0.8 (30.6) | 1.2 (34.2) | −3.9 (25.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 31.2 (1.23) | 25.7 (1.01) | 34.8 (1.37) | 49.7 (1.96) | 72.2 (2.84) | 91.5 (3.60) | 99.3 (3.91) | 100.4 (3.95) | 75.8 (2.98) | 54.2 (2.13) | 46.0 (1.81) | 40.2 (1.58) | 720.7 (28.37) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.1 | 7.1 | 11.0 | 14.1 | 18.4 | 20.0 | 21.7 | 21.0 | 19.6 | 15.4 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 180.0 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 44 | 44 | 47 | 54 | 67 | 73 | 72 | 66 | 63 | 57 | 51 | 47 | 57 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 9.6 (49.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 8.0 (46.4) | 8.7 (47.7) | 7.9 (46.2) | 7.1 (44.8) | 6.4 (43.5) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 8.1 (46.6) | 8.3 (46.9) | 8.0 (46.5) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 282.1 | 243.0 | 217.0 | 171.0 | 136.4 | 123.0 | 136.4 | 164.3 | 170.5 | 220.1 | 234.0 | 260.4 | 2,358.2 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 9.1 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 6.5 |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Meteorology (sun 1966−2016)[34] | |||||||||||||
Mount Gambier is theseat of local government for theCity of Mount Gambier.[35] The Council Chamber is in the Civic Centre at 10 Watson Terrace. In September 1875 a public meeting was held by ratepayers to discuss the creation of a municipality. The first town council was created on 25 May 1876 with local newspaper editor John Watson elected mayor. In 1932 the Town Council area was enlarged and the two surrounding district councils merged.
A declaration by Governor Sir Robert George on 9 December 1954 announced Mount Gambier was now a city. City status is achieved by reaching a population of 10,000 people. An Act of Parliament in 1953 changed the qualification from 20,000 residents to 10,000 residents. The Town Council of Mount Gambier was assigned the new name The Corporation of the City of Mount Gambier and official celebrations were held on 17 January 1955.[36]
The city consists of a mayor and tencouncillors, elected equally from the East and Westwards once every four years bypostal voting. The Mayor of Mount Gambier council is Lynette Martin. The local government area is situated entirely within theDistrict Council of Grant and due to the city's growth there have been ongoing talks of amalgamation, the most recent boundary changes taking place in 2010.[37]
Law and order for the Limestone Coast region is maintained via the Mount Gambier Police Complex at 42 Bay Road Mount Gambier, the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court at 41 Bay Road Mount Gambier and theMount Gambier Prison atMoorak south of the city.[38][39][40]
Instate politics, Mount Gambier is located in theSouth Australian House of Assemblyelectoral district of Mount Gambier, which has been held since 2014 by former Liberal Party memberTroy Bell, who was re-elected as an independent in the2018 state election.[41]
Mount Gambier also has two local representatives in the State Parliament’s Legislative Council being LiberalBen Hood and Labor’sClare Scriven.
Infederal politics, Mount Gambier is located in theAustralian House of Representativesdivision of Barker, which has been represented byTony Pasin since 2013. It is a safeLiberal Party of Australia seat.
In the 2021 Census, the population of the Mount Gambier census area was 26,878 people, making it the largest urban area in the state outsideAdelaide. Approximately 52% of the population were female, 82.8% were Australian born, over 91.5% of residents were Australian citizens and 2.8% were indigenous.[42]
The most popular industries for employment were Log Sawmilling and Timber Dressing (8%), School Education (4.8%) and Retail Trade (3.8%), while the unemployment rate is approx. 7%. The median weekly household income is A$814 or more per week, compared with $924 in Adelaide.[43]
In the 2021 Census,[42] 52.0% of residents identified themselves as having 'No Religion'. The largest religious denominations represented wereCatholics at 14.4%,Anglicans at 6.1%, andUniting Church at 4.3%.
A 1976 study found that less than 10 per cent (around 160 people) of residents aged over 65 had lived in the area for less than 5 years, leading to a lack of specific aged-care facilities.[44] The same source claimed "The government in the south-east area of the state, consisting of three local councils, amounted to a single administration. In consequence, many residents of Victoria used to look across the border to Mount Gambier as their centre. Consequently, during the 1970s many elderly locals relocated toVictor Harbor andMoonta, both rural areas but with more resources available to cope with an ageing population".
The economy of Mount Gambier is driven by all threeeconomic sectors, though it has emerged as a regionalservice economy with its main industry being theservice industry and its key areas of business includingtourism,hospitality,retail,professional services, government administration andeducation. The city's historicprimary sector roots includingmining,agriculture andforestry continue to play a key role as well as being a majorroad transport and trucking centre.
Mount Gambier is the major service centre for the region known as TheLimestone Coast. The area has many natural attractions, including volcanic craters, lakes, limestone caves, sinkholes, underground aquifers and stunning Cenotès, surrounded by a city with a wide range of accommodation, shopping and entertainment opportunities. Tourism generates around $100 million for the Mount Gambier economy.[45] The city is a major accommodation gateway for the region. Major tourism attractions include the Blue Lake/Warwar, the crater lakes, and caves such as Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul,Cave Garden / Thugi[46] andEngelbrecht Cave. Engelbrecht Cave is a popularcave diving venue. The region around Mount Gambier also has many water-filled cenotès,caves andsinkholes which attract cave divers from around the world.[47][48]
As a major service centre for the region, the city has several key retail districts including the Commercial Street CBD. Mount Gambier Marketplace, opened in August 2012, is one of three major shopping centres in the city, the other two being Mount Gambier Central (formerly known as Centro Mount Gambier) and Coles shopping complex on Ferrers Street, which was opened in December 2020.
The city'scivic centre is in the refurbished and extended old town hall andInstitute buildings. Acinema was operated in the early 1950s in this building byD. Clifford Theatres.[49]
Located around Cave Gardens, is the hub of the city's arts and includes the Riddoch Art Gallery, South Australia's major regional art gallery. It also houses theUniversity of South Australia's James Morrison Academy.[50] The complex was extended in 2011 to include "The Main Corner", a modern building which includes a theatre. Nearby are the public library, a cafe next to the library and the old post office.[citation needed]
Every year the town and the surrounding area, hosts nearly 7,000 secondary school musicians for theGenerations in Jazz Festival. Jazz artists likeJames Morrison, Ross Irwin, andGraeme Lyall travel to perform and adjudicate the stage band competition. Special guests have includedGordon Goodwin and hisBig Phat Band,Whycliffe Gordon and recently (2017) theAdelaide Symphony Orchestra.[51]
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church was built in 1871 inGothic Revival style. Its spire has been rebuilt or repaired several times: in 1885, 1897 (after it was damaged in an earthquake), 1928, and again in 1980. The building was renamed St Andrew's Uniting Church after a merger of several denominations, and was inscribed on theSouth Australian Heritage Register. Owing to the escalating costs of repairs, the church voted in October 2025 to sell the building, and the congregation will worship in another venur from January 2026.[52]
The local newspaper for Mount Gambier, Limestone Coast and South East region of South Australia isThe Border Watch. It is published and available in the local area every Tuesday through Friday (with the exception of some public holidays such as Christmas Day). Daily newspapers from Melbourne (Herald Sun andThe Age) and Adelaide (The Advertiser) as well as national newspapers such asThe Australian andAustralian Financial Review are also available. Some newspapers from nearby towns such asMillicent andPenola, specialty newspapers like the BritishInternational Express weekly newspaper, agricultural newspapers such asThe Weekly Times newspaper from Victoria andThe South Australian Stock Journal (published byAustralian Community Media) andThe Independent Weekly from Adelaide are also available from local newsagents.
Historically, the town was served by multiple newspapers.[53] Two earlier papers, the biweeklyMount Gambier Standard (3 May 1866 – 1874),[54] and theSouth Eastern Star (2 October 1877 – 13 October 1930), were taken over byThe Border Watch. Another, theSouth-Eastern Ensign (2 July 1875 – 30 June 1876), was also briefly printed. Later, a free commercial paper, theExchange (1902 – 8 October 1942) ran in opposition to theWatch, and was published by the Clark family. However, it ceased when the Second World War caused paper restrictions and a decline in advertising.[55]
Channel Nine broadcasts Nine Network programming,Channel Seven broadcast Seven Network programming & WIN Television broadcasts Network 10 programming. The programming schedules for these channels is the same asChannel Nine,Channel Seven andChannel 10 in Adelaide, with local commercials inserted on SDS/RDS and LGS/LRS and some variations for coverage ofAustralian Football League orNational Rugby League matches, state and national news and current affairs programs, some lifestyle and light entertainment shows and infomercials. As of February 2013, there are no local news programs for the Mount Gambier area since the closure of WIN Television's news operation. WIN Television also broadcastsSky News Regional programming, the programming schedule for these multichannel is the same asSky News Australia andFox Sports News, with local commercials inserted. SES/RTS, since 30 June 2024, took a directdirty feed of SAS-7 Adelaide, after WIN ended its local advertising agreement with the Seven Network.
On 11 November 2011, WIN Television commenced transmission of the digital TV multi-channels10 Drama,10 Comedy,9Go!,9Gem,7two (an acronym of "72") and7mate for Mount Gambier and the surrounding South East region of South Australia.[56]
Due to the close proximity to the Victoria/South Australia state border, most people in Mount Gambier and some adjacent areas of southeast South Australia can receive television services from Western Victoria. These channels are broadcast from the Mount Dundas transmitter near the town ofCavendish, Victoria. The transmitter site is located approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Mount Gambier and broadcasts all the television channels from Western Victoria includingSeven Regional Victoria (AMV),WIN Television'sNine Victoria (VTV),Network 10 (BCV), the ABC and SBS Victorian services, as well as the digital free-to-air multi-channels that are also now available from the Mount Burr transmitter, north west of Mount Gambier.
As of 16 June 2025, reception of Western Victoria (Ballarat) TV services from Mount Dundas will be the only way Mount Gambier residents will be able to pick up terrestrialSeven Network broadcasts, after WIN Television announced it would cease local transmissions of its Seven Network services in Mount Gambier and surrounding areas, including Loxton, beginning 1 July 2025.[57]
As of 3 July 2025, WIN Television resumed it's local transmission of theSeven Network service into Mount Gambier region.
Some ABC radio services can also be received from the nearby town of Naracoorte and from Western Victoria.
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There are fourAustralian rules football teams competing in theLimestone Coast Football Netball League:North Gambier,East Gambier,South Gambier and West Gambier. They have produced such AFL players asDavid Marshall,Nick Daffy,Matthew Clarke,Tim O'Brien andBrad Close. Notable AFLW players include:Jenna McCormick.
There is also a range of different sporting leagues and clubs in Mount Gambier and surrounding regions, including soccer, netball, basketball, tennis, hockey, cricket, swimming, volleyball, cycling, triathlon,[60] rifle, gun and pistol shooting, lawn bowls, ten-pin bowling, angling, archery and golf.[61]
Motor sport is also popular, with the main facilities being theMcNamara Park road racing circuit, and theBorderline Speedway, a 372-metre (407 yd)dirt track oval speedway nicknamed "The Bullring". Borderline Speedway hosts an annualSprintcar event called the "Kings Challenge", first run in 1995 and is held in January each year a week before theGrand Annual Sprintcar Classic in nearbyWarrnambool (Victoria), and two weeks before theAustralian Sprintcar Championship. Borderline has played host to many Australian and South Australian speedway championships throughout its over 50-year history and is regarded as one of the best run and promoted speedways in Australia. The speedway is currently managed and promoted by former star sprintcar driver, Mount Gambier native Bill Barrows.[62] In 2007, Borderline hosted the fifth and final round of theAustralian Solo Championship. The round and the championship was won by Australia's ownreigningWorld ChampionJason Crump.
Mount Gambier is the home of "The Alex Roberts 100 Mile Classic", a cycling event that lays claim to the longest continuing open cycling event in South Australia. The event held annually by the Mount Gambier Cycling Club.[60]
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club holdgreyhound racing meetings at a purpose-built complex called the Tara Raceway, at 161 Lake Terrace East. The Club moved from Glenburnie Racecourse in late 1996 and held its first meeting on Saturday 25 January 1997.[63]
The 120m Mount Gambier Gift was held annually on the first Saturday in December at Vansittart Oval was the 2nd richest professional footrace in South Australia. Resurrected in 2001 the athletic carnival includes races from 70m to 1600m and attracts athletes from all over Australia, mostly from South Australia and Victoria. Of the eleven Mount Gambier athletic carnivals held to date, three Victorians have won the 120 m Gift. On 3 December 2011, 21-year-old Wallace Long-Scafidi won the Gift for the second year in a row.[64] The race has not been held since 2012, and to this date continues to go unheld.[65]
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo FC | LCFA | Soccer | Hastings Cunningham Reserve | 1970 |
| Blue Lake Rangers FC | LCFA | Soccer | Malseed Park | 1956 |
| Blue Lake Knights | Greater Western Premiership | Rugby League | Apollo Soccer Ground | 2017 |
| East Gambier Football Club | LCFNL | Australian Rules Football | McDonald Park | 1938 |
| Gambier Centrals FC | LCFA | Soccer | Bishop Road | 1961 |
| International FC | LCFA | Soccer | Casadio Park | 1958 |
| Mount Gambier Pioneers | NBL1 South | Basketball | Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre | 1988 |
| North Gambier Football Club | LCFNL | Australian Rules Football | Vansittart Park | 1926 |
| South Gambier Football Club | LCFNL | Australian Rules Football | Blue Lake Sports Park | 1926 |
| West Gambier Football Club | LCFNL | Australian Rules Football | Malseed Park | 1938 |
The city has a major regional hospital, Mount Gambier Hospital out of which operates the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service. A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opened in November 2023 at 13 Crouch Street South offeringBulk-billed urgent but not life threatening health care.[66][67] The 20-bed Mount Gambier Private Hospital was dissolved in 2021 and was transitioned into the public system where it was co-located.[68]
There are six Reception to Year 6 (R-6) Primary schools:
There are two Reception to Year 12 (R–12) colleges:
There are two high schools for Year 7 to 12:
Post-secondary education is offered by the following providers:
Mount Gambier sits on a number of highways which connect the city to other major towns in the region, as well as to Adelaide and Melbourne.
toMelbourne viaDartmoor,Portland andWarrnambool
to Adelaide viaMillicent,Kingston SE andMeningie
to Adelaide viaNaracoorte andKeith
toPort MacdonnellBefore conversion of theAdelaide–Wolseley railway line to standard gauge in 1995,Mount Gambier was connected to Adelaide on thebroad gauge network viaNaracoorte,Bordertown andTailem Bend. Normal commercial passenger services to Adelaide ceased on 31 December 1990, while limited freight services operated until the line was disconnected from the national network on 12 April 1995.Limestone Coast Railway operated tourist trains to Coonawarra, Penola, Millicent, Tantanoola and Rennick until it ceased on 28 June 2006.[73][74] In 2015, the former railyards were removed and converted into a park.[citation needed]
Mount Gambier Airport is located a few kilometres north of the city via the Riddoch Highway.[75] The city is served byRex Airlines, which fliesSaab 340 aircraft toAdelaide andMelbourne up to three times per day. Since March 2021,Qantas operates one daily flight to and from Adelaide and Melbourne usingDe Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft inQantasLink livery.
Stateliner operate coach services to Mount Gambier fromAdelaide.[76]V/Line operates a daily interstate coach service from Mount Gambier toWarrnambool, connecting with a rail service toMelbourne.[77]
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