Berri, South Australia

Berriis a town in theRiverlandregion ofSouth Australia. It is 238 kilometres north-east ofAdelaide, the capital of the state ofSouth Australiaand a few kilometres west of the SA-Victoria border. It is primarily anagriculturalandviticulturaltown on the north bank of theMurray River. It is the original home of the juice company,Berri Ltd..
The name "Berri" is from the localAboriginaltribe, Meri, meaning "a wide bend in the river".The area was first explored by European settlers whenCharles Sturtnavigated the Murray River. Its first impetus for settlement came whenpaddle steamerscame down the River Murray and a refuelling stop was developed. This was to become Berri. The area was also part of Cobdogla Station pastoral run before it was broken up for closer farming.
In 1910,irrigationwas established and Berri was proclaimed as a town in 1911.Irrigation subsequently led to the establishment ofvineyardsandfruitorchards(such ascitrus,apricotsandpeaches). Adistillerywas established in 1918 and rail arrived in 1928. In 1943,  "Berri Juices" (Berri Ltd) were first produced. By the 1950s, Berri and other Riverland towns dominated the local economy with fruit and their products.
Transport from one side of the Murray to the other consisted of two parallel ferries. These were replaced by a bridge in 1997 which was opened by thePremier of South Australia,John Olsen. It is the largest of its type in South Australia.It was estimated that 10,000 people attended the official opening on 27 July 1997.The bridge cost $17 million after 30 years of lobbying. The bridge spans the Murray River between Berri and Loxton.
Berri was served by theBarmera railway linewhen it opened fromMeribahin the 1920s. The railway was closed on 31 December 1990 and dismantled not long after.
Berri has a warm temperatesemi-arid climate(Köppen:BSk), with very warm, dry summers and mild, slightly wetter winters. Mean maxima vary from 31.1 °C (88.0 °F) in January to 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) in July, while mean minima fluctuate between 15.2 °C (59.4 °F) in January and 5.3 °C (41.5 °F) in July. Annualprecipitationis rather low, averaging 261.3 mm (10.29 in) between 68.1 precipitation days.The climate is evident by its location, north ofGoyder's Lineand surrounded bymalleescrub. Berri is also nearRenmark, South AustraliaandMildura. It is 31 metres above sea level.
Berri is a multicultural townwith a café and a hotel on the riverside, a main street that overlooks the river and other shopping facilities elsewhere in the town, such as the Riverland Plaza.
The Berri Visitors Centre shares a spot on the waterfront at the bottom of Vaughan Terrace with River Jacks cafe. This is a popular gathering point for Berri professionals and tourists alike, not undue to its waterfront location, alfresco dining and proximity to the visitors centre itself.
The river itself offersfishing,waterskiingandboating. A boat launching marina is located opposite the Berri caravan park on the waterfront. The Martin's Bend wetland offers educational walk and water sports. Nearby is the "Katarapko" section of theMurray River National Parkwhich is a popular area forcamping,birdwatching,canoeingandbushwalking.
A past local tourist attraction was theBig Orange, it offered a three-storey high observation deck over the plains and river. The facility also offered souvenirs, refreshments and local produce. It opened in 1980 and closed to visitors in 2004. Development ideas for the future of the site included an orchid nursery, waterfall, butterfly house, tropical garden and bird cages.
Horticulture, in particularorangesandgrapesis still strong in the area. Berri is situated in an area of 3000 hectares of irrigated fruit orchards. Secondary industries include fruit packing,fruit juice, andwine.
Other events held in Berri are the annual Riverland Wine and Food Festival and Tour of Riverland Cycling.
The Country Arts SA River Lands Gallery in Berri has a new exhibition each month, with touring visual arts shows and Riverland based artists.
Berri also has public art work, like the Riverland Vietnam & Post WWII veteran's war memorial, the Aboriginal dreamtime mural underneath the Berri Bridge, and Jimmy James Memorial on the Berri riverfront.
Jimmy Jameswas a famous blacktracker, who was born around 1910 and belonged to thePitjantjatjarapeople. He moved to the Riverland in the 1940s and took his name from his equally famous father-in-law. He was used extensively by the Police in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Northern Territory, to track felons, escapees and missing people. A monument is sculptured out of two slabs of finely polished black granite and engraved with images of birds and animals – a part of Jimmy's spirit world.
Berri was home to a community newspaper, theBerri Community News(3 October 1951 – 19 April 1962), which was later released asBerri News(9 May 1962 – 30 January 1963), subtitledwith which is incorporated "the Berri community news". The publication, issued by Berri War Memorial Community Centre Incorporated, concentrated on news and events from Berri, Glossop, Monash, and Winkie.
Channels from the following television networks are available in Berri:
Berri is also home to radio stations Magic 93.1 and5RM.
Berri is in theBerri Barmera Councillocal government area. It is in thestate electorateofChaffeyand thefederalDivision of Barker.