Dalhousie County is one of South Australia’s 49 cadastral counties, in the state’s Mid North and southern Flinders Ranges. Governor James Fergusson proclaimed it in 1871, naming it after his father-in-law, James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie.
Key Facts
| State | South Australia |
|---|---|
| Region | Mid North and southern Flinders Ranges |
| Proclaimed | 1871 |
| Named after | James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie |
| Area | about 3,200 km² |
| Principal towns | Peterborough, Orroroo, Yongala, Carrieton |
| Local government areas today | District Council of Orroroo Carrieton; District Council of Peterborough; Northern Areas Council |
Hundreds in Dalhousie County
The county has 12 hundreds, surveyed between 1871 and 1876.
- Hundred of Black Rock Plain
- Hundred of Coomooroo
- Hundred of Erskine
- Hundred of Eurelia
- Hundred of Mannanarie
- Hundred of Morgan
- Hundred of Oladdie
- Hundred of Pekina
- Hundred of Tarcowie
- Hundred of Walloway
- Hundred of Yalpara
- Hundred of Yongala
Towns and Localities Today
Peterborough, a former railway junction town where three different rail gauges once met, is the county’s largest centre. Orroroo, in the Hundred of Yongala, and Carrieton and Yalpara further north are its other main towns, serving surrounding grain and sheep country across the county’s twelve hundreds in the Mid North and southern Flinders Ranges.
Geography
Dalhousie County covers about 3,200 square kilometres across South Australia’s Mid North and the southern Flinders Ranges.
History
The county’s 12 hundreds were surveyed for closer settlement between 1871 and 1876. Local government followed later, with the first district council established at Yongala in 1883, and today’s three-council structure taking shape through 1935 and 1997 amalgamations.
FAQ
What does Dalhousie County cover?
It covers Mid North and southern Flinders Ranges country around Peterborough and Orroroo, across 12 hundreds.
Is Dalhousie County still used?
Cadastral counties like Dalhousie remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function today.
What local government areas cover Dalhousie County today?
District Council of Orroroo Carrieton, District Council of Peterborough, and Northern Areas Council.