The County of Russell is one of South Australia’s 49 cadastral counties. It was proclaimed on 2 June 1842 and named after Lord John Russell, then Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The county covers 3,427 square kilometres bounded by Lake Alexandrina and the Murray River to the west and the Coorong coastal lagoon to the south.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Murraylands / Coorong |
| Proclaimed | 2 June 1842 |
| Named after | Lord John Russell, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies |
| Area | 3,427 km² |
| Local government areas today | Coorong District Council; City of Murray Bridge |
Hundreds in Russell County
The county is divided into 9 hundreds.
- Hundred of Baker
- Hundred of Bonney
- Hundred of Burdett
- Hundred of Coolinong
- Hundred of Ettrick
- Hundred of Jeffries
- Hundred of Malcolm
- Hundred of Seymour
- Hundred of Younghusband
Towns and Localities Today
Tailem Bend, in the Hundred of Seymour, sits on the Murray River at the northern edge of the county and is a road and rail junction town. Meningie, in the Hundred of Bonney, lies on the Coorong and serves the district’s grazing and fishing industries. The county has no large town of its own; most services for the area are drawn from these two centres and from Murray Bridge just outside its northern boundary.
Geography
Russell County is bounded to the west by the eastern half of Lake Alexandrina and the Murray River as far north as Bowhill, and to the south by the Coorong coastal lagoon. Lake Albert lies entirely outside the county.
History
The county was proclaimed in 1842, in the first wave of South Australian counties surveyed along the lower Murray and the Coorong. Its hundreds were laid out later in the 19th century as pastoral leases in the district gave way to closer farming settlement.
FAQ
Where is Russell County?
It lies between Lake Alexandrina, the Murray River and the Coorong lagoon in South Australia’s Murraylands region.
What towns are in Russell County?
Tailem Bend and Meningie are the county’s main service towns.
Is Russell County still used?
Cadastral counties like Russell remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function today.