Misplaced Pages

The Flinders News

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#633366

38-693: The Flinders News is a weekly newspaper published in Port Pirie , South Australia, formed from the historic mergers of multiple Mid-North publications and representing a combined ancestry of 12 former publications. Its earliest constituent publication, the Northern Mail , was first issued on 30 June 1876, and the newspaper has been published under its current title since 1989. It was later sold to Rural Press , previously owned by Fairfax Media , but now an Australian media company trading as Australian Community Media . The Flinders News originated with

76-485: A TAFE campus (adult education). Risdon Park High School (formerly Port Pirie Technical High School) was a co-ed state school . In 1973, Port Pire Technical High School changed its name to Ridson Park High School, and in 1995 the school merged with Port Pirie High School forming John Pirie Secondary School. Port Pirie is home to the National Trust Historic and Folk Museum and Memorial Park, and

114-529: 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. As far back as 1943, a plan existed to build a new station to remove trains from Ellen Street. As part of

152-773: 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). 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. The health impacts of these metals on dolphins has been examined and some associations between high metal concentrations and kidney toxicity were noted. Port Pirie has many educational institutions, including John Pirie Secondary School (years 7–12), St Mark's College (Foundation - year 12), Mid North Christian College (reception - year 12), many preschools and primary schools, and

190-568: 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

228-647: 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. 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. The smelter gradually passed to Pasminco , then Zinifex , and since 2007 has been operated by Nyrstar . In 1921,

266-527: A report from the South Australian Health Department found an average blood level of 7.3 mg/dL in young children, compared to a finding of 5.3 mg/dL in 2014, and an upward trend of airborne lead levels. 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". The first European to see

304-687: 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. 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

342-486: Is dominated by one of the world's largest lead smelters , operated by Nyrstar . 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. Regardless of these upgrades, blood lead levels in young children continue to rise. In 2021

380-486: Is low, averaging 345.9 mm (13.62 in), 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 46.3 °C (115.3 °F) on 4 January 1979 to −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) on 27 June 1958. Port Pirie is 5 km (3 mi) off the Augusta Highway . It is serviced by Port Pirie Airport , six kilometres south of

418-513: Is still in print today (Tuesdays and Thursdays), has recently changed to a morning paper, after being delivered at around 3:00 pm. 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. A further publication

SECTION 10

#1732797521634

456-609: 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. At the 2021 Census , Port Pirie had a population of 13,896. 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

494-549: 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. 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

532-428: The 1880s. The owner since 2007, Nyrstar, is the city's main employer., and high blood lead levels in the local population are an ongoing concern. 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. The PPRC completed a major redevelopment of its foreshore area in 2014 including

570-494: The 3 Aerial Observers School (3AOS) in December 1943. Port Pirie was declared South Australia's first provincial city in 1953, and today it is South Australia's second-largest port. The city is characterised by an attractive main street and some interesting and unusual historic buildings. Heritage-listed sites include: In the 2021 census , the population of the Port Pirie urban area was 13,896 people. Approximately 51.0% of

608-659: The Fairfax Media group. The Flinders News is distributed throughout the mid-north region of South Australia, northern Yorke Peninsula , the Far North, Port Pirie , and Port Augusta , and had a claimed readership of 24,000. Like other Rural Press publications the newspaper is also available online. Recently, the Flinders News won an award at the nationwide Fairfax Regional Media Awards for best co-op as well as placing runner-up in best feature and sales team of

646-653: The Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery also serves the regional community. 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 , 5 km (3 mi) from Port Pirie. A play by actress and playwright Elena Carapetis , The Gods of Strangers , set in Port Pirie,

684-604: The city. The first railway in Port Pirie opened in 1875 when the South Australian Railways 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge Port Pirie-Cockburn line opened to Gladstone , ultimately being extended to Broken Hill . The original Ellen Street station was located on the street with the track running down the middle. The station today is occupied by the Port Pirie National Trust Museum. In 1937, it became

722-562: 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

760-603: 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. Nyrstar plans to progressively reduce lead in blood levels such that ultimately 95% of all children meet

798-470: The historical mergers of several struggling mid-northern newspapers in 1948, 1970, and 1977: The Northern Review was created in 1948 by the merger of: The Review-Times was created in 1970 by the merger of: The Review-Times-Record was created in 1977 by the merger of: In 1989, the title of the Review-Times-Record was changed to its current title, The Flinders News . It was part of

SECTION 20

#1732797521634

836-472: 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

874-491: The localities of Nectar Brook and Woolundunga in the southern Flinders Ranges , about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of the town of Wilmington . Horrocks Pass Road travels through the pass from Wilmington to the Augusta Highway in the west. It was discovered by and named after John Horrocks who travelled through the area with his party in August 1846 during his ill-fated exploration of land north of Spencer Gulf . At

912-586: 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 . The town was originally called Samuel's Creek after the discovery of Muddy Creek by Samuel Germein . In 1846, Port Pirie Creek

950-450: 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. 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. "The goal we are committed to achieving is for at least 95% of our children aged 0 to 4 to have

988-498: 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. The main industries are the smelting of metals, and the operation of silos to hold grain. As of 2020 , Port Pirie is the locality of the largest lead smelter and refinery in the southern hemisphere; a lead smelter has been there since

1026-469: 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

1064-430: The processed material to Adelaide. This line is managed by Bowmans Rail . 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. John Pirie Bridge, locally known as 'the bridge to nowhere', was built in the 1970s to encourage development of industry on

1102-433: 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. A freight line continues to operate into Port Pirie, feeding the metals plant with raw materials from Broken Hill, and transporting

1140-525: 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%. Horrocks Pass Horrocks Pass is a geographical location in the Australian state of South Australia in

1178-480: 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. 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 Flinders News - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-644: The west, and the Flinders Ranges to the east. 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 32.0 °C (89.6 °F) in January to 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) in July, and average minima fluctuating between 17.9 °C (64.2 °F) in February and 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) in July. Annual precipitation

1254-543: The year. Australian National Library carries images and text versions of the newspaper from 1911 to 1950, accessible using Trove , the on-line newspaper retrieval service. Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia , 223 km (139 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide . Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of

1292-471: 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 . Port Pirie is at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level . It is approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) inland, on the Pirie River, which is a tidal saltwater inlet from Spencer Gulf . It is on the coastal plain between Spencer Gulf to

1330-565: Was later shown online owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia . 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. The Recorder , which

1368-468: Was named by Governor Robe after the John Pirie , 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 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. The locality

1406-450: 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. 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. With the discovery of rich ore bearing silver, lead and zinc at Broken Hill in 1883, and

1444-622: 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 . 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). The results shown are from "Port Pirie West",

#633366