The County of Herbert is a cadastral county in South Australia’s Far North, proclaimed on 18 January 1877. It lies east of the Flinders Ranges, about 55 km north-east of Peterborough, and takes in the town of Yunta.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Far North / Yorke and Mid North |
| Proclaimed | 18 January 1877 |
| Named after | Lord Herbert (sources vary; possibly Sir Robert Herbert) |
| Principal towns | Yunta |
| Local government areas today | District Council of Peterborough, Pastoral Unincorporated Area |
Parishes in Herbert County
The county’s surveyed hundreds, listed alphabetically:
- Hundred of Cavenagh
- Hundred of Coglin
- Hundred of Minburra
- Hundred of Nackara
- Hundred of Paratoo
- Hundred of Waroonee
Towns and Localities Today
Yunta, on the county’s eastern side, is the only town of any size, serving travellers on the Barrier Highway between Port Augusta and Broken Hill with fuel and a roadhouse. The rest of the county is pastoral leasehold country, with a small district-council corner near Peterborough on its south-west edge, where the county reaches the edge of the Mid North’s cropping belt.
Geography
Herbert extends roughly 77 km east–west and 52 km north–south, bordered by the counties of Lytton to the north and north-east, Kimberley to the south, Dalhousie to the south-west and west, and Granville to the north-west. The Barrier Highway and the Crystal Brook–Broken Hill railway both cross the county. Rainfall is low and unreliable, and grazing on large pastoral leases is the only significant land use away from Yunta itself.
History
The county was proclaimed on 18 January 1877. Its namesake is recorded only as “Herbert” in early sources, most likely honouring a Lord Herbert or Sir Robert Herbert, an under-secretary for the colonies of the period; the record does not settle which. Its six hundreds were laid out for pastoral use rather than closer farming settlement, reflecting the dry country involved. The county measures roughly 77 km east–west and 52 km north–south, a shape set by the surrounding survey lines of Lytton, Kimberley, Dalhousie and Granville.
FAQ
Where is the County of Herbert?
It lies about 55 km north-east of Peterborough, east of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia’s Far North.
What is the main town in the County of Herbert?
Yunta, on the Barrier Highway, is the only town of note.
Is the County of Herbert still used?
Cadastral counties like Herbert remain part of land titles and property descriptions in South Australia, but they have no government function today.