Burra County is one of South Australia’s 49 cadastral counties, in the state’s east near the “great bend” of the River Murray. Governor Henry Edward Fox Young proclaimed it on 7 August 1851, naming it after the town of Burra.
Key Facts
| State | South Australia |
|---|---|
| Region | Mid North |
| Proclaimed | 7 August 1851 |
| Named after | The town of Burra |
| Area | 5,400 km² |
| Principal towns | Burra |
| Local government areas today | Mid Murray Council; Regional Council of Goyder; unincorporated areas |
Hundreds in Burra County
The county has 13 hundreds, proclaimed between 1851 and 1881.
- Hundred of Apoinga
- Hundred of Baldina
- Hundred of Bright
- Hundred of Bundey
- Hundred of Hallett
- Hundred of King
- Hundred of Kingston
- Hundred of Kooringa
- Hundred of Lindley
- Hundred of Maude
- Hundred of Mongolata
- Hundred of Rees
- Hundred of Tomkinson
Towns and Localities Today
Burra, midway along the county’s western boundary in the Hundred of Kooringa, remains its principal town. Copper mining put Burra on the map in the 1840s and 1850s; the town today serves the county’s surrounding grazing and grain country, across hundreds such as Hallett, Apoinga, and Bright, as a heritage and service centre.
Geography
Burra County covers 5,400 square kilometres to the north-west of the Murray’s “great bend”, stretching across the Mid North between the Barrier Highway and the state’s central grain belt.
History
Copper discovered at Burra in 1845 drew prospectors and settlers before the county’s 1851 proclamation. During the First World War, the Hundred of Maude was renamed from its original German name, Schomburgk, over its “enemy origin”; a 1983 proposal to restore the old name was rejected by the Geographical Names Board.
FAQ
What does Burra County cover?
It covers Mid North country around the town of Burra, north-west of the Murray’s “great bend”, across 13 hundreds.
Is Burra County still used?
Cadastral counties like Burra remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function today.
Why was the Hundred of Maude renamed?
It was originally named Schomburgk; the name was changed during the First World War because of its German origin.