The County of Flinders is a cadastral county covering the southern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, proclaimed in 1842 and named for the navigator Matthew Flinders. It is bounded to the north by a line from Point Drummond to Cape Burr and by the sea on every other side.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Southern Eyre Peninsula |
| Proclaimed | 2 June 1842 |
| Named after | Navigator Matthew Flinders |
| Area | 4,760 km² |
| Principal towns | Port Lincoln, Tumby Bay, Coffin Bay |
| Local government areas today | City of Port Lincoln, District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula, District Council of Tumby Bay |
Parishes in Flinders County
The county’s surveyed hundreds, listed alphabetically:
- Hundred of Cummins
- Hundred of Flinders
- Hundred of Hutchison
- Hundred of Koppio
- Hundred of Lake Wangary
- Hundred of Lincoln
- Hundred of Louth
- Hundred of Mortlock
- Hundred of Sleaford
- Hundred of Stokes
- Hundred of Uley
- Hundred of Ulipa
- Hundred of Wanilla
- Hundred of Warrow
- Hundred of Yaranyacka
Towns and Localities Today
Port Lincoln, on the county’s southern coast, is the largest town on Eyre Peninsula and its commercial and fishing hub, home to Australia’s largest commercial tuna and seafood fleet. Tumby Bay serves grain and grazing hundreds to the north, and Coffin Bay, at the mouth of its namesake bay, is known for oyster farming.
Geography
Flinders occupies the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula, bounded on the north by a line between Point Drummond and Cape Burr and by coastline everywhere else, taking in the offshore islands. The county was enlarged to its current extent in 1872, and its hundreds cover a mix of coastal dune country, mallee scrub and cropping land. Lincoln National Park and Coffin Bay National Park protect much of the county’s coastline, sheltering mallee woodland and nesting seabirds.
History
The county was proclaimed on 2 June 1842, named for Matthew Flinders, who charted this coast during his 1802 circumnavigation of Australia. The District Council of Lincoln, formed in 1880, was the first local government body within the county, predating today’s City of Port Lincoln and the surrounding district councils. Grain export through Port Lincoln’s deep-water harbour, and the tuna and abalone industries based there, remain the county’s main economic drivers.
FAQ
Where is the County of Flinders?
It covers the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, south of a line from Point Drummond to Cape Burr.
What is the main town in the County of Flinders?
Port Lincoln is the largest town, followed by Tumby Bay and Coffin Bay.
Is the County of Flinders still used?
Cadastral counties like Flinders remain part of land titles and property descriptions in South Australia, but they have no government function today.