Clare, South Australia
Clare South Australia | |||||||||||||||
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Main North Road, looking north (Note the former town hall on the right side of main street) | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 33°50′0″S 138°36′0″E / 33.83333°S 138.60000°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 3,160 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1842 | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 5453 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 392 m (1,286 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Standort | |||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | District Council of Clare and Gilbert Valleys | ||||||||||||||
Region | Yorke and Mid North[2] | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Frome | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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The town of Clare (postcode 5453) is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.[citation needed]
At the 2016 census, Clare itself had a population of 3160[1] as part of an urban area with 3327 people.[3]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Clare_Girls_Band_1914.jpg/220px-Clare_Girls_Band_1914.jpg)
The first European to explore the district was John Hill, who in April 1839 discovered and named the Wakefield River and Hutt River. In early 1840 the first European settlers arrived in the district, led by John Horrocks. The town itself was established in 1842 by Edward Burton Gleeson, and named after his ancestral home of County Clare in Ireland,[4] although the town was first named Inchiquin after Gleeson's property. Lake Inchiquin is now the name of a reservoir located to the north of the town, near the golf club. The layout of the town's road system was apparently designed by a draughtsman in Adelaide, without any knowledge of the local geography.[citation needed] There are several roads in Clare that end abruptly at a cliff face, only to continue again at the top of the cliff.
The District Council of Clare was established in 1853 and was joined in 1868 by a corporate municipality, the Corporation of Clare. The corporate town seceded from the district council to provide dedicated local government to the township but re-amalgamated with the district council in 1969.
A railway line was built from Riverton to Clare in 1918 and on to Spalding in 1922. It closed in 1974 and the tracks were removed in the 1980s after damage caused by the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983. The alignment now carries the Riesling Trail walking and cycling trail.
In 1997 Clare and the surrounding district became a part of the much larger District Council of Clare and Gilbert Valleys for the purpose of local governance.
Clare is the original location of the Stanley Wine Company, founded in 1894 by Joseph Herman Knappstein;[5] the brand is now owned by Accolade Wines for cask wine packaged for the "drink now" market. Local winery "Mr. Mick's" is named for Stanley Wine's Managing Director (1962-1976) Carl Knappstein, known as "Mick", the legendary Stanley Wine Maker.[6]
The town today
As one of the larger towns in the region, Clare is an administrative and service centre for the surrounding area. It has two supermarkets, many other specialty stores, two public and two private schools, three hotels, two motels, a caravan park, race course and showground.
Clare has become recognised for its 'experiences', including the Riesling Trail walking and cycling route from 9 km north of Clare to Auburn (25 km), on the former railway alignment, so named as it weaves past vineyards and wineries, and continuing to Riverton as the Rattler Trail. The Riesling Trail also makes up a small section of the popular, 900 km (560 mi) Mawson Trail which stretches up to the Flinders Ranges.[7] Clare is the starting point of the Lavender Federation Trail which traverses the eastern side of the Mount Lofty Ranges past the Barossa Valley through to Murray Bridge.[8] The Clare Valley wine region continues within the same line of hills as the famous Barossa Valley, and also produces some excellent wine.
Attractions
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Clare_Valley_%282049641997%29.jpg/220px-Clare_Valley_%282049641997%29.jpg)
Clare is home to two wineries:
- The Knappstein Enterprise Winery, 2 Pioneer Ave, Clare SA
- Mr. Mick's Cellar Door and Restaurant, 7 Dominic St, Clare SA
and a half-dozen good restaurants in and around Main Street, Clare, not counting more Cellar Door Restaurants at surrounding wineries. A further half-dozen wineries surround the town: Taylors Wines, Jim Barry Wines, Kirrihill, Kilikanoon, Annie's Lane, and Jim Barry Wines. The Clare Valley contains over forty cellar doors and wineries[9] in all.
- The Clare Valley Visitor Information Centre is incorporated within the Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre, located 3 km south of Clare on the Horrocks Highway, at 8 Spring Gully Rd, Clare SA.
- The Clare Museum of the National Trust of SA is open on Sundays 10AM to 3PM at the Corner, Neagles Rock Road and Victoria Road Clare 5453 SA, about 1 km South of Main Street
- The popular Clare Regional History Group has a large collection of historical books, newspapers and memorabilia at the Clare Town Hall and is open to the public on Fridays 1PM to 4PM, and on the first Saturday of the Month 10AM to 1PM
- The Monthly Clare Market is held on the first Saturday of the Month at Ennis Park, alongside the Clare Town Hall, 9AM to 1PM.
- The Clare Mini-railway at the "Lakeside Railway": The Clare Valley Model Engineers have a railway with over one kilometre of track that features several bridges and a tunnel in a 10 hectare park. and the Train operates every second and fourth weekend of each month at Melrose Park, Phoenix Ave, Clare SA.
- The Gleeson Wetlands, including Lake Inchiquin, has a flat easy walking path, with the opportunity to view many native birds in their natural habitat. There are two picnic shelters, and a Bird Hide. Wander along the pathway past the Clare golf course to the Model Engineers Lakeside Railway. Further along there is a pathway through Melrose Park which links to the Riesling Trail.
- The Clare Golf Club is said to have one of the best regional golf courses in the State of South Australia. Visitors are welcome at 3 Square Mile Rd, Clare SA.
- Clare Valley Art Gallery has an extensive range of contemporary Utopian Indigenous Art, with regular visiting artists, at 28 Horrocks Highway, Clare
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Clare_SA_5453%2C_Australia_-_panoramio_%286%29.jpg/220px-Clare_SA_5453%2C_Australia_-_panoramio_%286%29.jpg)
- The Clare Art House has exhibits, presentations, art and craft workshops and lessons, 8 Mill Street Clare
- Bungaree Station, north of Clare, is like a small village with its beautiful sandstone Woolshed, Shearers Quarters, Stable Yard, Station Store, Managers House, staff cottages and B&B accommodation, and even the old District Council Chambers and a Church. It is still a working farm, run by the 4th, 5th and 6th generations of the Hawker family. Vistors are welcome at 431 Bungaree Road, Clare SA 5453.
- The Riesling Trail runs past the location of the old Clare Railway Station, and extends up the valley to Auburn.
- The Spring Gully Conservation Park is a popular walking destination, being home to some of the region’s greatest views and stunning sunsets.
Governance
Clare is governed at the local level by the District Council of Clare and Gilbert Valleys. Clare lies in the state electoral district of Frome and the federal electoral Division of Grey.
Geography/climate
Clare is situated on the eponymous Clare Valley along the path of the Hutt River, about 10 km (6.2 mi) west of the Camels Hump Range and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) west of Stony Range. The Skilly Hills rise to the south-west and the Bungaree Hills rise to the north-west.
Climate data for Clare | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 44.9 (112.8) |
43.6 (110.5) |
38.7 (101.7) |
36.3 (97.3) |
28.7 (83.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.5 (72.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.4 (88.5) |
35.6 (96.1) |
40.8 (105.4) |
41.7 (107.1) |
44.9 (112.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.4 (86.7) |
29.8 (85.6) |
26.2 (79.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
17.1 (62.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
12.9 (55.2) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
25.0 (77.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
12.2 (54.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.6 (43.9) |
4.8 (40.6) |
4.1 (39.4) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.0 (42.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.0 (48.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 22.8 (0.90) |
24.7 (0.97) |
23.9 (0.94) |
38.1 (1.50) |
54.7 (2.15) |
66.5 (2.62) |
66.3 (2.61) |
65.3 (2.57) |
58.6 (2.31) |
42.5 (1.67) |
36.1 (1.42) |
38.6 (1.52) |
550.3 (21.67) |
Average precipitation days | 4.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 7.4 | 11.9 | 14.4 | 17.2 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 6.8 | 116.9 |
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 28 | 29 | 34 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 69 | 63 | 58 | 45 | 36 | 31 | 47 |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[10] |
Notable people
Notable people from or who have lived in Clare include:
- William Adey,[11] educationist
- Peter Albany Bell,[12] caterer and philanthropist
- Luke Dunstan, Australian rules football player
- Albert Fryar, philatelist and sportsman
- Charles Hawker,[13] politician
- Riley Knight, Australian rules football player
- H. H. Tilbrook, co-founder of The Northern Argus, and photographer
See also
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Clare (SA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "Yorke and Mid North SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Clare". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Rodney Cockburn (1984) [1908]. What's in a name? Nomenclature of South Australia. Fergusson Publications.
- ^ Joseph Knappstein - The founder of Clare's Stanley Wine Company Clare Museum. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ - The Boom in Clare Winemaking Clare Museum. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Mawson Trail – Full Trail – Trails SA". Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Lavender Federation Trail". Lavender Federation Trail. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ [https://www.clarevalley.com.au/news/clare-top-tourism-town - Clare Valley Top Tourism Town. Retrieved 13 June 2021
- ^ "CLARE HIGH SCHOOL". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ Condon, Brian. Adey, William James (1874–1956). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- ^ Tamblyn, M. Bell, Peter Albany (1871–1957). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- ^ Dissel, Dirk Van. Hawker, Charles Allan (1894–1938). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
External links
- Manning, Geoffrey. "Place Names: Clare". Manning Index of South Australian History. State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- "Clare Regional History Group". Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- "Clare Museum of the National Trust of S.A."