Island in South Australia
Torrens Island is an
island in the Australian state of
South Australia located in the
Adelaide metropolitan area in the
Port River Estuary about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the
Adelaide city centre . Since European settlement of
Adelaide in 1836, it has been used for a number of purposes.
Geographical features
An island in the Port River Estuary between the Port River to the west and
Barker Inlet to the east, Torrens Island is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-west of Adelaide. Light Passage , named after founder of Adelaide Colonel
William Light , lies in the
Port River between
Pelican Point and Torrens Island.
[2] Torrens Island is separated from the smaller
Garden Island to the south by the
Angas Inlet , but is connected to the mainland by a causeway and a bridge over the
North Arm .
History
European discovery and use
According to the
Australian Dictionary of Biography , Governor
George Gawler in 1837 named the site after
Robert Torrens senior , who was chairman of the South Australian Colonisation Commission, the board responsible for setting up and running the colony in its early years.
[3]
Quarantine Station
Refshauge House, built in 1916 and named for
Sir William Refshauge , was the former administration building and dispensary at the Quarantine Station.
Being uninhabited, an island, adjacent to
Port Adelaide , and near
Outer Harbor , Torrens Island was initially used as the site of a Quarantine Station for new arrivals (by sea) to South Australia.
[4] One example of its use was during the
Boonah crisis .
There were two quarantine stations on the site at different times; the surviving Torrens Island Quarantine Station is listed on the
South Australian Heritage Register .
[5]
Tours of the heritage-listed Quarantine Station are conducted by the
South Australian Maritime Museum .
[6]
Internment Camp
The Torrens Island
Internment Camp was a
World War I detention camp which held up to 400 men of German or Austro-Hungarian background between 9 October 1914 and 16 August 1915.
Land use
Power Stations
Quarantine Power Station
There are three power stations on Torrens Island:
Protected area status
Torrens Island and the surrounding areas
Torrens Island has been located within the boundaries of the following
protected areas to varying extents since 1963, 1973 and 2005 respectively – the
Torrens Island Conservation Park which covers all of the island down to
low water with exception to the most of land associated with the
former quarantine station and the land associated with the
Quarantine Power Station and
Torrens Island Power Stations , the
Barker Inlet-St Kilda Aquatic Reserve which covers all of the east side of the island located below
high water and the
Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary which overlays the entire island.
[1]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
See also
References
^
a
b
c
"Search results for 'Torrens Island' with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Dolphin Sanctuary', 'Aquatic Reserves', 'NPW and Conservation Boundaries', 'Hundreds', 'Roads', 'SA Heritage Places', 'SA Heritage Places Indicative Footprints', 'Metropolitan Adelaide Boundary (Development Act 1993)' and 'Gazetteer' " . Location SA Map Viewer . South Australian Government. Retrieved 3 April 2018 .
^
"Light Passage" . Google Maps . Retrieved 30 October 2019 .
^
"Torrens, Robert (1780–1864)" .
Australian Dictionary of Biography . Vol. 2. National Centre of Biography,
Australian National University . 1967.
ISSN
1833-7538 . Retrieved 10 November 2019 .
^ D. Walsh:
Torrens Island Quarantine Station Weekendnotes , 4 July 2013. Accessed 17 July 2013.
^
"Torrens Island Quarantine Station (including Jetties, Cemetery, Mortuary & Complex)" . South Australian Heritage Register . Department of Environment and Water. Retrieved 10 November 2019 .
^
Torrens Island Quarantine Station tours SA Maritime Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
^
AGL takes ownership of Torrens Island power station AGL press release to ASX, 3 July 2007. Accessed 17 July 2013.
^
Origin Energy > Quarantine Power Station Accessed 17 July 2013.
^ Vazey, Rosanna (7 June 2017).
"AGL announces development of $295 million power station in South Australia" . AGL Corporate Blog (Press release). AGL. Retrieved 1 August 2017 .
^
"Press Conference at the opening of AGL's Barker Inlet Power Station Torrens Island, South Australia" . Australian Government, Department of Environment and Energy. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019 .
^
"Protected Areas Information System Reserve List" (PDF) . Government of South Australia. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2017 .
^ Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) (2007),
Aquatic Reserve: Barker Inlet (PDF) , Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, archived from
the original (PDF) on 10 October 2016
^ Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) (2007),
Aquatic Reserve: St Kilda – Chapman Creek (PDF) , Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, archived from
the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014
^
"The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary" . Natural Resources Management Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges. Retrieved 5 October 2014 .
Buildings / structures Cultural institutions Sport Ships & vessels Beaches and islands Pubs/hotels
Birkenhead Riverview Tavern (1877)
The British Hotel (1847)
Dockside Tavern (1850)
First Commercial Inn (1841)
Newmarket Hotel (1879)
Port Admiral Hotel (1849)
Port Anchor Hotel (1873)
Port Dock Brewery Hotel (1855)
Railway Hotel (1856)
Royal Arms Hotel (1878)
The Lighthouse Hotel (1857)
Largs Pier Hotel (1882)
Glanville Hotel (1865)
Lord Exmouth Hotel (1859)