SOUTH AUSTRALIA

state of south-central Australia, occupying one of the dryest, most barren parts of the continent. It is bounded by Western Australia on the west, Northern Territory on the north, Queensland on the north and east, and New South Wales and Victoria on the east. On the south it fronts the Great Australian Bight of the Antarctica Ocean. The capital is Adelaide. Occupying about one-eighth of Australia's total land area, it is fourth in size among the nation's eight states and territories. Its people make up less than 10 percent of the Australian population, ranking fifth among the populations of the states and territories. Although isolation and its distinctive British origins as an experiment in planned settlement have produced a sense of local pride and identity, South Australia's commercial links are strongest with Melbourne and Sydney. The settled parts of the state form the western end of a crescent of closely settled and productive land in southeastern Australia that is the economic heartland of the nation. Area 379,900 square miles (984,000 square km). Pop. (1996) 1,427,936. Australia state of south-central Australia, occupying one of the dryest, most barren parts of the continent. South Australia is bounded by Western Australia on the west, the Northern Territory on the north, Queensland to the north and east, and New South Wales and Victoria on the east. On the south it fronts the Great Australian Bight of the Antarctic Ocean. Two-thirds of the vast interior receives too little rainfall to support significant human or animal population. Yet in the northeast is a portion of the Great Artesian Basin, the world's largest region of natural springs. More than four-fifths of the land lies at elevations below 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level. The coastline is indented by two large navigable gulfs: the Gulf St. Vincent is about 100 miles (160 km) in length, and the state capital, Adelaide, is on its eastern shore; Spencer Gulf, twice as long, has near its northern limits the industrial towns of Port Pirie, Port Augusta, and Whyalla. No vegetation at all grows in the stretches of sand and pebble desert, and only scrub grasses and saltbush are hardy enough to survive in the dry regions of the north and west. Eucalyptus and native pines are scattered in the Flinders Ranges. The Mount Lofty Ranges near Adelaide are more heavily wooded, mainly with eucalyptus. In the southeastern part of the state, many thousands of acres of man-made forest, most of it softwood, have been created since the late 19th century to assure forest preserves. Most Australian faunal species are represented in the state, and some species are unique to it. Their populations are sparse, however, in comparison with the eastern states because of the climate and the use of better land for farming. Some species have become extinct. The kangaroo and wallaby are still common, as are the wombat and bush rat. There are many kinds of birds, lizards, and snakes. The coastal sea has a rich variety of fish, but few are found in inland waters except in the Murray River. Maintaining and transporting supplies of fresh water are important in South Australia. The need to ensure a regular flow of high-quality water in the Murray River basin led in 1970 to disputes between South Australia and its partners in the River Murray Agreementthe national government, New South Wales, and Victoriaover the location of additional dams. South Australia's rate of economic growth was uneven during the late 20th century, but the standard of living is on a par with the rest of Australia. Less than one-tenth of the state's work force is engaged in primary production, including mining and quarrying. The Middleback Ranges produce a large part of Australia's iron ore; some of this is processed at the Whyalla blast furnaces. The state is a major world source of opals. It also produces most of the nation's salt and gypsum. Pipelines connect large natural-gas fields in the north with Adelaide and population centres in New South Wales. Motor-vehicle manufacture is a large component of secondary industry and employs one-fifth of the state's labour force. Consumer durable goods, metal pipes and tubes, chemicals, and textiles are produced in or near Adelaide. A soda-ash plant near Port Adelaide is the major producer in the Australian alkali industry. Whyalla has the country's largest shipyards. Sawmills and factories producing particleboard and paper are located near the softwood plantations in the southeast. South Australia is a major producer of wheat and barley for export abroad, and it also excels in its vineyards, producing most of the wine and brandy consumed in the nation. Coastal fishing of tuna and crayfish is for export both to other states and abroad. More than three-fourths of South Australia's population was born in Australia (of British or continental European descent), and nearly all the others were born in the British Isles or continental Europe. About 1 percent have some Aborigine ancestry. The main social matters under state authority are education, hospitals, housing, police and prisons, and railways and roads. The two primary political parties are the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal Party of Australia (LP). The ALP usually receives a majority of the votes and usually seats a majority in the House of Assembly. Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. Apprenticeships are controlled by a state commission. The institutions of higher learning include the University of Adelaide (founded 1876), Flinders University of South Australia (opened 1966), and the University of South Australia (1991). The state provides facilities for its citizens to participate in the arts. The Art Gallery of South Australia has a collection of Australian, European, and Asian art. A professional symphony orchestra is maintained by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and several theatres provide amateur and professional drama. Every second year an Adelaide Festival of arts is held. Area 379,900 square miles (984,000 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 1,400,655. Additional reading The best general source of state information is the South Australian Year Book. Physical and human geography are presented in David Corbett, The Geology and Scenery of South Australia (1987); Michael Williams, The Making of the South Australian Landscape (1974); Trevor Griffin and Murray McCaskill (eds.), Atlas of South Australia (1986); Graeme Hugo, Atlas of the Australian People: South Australia (1989); and C. Nance and D.L. Speight (eds.), A Land Transformed: Environmental Change in South Australia (1986). The classic work on early colonial history is Douglas Pike, Paradise of Dissent: South Australia, 18291857, 2nd ed. (1967). Modern findings on a wide range of themes are found in Eric Richards (ed.), The Flinders History of South Australia: Social History (1986); and Dean Jaensch (ed.), The Flinders History of South Australia: Political History (1986). D.W. Meinig, On the Margins of the Good Earth: The South Australian Wheat Frontier, 18691884 (1962), provides a vivid account of the colony's rural history. J.B. Hirst, Adelaide and the Country, 18701917: Their Social and Political Relationship (1973), deals with the special relationships that had great bearing on the colony's political and social cohesion. Andrew Parkin and Allan Patience (eds.), The Dunstan Decade: Social Democracy at the State Level (1981); Kyoko Sheridan (ed.), The State as Developer: Public Enterprise in South Australia (1986); and Neal Blewett and Dean Jaensch, Playford to Dunstan: The Politics of Transition (1971), offer important views of political and economic development during the post-Playford decades. Murray McCaskill Eric Stapleton Richards