Wellington, South Australia

Wellington
Federal division(s)
Wellington; Federal division(s)	Barker
	Localities around Wellington:

Wellington is a township in

2006 census, Wellington had a population of 295.^[3]

History

Because of its geographical similarities, the first European colonists likened the development potential of the site of Wellington to that of

Duke of Wellington

himself.

Despite never having seen the land except on a map, the directors of the Association had great hopes for Wellington becoming an important town. The survey eventually provided for 700 lots in Wellington (west side of the Murray) and 300 lots in Wellington East (east side of the Murray), as well as rural sections. Messrs Cannan and Henderson carried out the survey in November 1840 and the first lots were sold in July 1841.

Ferry crossing

Wellington was the original

crossing of the River Murray for people, livestock, and goods travelling overland between Adelaide and Melbourne, until a bridge was built at Murray Bridge in 1879. There is still a free government ferry operating here. In 1852-53 much of the gold escorted by South Australian Police from the Victorian gold rushes

crossed the Murray at Wellington. Even though the Murray has very little flow most of the time, and Lake Alexandrina is mostly only a few metres deep, the river at Wellington is about 25 metres deep. The surface is often less than one metre above sea level.

Township

Once established, Wellington became a busy ferry crossing point for several decades during the 1840s to 1870s. Servicing the local pastoral district, it soon had a school, police station, and hotels, but it never prospered beyond township status.

The

Coorong

during drought or other periods of low flow.