District Council of Robe

The District Council of Robe is a local government area located in the Limestone Coast area of South Australia. The main offices are in Robe, the town after which the council is named. The district relies on a mix of agriculture, fisheries and tourism as major components of its economy.

District Council of Robe
South Australia
Location of the District Council of Robe in blue
Population1,378 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density1.2629/km2 (3.2710/sq mi)
Established1869
Area1,091.1 km2 (421.3 sq mi)
MayorAlison Nunan
Council seatRobe
RegionLimestone Coast[2]
State electorate(s)MacKillop
Federal Division(s)Barker
WebsiteDistrict Council of Robe
LGAs around District Council of Robe:
Kingston District Council
Southern Ocean District Council of Robe Naracoorte Lucindale Council
Southern Ocean Wattle Range Council
Offices in Robe.

History

The district's coastline, like much of South Australia, was explored by Captains Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders in 1802, with Freycinet of Baudin's expedition naming Guichen Bay after Admiral de Guichen.[3]

The first major town was officially founded and named 'Robe' by the Government of South Australia in 1846 after Major Frederick Holt Robe, Governor of South Australia who had selected the site in 1846.[4]

It was the first major town to be established in the south east of the colony. Greytown on Rivoli Bay had been surveyed a few months earlier and was the site of a small settlement but Robe was the first administrative centre and was the focus of public and commercial life in the area.[5]

The District Council of Robe was proclaimed on 28 October 1869.[6]

By the 1880s, the district began a slow decline, and increasingly relied on its fishing and agricultural industries as its status as a major port and industrial hub decreased.[4]

Economy

The district still is heavily reliant on the fishing and agricultural industries, with rock lobster one of the main catches in the area.

The district has a variety of agricultural industries, with cereal crops, beef cattle and sheep prominent. The district also has a wine industry associated with the Mount Benson wine region.[7][8]

Tourism has been an increasingly important part of the economy, with up to 15,000 tourists every year.[7] The town has a large number of historic buildings, as well as natural attractions. The town is listed as one of the state's historical towns in the Heritage Conservation Branch's Master Interpretation Plan.

Geography

Robe is the major town in the district; however, the council also includes the localities of Boatswain Point, Greenways and Mount Benson, and parts of Bray, Clay Wells, Nora Creina and Reedy Creek.[9]

Councillors
WardCouncillorNotes
Mayor [10]  Alison Nunan
Unsubdivided [10]  Peter Riseley
 Rino Dell'Antonio
 Bob Bates
 Ned Wright
 David Laurie
 Michael Boyd

The District Council of Robe has a directly-elected mayor.[11]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Robe (DC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  2. "Limestone Coast SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  3. Manning, Geoffrey. "South Australian Names - G" (PDF). Manning Index of South Australian History. State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  4. Flinders Ranges Research, Robe, retrieved 10 June 2007
  5. District Council of Robe, History, archived from the original on 30 August 2007, retrieved 10 June 2007
  6. "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE". The Express and Telegraph. VI (1, 784). South Australia. 29 October 1869. p. 2 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 9 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. District Council of Robe, Statistics, archived from the original on 30 August 2007, retrieved 10 June 2007
  8. "Mount Benson (region)". Wine Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  9. "Search results for 'Robe, GTWN' with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and Localities' and 'Local Government Areas'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  10. "Elected Members". District Council of Robe. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  11. "Election Results 2014" (PDF). Local Government Association of South Australia. Retrieved 28 August 2016.

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