Port Pirie | |
|---|---|
 The lead smelter and grain silos at the wharf of Port Pirie | |
  Port Pirie | |
| Coordinates:33°11′9″S138°1′1″E / 33.18583°S 138.01694°E /-33.18583; 138.01694 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Mid North |
| LGA | |
| Location |
|
| Established | 1845 |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 13,896[3] (2021 census) |
| Time zone | UTC+9:30 (ACST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+10:30 (ACDT) |
| Postcode | 5540 |
| Mean max temp | 24.4 °C (75.9 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 12.7 °C (54.9 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 345 mm (13.6 in) |
Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of theSpencer Gulf inSouth Australia, 223 km (139 mi)[5] north of the state capital,Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of theMid 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.[6]
At the2021 Census, Port Pirie had a population of 13,896.[3] Port Pirie is the eighthmost populous city in South Australia afterAdelaide,Mount Gambier,Gawler,Mount Barker,Whyalla,Murray Bridge andPort Lincoln.
The city's economy is dominated by one of the world's largestleadsmelters,[7] operated byNyrstar.[8] It also produces refinedsilver,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.[9] 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.[10]
Prior to British settlement, the location that became Port Pirie was occupied by theNukunu Aboriginal people, who called the location was called Tarparrie, which is suspected to mean "Muddy Creek".[citation needed] The first European to see the location wasMatthew Flinders in 1802, as he explored the Spencer Gulf by boat. The first land discovery of the location by a European was by the explorerEdward Eyre, who explored regions aroundPort Augusta.John Horrocks also discovered a pass through the Flinders Ranges to the coast, now namedHorrocks Pass.[citation needed]
The town was originally called Samuel's Creek after the discovery of Muddy Creek bySamuel Germein. In 1846, Port Pirie Creek was named by Governor Robe after theJohn Pirie, the first vessel to navigate the creek when transporting sheep from Bowman's Run near Crystal Brook. In 1848, Matthew Smith andEmanuel Solomon bought 85 acres (34 ha) 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.[11]
The locality was surveyed as a government town in December 1871 by Charles Hope Harris. The thoroughfares and streets were named after the family ofGeorge Goyder, Surveyor General of South Australia.[citation needed] 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.[12]
With the discovery of rich ore bearing silver, lead and zinc atBroken Hill in 1883, and the completion of a narrow gauge railway from Port Pirie to near 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-generalAlexander Abaza reported that Port Pirie had a population of more than 500 Russians, mostlyOssetians, who had come to work at the smelter. At that time the town supported a Russian-language school and library.[13]
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.[14] The smelter gradually passed toPasminco, thenZinifex, and since 2007 has been operated byNyrstar.[15]
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.[16]
DuringWorld War II (1941–1943), a Bombing and Gunnery school (2BAGS) was established by theRoyal 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.[17]
In August 1955, the purpose-built Port Pirie Uranium Treatment Complex, operated by the state government under a contract signed by theCommonwealth and SA Governments with theCombined Development Agency of the UK and US, began operations. It processeduranium ore, mostly from theRadium Hill mine east of theFlinders Ranges, and also fromMyponga (Wild Dog Hill), south ofAdelaide.[18][19] Sulphuric acid leaching was used on the ore to dissolve the uranium, which eventually emerged asyellowcake after further processing. There were four thickening tanks, used to separated the uranium solids from the waste material, and the thickened solids were pumped into thetailings dams. The plant produced over 860 tonnes of yellowcake, which was sold to the governments of the UK and US.[19] Radium Hill mine closed in December 1961,[20] and with the expiry of the CDA contract at on 31 December 1961, the Port Pirie uranium treatment complex was closed in February 1962.[19]
The city is characterised by an attractive main street and some interesting and unusual historic buildings.[21]Heritage-listed sites include:
In the2021 census, the population of the Port Pirie urban area was 13,896. Approximately 51.0% of the population were female, 85.9% were Australian born, and 5.2% wereAboriginal 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 asCatholic.[3]
Port Pirie is at an elevation of 4 metres abovesea level. It is approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) inland, on the Pirie River, which is a tidal saltwater inlet fromSpencer Gulf. It is on the coastal plain between Spencer Gulf to the west, and theFlinders Ranges to the east.
Port Pirie has ahot semi-arid climate (Köppen:BSh), with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, somewhat wetter winters. The town is aboveGoyder's Line, and is surrounded bymallee scrub. Maximum temperatures range from 32.0 °C (89.6 °F) in January to 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) in July, and minima from 17.9 °C (64.2 °F) in February to 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) in July. Annual rainfall is low, averaging 345.9 mm (13.62 in), with a maximum in winter. There are 78.3 precipitation days, 125 clear days and 100 cloudy days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 46.3 °C (115.3 °F) on 4 January 1979 to −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) on 27 June 1958.[36]
| Climate data for Port Pirie (33º10'12"S, 138º00'36"E, 2 m AMSL) (1877–2012, extremes 1957–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 46.3 (115.3) | 45.5 (113.9) | 42.5 (108.5) | 37.7 (99.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 25.5 (77.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 30.0 (86.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 39.5 (103.1) | 44.0 (111.2) | 44.6 (112.3) | 46.3 (115.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.8 (89.2) | 29.4 (84.9) | 24.8 (76.6) | 20.4 (68.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 16.4 (61.5) | 18.1 (64.6) | 21.3 (70.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 30.0 (86.0) | 24.5 (76.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 7.7 (45.9) | 8.2 (46.8) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 14.4 (57.9) | 16.3 (61.3) | 12.7 (54.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 4.8 (40.6) | −0.6 (30.9) | −1.7 (28.9) | −0.6 (30.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.1 (34.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | −1.7 (28.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 18.6 (0.73) | 17.8 (0.70) | 18.6 (0.73) | 27.5 (1.08) | 38.2 (1.50) | 40.7 (1.60) | 33.9 (1.33) | 34.9 (1.37) | 35.5 (1.40) | 33.3 (1.31) | 24.1 (0.95) | 23.0 (0.91) | 345.9 (13.62) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 8.3 | 10.2 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 78.3 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 36 | 39 | 40 | 45 | 57 | 63 | 60 | 53 | 48 | 43 | 41 | 39 | 47 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.6 (49.3) | 9.8 (49.6) | 8.5 (47.3) | 7.3 (45.1) | 6.7 (44.1) | 7.6 (45.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 9.3 (48.8) |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology (1877–2012 normals, extremes 1957–2012)[37] | |||||||||||||
Port Pirie is 5 km (3 mi) off theAugusta Highway. It is serviced byPort Pirie Airport, six kilometres south of the city.
The first railway in Port Pirie opened in 1875 when theSouth Australian Railways1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gaugePort Pirie-Cockburn line opened toGladstone, ultimately being extended toBroken Hill.[38] The originalEllen Street station was located on the street with the track running down the middle.[39][40] The station today is occupied by the Port Pirie National Trust Museum.[41]
In 1937, it became abreak-of-gauge station when the broad gaugeAdelaide-Redhill line was extended to Port Pirie. At the same time theCommonwealth Railwaysstandard gaugeTrans-Australian Railway was extended south fromPort Augusta to terminate at the newPort Pirie Junction station where it met the broad gauge line, in the suburb of Solomontown.[42][43]
As far back as 1943, a plan existed to build a new station to remove trains from Ellen Street.[44] As part of thegauge conversion of thePort Pirie to Broken Hill line,Mary Elie Street station was built to replace both Ellen Street and Port Pirie Junction stations.[45]
When opened, the new station was the meeting point for theCommonwealth Railways andSouth Australian Railways networks with through trains changing locomotives and crews, so the disadvantages were not as notable. However, after both became part ofAustralian National in July 1975 and trains began to operate in and out with the same locomotives, trains began to operate viaCoonamia 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, aGM class locomotive and three carriages were stabled at the platform.[46]
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 byBowmans Rail.[47]
Port Pirie's marine facilities, managed byFlinders Ports, handle up to 100 ship visits annually, up toHandymax size, for commodities such as mineral concentrates, refined lead and zinc, coal, grain, and general cargo.[48]
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.[49]
The main industries are thesmelting of metals, and the operation ofsilos to hold grain.
As of 2020[update], 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.,[8] and high blood lead levels in the local population are an ongoing concern.[7] In 2006 Zinifex formed a joint venture withUmicore to create Nyrstar, which owns the smelter, with the intention that it would eventually be an entity separate from the parent companies.[50][51]
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.
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.[52][needs update] 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.[53]
The Port Pirie smelter conducted a project to reducelead levels in children to less than 10 micrograms per decilitre by the end of 2010.[54][needs update]
"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).[54]
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.[55] The health impacts of these metals on dolphins has been examined and some associations between high metal concentrations and kidney toxicity were noted.[56]
Port Pirie has many educational institutions, including John Pirie Secondary School[57] (years 7–12), St Mark's College[58] (Foundation – year 12), Mid North Christian College[59] (reception – year 12), many preschools and primary schools, and aTAFE campus (adult education).
Risdon Park High School (formerly Port Pirie Technical High School) was a co-edstate school.[60][61] In 1973, Port Pire Technical High School changed its name to Ridson Park High School,[60] and in 1995 the school merged with Port Pirie High School forming John Pirie Secondary School.[60]
Port Pirie is home to the National Trust Historic and Folk Museum and Memorial Park,[citation needed] and the Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery also serves the regional community.[62]
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 actorKeith Michell, who grew up inWarnertown, 5 km (3 mi) from Port Pirie.[citation needed]
A play by actress and playwrightElena 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 theState Theatre Company South Australia in 2018.[63][64] It played at theDunstan Playhouse in Adelaide as well as in Port Pirie. It was also filmed by local production companyKOJO and intended to be shown byCountry Arts SA in regional cinemas in 2020, but it was later shown online owing to theCOVID-19 pandemic in South Australia.[65]
The town's main newspaper,The Recorder, was first published 21 March 1885 asThe Port Pirie Advocate and Areas News. In 1971, a brief experiment, known as theNorthern Observer (7 July - 30 August 1971), occurred whenThe Recorder andThe Transcontinental from Port Augusta were published under a combined title in Port Pirie.[66]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.[67] Other Port Pirie newspapers include the freeThe Flinders News (Wednesdays), andThe Advertiser, which covers some Port Pirie news, but to a very small extent.
Another newspaper, thePort Pirie Advertiser (7 April 1898 – 28 June 1924) was also published by Robert Osborne.[68] A further publication was the short-livedSaturday Times (6 December 1913 – 15 August 1914), printed by Roy Harold Butler and closed at the start of theGreat War.[69]
Television coverage in the city is provided by theABC,SBS,GTS/BKN (7, 9 and 10) andAustar. Several radio stations cover Port Pirie, includingABC 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).
| Port Pirie West State Elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006[70] | 2009[71] | ||
| Labor | 60.2% | 36.6% | |
| Liberal | 28.8% | 16.9% | |
| Family First | 5.7% | ||
| SA Greens | 3.4% | 2.6% | |
| Democrats | 1.9% | ||
| Geoff Brock | 40.9% | ||
| Nationals SA | 2.4% | ||
| One Nation | 0.5% | ||
| Port Pirie West 2007 Federal Election[72] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Labor | 58.79% | |
| Liberal | 28.02% | |
| Family First | 5.18% | |
| Greens | 4.29% | |
| National | 1.46% | |
| 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 federaldivision of Grey, and has been represented by Liberal MPRowan 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 stateelectoral district of Stuart, following the 2020 redistribution of electoral boundaries.
Although the region is generally Liberal-leaning because of its agricultural base, Port Pirie is an industrial centre that is favourable to theAustralian 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 the2009 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%.[73][74]
State Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith (Liberal Party) claimed victory, prematurely.[75] 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.[73][74]
Port Pirie and some of the sparsely inhabited areas around it are in thePort Pirie Regional Councillocal government area.
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