Buccleuch County is one of South Australia’s 49 cadastral counties, east of the River Murray at the south-western edge of the Mallee region. It was proclaimed on 4 May 1893 and named after William Montagu Douglas Scott, sixth Duke of Buccleuch.
Key Facts
| State | South Australia |
|---|---|
| Region | Murray Mallee |
| Proclaimed | 4 May 1893 |
| Named after | William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch |
| Area | 6,035 km² |
| Principal towns | Coonalpyn, Buccleuch |
Hundreds in Buccleuch County
The county has 17 hundreds.
- Hundred of Bowhill
- Hundred of Carcuma
- Hundred of Coneybeer
- Hundred of Hooper
- Hundred of Kirkpatrick
- Hundred of Lewis
- Hundred of Livingston
- Hundred of Marmon Jabuk
- Hundred of McPherson
- Hundred of Molineux
- Hundred of Peake
- Hundred of Price
- Hundred of Roby
- Hundred of Sherlock
- Hundred of Strawbridge
- Hundred of Vincent
- Hundred of Wilson
Towns and Localities Today
Coonalpyn, with its town hall in the Hundred of Coneybeer, is the county’s main service town. The locality of Buccleuch itself sits at the county’s centre, on the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line, and gives the county its name. Farmland across the 17 hundreds, including Bowhill, Carcuma, Peake, and Sherlock, is mostly grain and sheep country, with mallee scrub still present on less-cleared blocks.
Geography
Buccleuch County covers 6,035 square kilometres east of the River Murray, at the south-western edge of the Mallee region, between the river frontage and the drier Mallee interior further east.
History
The county’s 17 hundreds were surveyed for closer settlement through the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Mallee land east of the Murray opened up for farming. Its name honours William Montagu Douglas Scott, sixth Duke of Buccleuch, a Scottish peer with no direct link to the colony beyond the naming convention colonial governors used for new counties.
FAQ
What does Buccleuch County cover?
It covers Murray Mallee farmland east of the River Murray, around Coonalpyn, across 17 hundreds.
Is Buccleuch County still used?
Cadastral counties like Buccleuch remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function today.
What is the main town in Buccleuch County?
Coonalpyn, in the Hundred of Coneybeer.