Yorke Peninsula
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{{Infobox Australian Place | type = region
| name = Yorke Peninsula
| state = sa
| image = Ardrossan.jpg
| caption = The town of Ardrossan, located in Yorke Peninsula
| pop = ~ 25,000
| area =
| est = 1840s
| logo = Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.gif
| url = http://www.yorkepeninsula.com.au/
| lga = District Council of Yorke Peninsula
| lga2 = District Council of the Copper Coast
| lga3 = District Council of Barunga West
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Goyder|Goyder]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Grey|Grey]]
}}
:'''''Yorke Peninsula''' is in South Australia, and should not be confused with '''[[Cape York Peninsula]]''', in [[Queensland]].''
The '''Yorke Peninsula''' is a peninsula located north-west and west of [[Adelaide]] in [[South Australia]], [[Australia]], between [[Spencer Gulf]] on the west and [[Gulf Saint Vincent|Gulf St. Vincent]] on the east. It has [[geographic coordinates]] of {{coor dm|34|21|S|137|37|E|region:AU-SA_scale:3000000}}. The peninsula is separated from [[Kangaroo Island]] to the southeast by [[Investigator Strait]].
Before white settlement around 1840, Yorke Peninsula was the home to the [[Narungga]] people. Today the descendants of these people still live on Yorke Peninsula, supported by the Narungga Aboriginal Progress Association in [[Maitland, South Australia|Maitland]], and in the community at [[Point Pearce, South Australia|Point Pearce]] near the northern end of [[Gulf Saint Vincent]].
Principal towns include the [[Copper Triangle]] towns of [[Kadina, South Australia|Kadina]], [[Moonta, South Australia|Moonta]] and [[Wallaroo, South Australia|Wallaroo]]; [[farming]] centres of [[Maitland, South Australia|Maitland]], [[Minlaton, South Australia|Minlaton]] and [[Yorketown, South Australia|Yorketown]]; and the [[port]] of [[Ardrossan, South Australia|Ardrossan]]. A number of smaller coastal towns are popular destinations for fishing and holidays, particularly from Adelaide. The south-western tip is occupied by [[Innes National Park]].
Yorke Peninsula is a major producer of grain, particularly [[barley]]. Historically this has been sent out by sea because there are no rail services. Most coastal towns on the peninsula have substantial [[jetties]]. In the past these were used by [[ketch]]es, [[schooner]]s, and later [[steamships]], to collect the grain in bags, and deliver fertiliser and other supplies. As roads in the region improved, and freight-handling techniques changed from bags to bulk, this became obsolete. A deep-water port was opened in 1970 near the south-eastern tip at [[Port Giles, South Australia|Port Giles]] to export grain in bulk), and almost all the other ports ceased to be used for freight in the 1950s and 1960s. The only other ports with bulk-handling facilities are [[Wallaroo, South Australia|Wallaroo]] at the north-western side, and [[Ardrossan, South Australia|Ardrossan]] at the top of [[Gulf Saint Vincent]], also used to ship [[dolomite]] from a nearby mine for [[OneSteel]]. Maitland has a grain-receiving depot operated by [[AWB]], serviced only by road.
==Physiography==
The area is also known as the '''Yorke Horst''', which is distinct physiographic section of the larger [[South Australian Shatter Belt]] province, which in turn is part of the larger [[Australian Shield|West Australian Shield]] physiographic division.
==See also==
*[[Copper Coast]]
*[[Kernewek Lowender]]
==External links==
{{commonscat|Yorke Peninsula}}
*[http://www.yorkepeninsula.com.au/ Yorke Peninsula Website]
*[http://www.southaustralia.com/YorkePeninsula.aspx SouthAustralia.com Yorke Peninsula - Travel Guides, Accommodation, Tours, Online Booking, Maps etc] Official SA Website
*[http://terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=137.4&cpy=-34.6&res=325&provider_id=340&t=pan Terraserver.com navigable satellite map of the Yorke Peninsula.]
*[http://www.yorkeregion.on.net/map.htm Map of Yorke Peninsula]
{{South Australia}}
[[Category:Regions of South Australia]]
[[Category:Peninsulas of Australia]]
[[Category:Yorke Peninsula|*]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[de:Yorke Peninsula]]
[[fr:Péninsule de Yorke]]
[[sk:Yorke (polostrov)]]