Cummins, South Australia Explained

Type:town
Cummins
State:sa
Coordinates:-34.25°N 135.7333°W
Pushpin Label Position:right
Lga:District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula
Postcode:5631
Elevation:60
Region:Eyre Western[1]
County:Flinders
Stategov:Flinders
Fedgov:Grey
Dist1:638
Dir1:W
Location1:Adelaide
Dist2:63
Dir2:N
Location2:Port Lincoln
Dist3:40
Dir3:W
Location3:Tumby Bay
Maxtemp:23.0
Maxtemp Footnotes:[2]
Mintemp:9.7
Rainfall:415.3
Near-N:Yeelanna
Near-Ne:Brooker
Near-E:Cockaleechie
Near-Se:Yallunda Flat
Near-S:Edillilie
Near-Sw:Coulta
Near-W:Mount Drummond
Near-Nw:Kapinnie

Cummins is a town on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, 67 km north of Port Lincoln and 60 m above sea level.

Cummins was named after William Patrick Cummins, a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1896 to 1907.[3] The town of Cummins was developed in 1910 a few years after the first settlers in the area arrived.[4] The railway to Port Lincoln arrived in 1907.[5] The bounded locality of Cummins includes the former railway sidings of Pillana (south of the town) and Wildeloo (north of it).

The major industries are sheep farming and cereal grain growing. There was a junction of the narrow gauge Eyre Peninsula Railway within the town. The railway facilitated transfer of grain to the deep-water port at Port Lincoln, primarily for export till operation of the railway was discontinued on 21 May 2019. The Tod Highway and Bratten Way intersect at Cummins. A large grain storage and transshipment facility lies on the southern outskirts of town.

Cummins is the headquarters of the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula. It is in the state electoral district of Flinders and the federal Division of Grey.

The town has a bowls club with 3 greens which competes in the Southern Eyre Peninsula Men's Bowling Association.[6]

Cummins is the birthplace of former Australian tennis player John Fitzgerald who in a career spanning 1980-1997 won seven Grand Slam Doubles titles at all four major events (Australian Open (1982), French Open (1986, 1991), Wimbledon (1989, 1991), and the US Open (1984, 1991).[7]

The Traditional custodians of the district were the Nawu people.[8]

Climate

Cummins has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa); with very warm, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Temperatures vary between seasons: with average maxima ranging between in January to in July; and average minima fluctuating between in January to in August. Annual precipitation is low: averaging 415.1mm, between 121.4 precipitation days- primarily concentrated in winter. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on the 24th of January 2019 to on the 4th June 2017. Climate data is available for the Airport only since 2007.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Search results for "Cummins LOCB" with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'SA Government Regions' and 'Counties'. Loctation SA Map viewer. Government of South Australia. 22 December 2017.
  2. Web site: Cummins Aero Climate Statistics (2007-2024) . Bureau of Meteorology. July 28, 2024.
  3. Praite, R. and Tolley, J.C. (1970) Place Names of South Australia, p. 33. Adelaide: Rigby Limited.
  4. Web site: Placename Details: Cummins . Property Location Browser . SA0017259 . Government of South Australia . 7 January 2010 . 25 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ . 12 October 2016 .
  5. Web site: Placename Details: Cummins Railway Station . Property Location Browser . SA0017265 . Government of South Australia . 4 August 2005 . 25 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ . 12 October 2016 .
  6. http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-5755-0-0-0&sID=188111
  7. Web site: Profiles: John Fitzgerald . Tennis Australia . 23 February 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091028150926/http://www.tennis.com.au/pages/PlayerProfile.aspx?PlayerID=212&PageID=11478&id=4 . 28 October 2009 .
  8. David Horton (ed.),Aboriginal Australia Map (The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia by AIATSIS, 1994)
  9. Web site: Cummins Aero Climate (2007-2024) . FarmOnline Weather . July 28, 2024.