Tumby Bay, South Australia

Tumby Bay is a coastal town on the Spencer Gulf, on the eastern coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is north of Port Lincoln. The town of Tumby Bay is the major population centre of the District Council of Tumby Bay. It is the centre of an agricultural district farming cereal crops and sheep. It also has fishing and tourism industries.
History
The bay was first explored and given the name Tumby Bay by Captain Matthew Flinders in 1802. It was named after a parish in Lincolnshire, England. In 1840 Governor Gawler renamed the bay Harvey('s) Bay after one other district's early settlers. Then on 15 November 1900 the town of Tumby was proclaimed by Governor Tennyson, and the name of the bay was changed to Tumby Bay. On 14 June 1984 the town officially became known as Tumby Bay.
The earliest European settlers to the district arrived in the 1840s. They farmed the area with wheat and sheep mostly. The town soon grew into an important grain storage and loading point. A jetty was built in 1874. It was the second jetty built on the Eyre Peninsula. This provided a much needed outlet for the copper ore which was coming from the Burrowing Mine. The original jetty was taken down in 1999 due to safety concerns. The newer jetty is still in use.
The town's first school was opened in 1881 as 'Tumby'. The district's first hospital opened in 1913.
Tumby Bay hosted the popular event Triple J's One Night Stand on 2 April 2011. It featured the bands Birds of Tokyo, Art vs. Science, The Jezabels, and local "Unearthed" musician Joshy Willo . The town's population swelled from 1000 to over 12,000 for the event.
Geography
Tumby Bay lies on the large, sheltered bay of the same name on the western side of Spencer Gulf. Most of the land around Tumby Bay is used for agriculture. The coast has white sandy beaches. The town is centered on the beaches. The town has towering cliffs to the south.
Tumby Island is the only island in the bay. but further offshore is the Sir Joseph Banks Group. It a small archipelago that can be reached by boat from Tumby Bay.
Tumby Bay has a Mediterranean climate. There are warm to hot summers and slightly wet winters.
Economy
Since it was first settled, Tumby Bay has predominantly been an agriculturally driven town, with cereal crops, sheep and beef commonly farmed. As with many towns on the Eyre Peninsula, Tumby Bay also has a well-established professional fishing industry.
Tourism
Tumby Bay is popular for holidays during the summer months. People come for the fishing, including King George Whiting and Snapper. Fishing can be enjoyed from the town jetty, the beaches and rock areas, or from a boat. In 2001, a marina was built. It allows all weather boat launching for a range of boat sizes. It opens up new real estate options.
The safe calm waters and the white sand of the bay offer a variety of water sports. They include swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, and water skiing. The town has a caravan park. There are also hotels and apartments which have places for tourists to stay.
Community
Tumby Bay had a town population of 1228 in the 2001 census. The majority are Australian born. Of those that immigrated (about 100 people), most are from the United Kingdom. Others coming from several European countries, the U.S., and New Zealand. There are a number of churches in the town. They include Anglican, Uniting and Lutheran Churches.
There are many sporting groups in the town. They include football, cricket, netball, basketball, tennis, bowls and golf clubs. Most of the clubs competing in local leagues.
The Tumby Bay Area School provides education for all students through to Year 12. A public library is located on the school grounds. A hospital is also in place to serve the health needs of the town.
Government
Tumby Bay is in the District Council of Tumby Bay local government area. The current mayor is Laurie Collins. The town is also incorporated in the South Australian House of Assembly electoral district of Flinders and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Grey.
Transport
Tumby Bay is normally reached by private car via the Port Lincoln Highway that runs along the coastline of the Eyre Peninsula. The town does have an sealed airfield. It is not used for private flights. It is used for the Flying Doctor and crop spraying aircraft.
The town is serviced daily by Premier Stateliner coaches.
Port and Rail
Land has been purchased north east of Tumby Bay for the purposes of developing a bulk commodities export port. The site has been referred to as Sheep Hill. The project now is called Port Spencer. Centrex Metals Ltd is the project proponent. The site is immediately north of Lipson Cove. The proposed port (if approved) will be capable of loading Capesize ships (either directly or by transshipment) for export of iron ore and potentially, grain.