| Type: | town |
| Port MacDonnell | |
| State: | sa |
| Coordinates: | -38.05°N 140.6833°W |
| Coord Ref: | [1] |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Postcode: | 5291[2] |
| Established: | 1860 (town) 31 October 1996 (locality) |
| Lga: | District Council of Grant |
| County: | Grey |
| Region: | Limestone Coast[3] |
| Stategov: | Mount Gambier[4] |
| Fedgov: | Barker[5] |
| Dist1: | 395 |
| Dir1: | SE |
| Location1: | Adelaide |
| Dist2: | 26 |
| Dir2: | S |
| Location2: | Mount Gambier |
| Dist3: | 32 |
| Dir3: | W |
| Location3: | Nelson, Victoria (Vic.) |
| Maxtemp: | 19.0 |
| Mintemp: | 8.2 |
| Rainfall: | 708.4 |
| Near-N: | Allendale East |
| Near-E: | Eight Mile Creek |
| Near-Se: | Ocean |
| Near-S: | Ocean Racecourse Bay |
| Near-Sw: | Ocean |
| Near-W: | Cape Douglas |
| Near-Nw: | Cape Douglas |
| Footnotes: | Locations Climate[6] Adjoining localities |
Port MacDonnell, originally known as Ngaranga[7] [8] is the southernmost town in South Australia. The small port located in the Limestone Coast region about 477km (296miles) southeast of Adelaide and 28km (17miles) south of Mount Gambier in the District Council of Grant local government area. Once a busy shipping port, the town now relies heavily on its fishing and summer tourism industries, particularly rock lobster harvest industry, proclaiming itself "Australia's Southern Rock Lobster Capital".[9]
The area was originally inhabited by the Bungandidj Aboriginal people, who referred to it as Ngaranga, possibly meaning "noisy" or "caves". Their oral history recorded that the dry land previously extended southwards from this area, before it was flooded.[10] In 1860 the area was proclaimed an official port, was given a name, and was surveyed. It is named after Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell who was Governor of South Australia from 1855 to 1862.[12]
In the 1880s, it was one of Australia's busiest ports, shipping large quantities of wheat and wool to Europe.
The port was, however, exposed to the weather and the site of many shipwrecks.[13] Across the border in Portland, Victoria, 85 km southeast, is a much more sheltered port.
The following have been listed as state heritage places on the South Australian Heritage Register – the Cape Northumberland Lighthouse, the Dingley Dell Museum and the Former Port MacDonnell customs house.[14] [15] [16]
The town of Port MacDonnell is set on flat swampy land in a bay between rocky capes of spectacular wave eroded formations the most spectacular being those to the near west at Cape Northumberland. The port's harbour itself is formed by a large artificially constructed rock breakwater, while the coastline is sandy beaches and rock outcrops providing shelter to the port from the rough seas. The rock provides substantial habitat for the southern rock lobster which is the town's main industry and colonies of little penguin.
Cape Northumberland has a prominent lighthouse which dates to 1882. An earlier 1858 lighthouse was the first in South Australia however was demolished after it was in danger of collapse. A monument marks the site.[17]
Port MacDonnell is located within the federal division of Barker, the state electoral district of Mount Gambier and the local government area of the District Council of Grant.[5] [4] [1]