Arno Bay, South Australia

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Arno Bay | state = sa | image = | caption = | image_alt = | relief = yes | coordinates = {{coord|33|55|S|136|35|E|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_label_position = left | pop =  | density = | density_footnotes = | established = 1882 | established_footnotes = <ref name=PLB>{{cite web|title=Search result for "Arno Bay (Locality Bounded)" (Record no SA0003186) with the following layers being selected - "Suburbs and Localities", "Local Government Areas", "Development Plan Layers", "Place names (gazetteer)" and "Hundreds" |url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/# |publisher=Government of South Australia |work=Property Location Browser |accessdate=11 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archivedate=12 October 2016 }}</ref> | postcode = 5603 | elevation = 1 | elevation_footnotes = {{citation needed|date=April 2017}} | area = | area_footnotes = | timezone = ACST | utc = +9:30 | timezone-dst = ACST | utc-dst = +10:30 | dist1 = 437 | dir1 = NW | location1 = Adelaide | lga = District Council of Cleve<ref name=PLB/> |county=Jervois<ref name=PLB/> | region= Eyre Western<ref name=EW>{{cite web|title=Eyre Western SA Government region|url=http://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/21249/Eyre_Western_SA_Government_region.pdf|publisher=The Government of South Australia|accessdate=10 October 2014|archive-date=16 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216072250/http://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/21249/Eyre_Western_SA_Government_region.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | stategov = Flinders<ref name=Flinders>{{cite web|title=District of Flinders Background Profile |url=http://www.ecsa.sa.gov.au/component/edocman/?task=document.download&id=551&Itemid=0 |publisher=Electoral Commission SA|accessdate=9 September 2015}}</ref> | fedgov = Grey<ref name=AEC>{{cite web|title=Federal electoral division of Grey |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/sa/files/2011/2011-aec-a4-map-sa-grey.pdf |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|accessdate=24 July 2015}}</ref> | maxtemp = | maxtemp_footnotes = | mintemp = | mintemp_footnotes = | rainfall = | rainfall_footnotes = | near-n = Cleve | near-ne = Cowell | near-e = Cowell | near-se = ''Spencer Gulf'' | near-s = ''Spencer Gulf'' | near-sw = Port Neill<br>''Spencer Gulf'' | near-w = Verran<br>Port Neill | near-nw = Cleve | near = Arno Bay | footnotes = Adjoining localities<ref name=PLB/> }} '''Arno Bay''' is a small fishing and tourist town on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, located on the Lincoln Highway about halfway between Whyalla and Port Lincoln. First proclaimed under the name '''Bligh''' in 1883, the current name dates back to 1940. It is a recreational town with a number of marine and nature based attractions, including fishing, surfing and swimming.

==History== The area which is now known as '''Arno Bay''' was opened up by pastoralists in 1863, with the area being named 'Salt Creek Cove' in these early days.<ref name="a">{{Citation |last=Manning Index of South Australia |title=Arno Bay |url=http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/a/a12.htm |accessdate=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902160455/http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/a/a12.htm |archivedate=2 September 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> Of the variety of ventures that occurred before the town was built, the sinking of 'The Arno Bay Mine' was possibly the least successful, with water halting all operations.<ref name = "a" /> The small town was initially proclaimed in 1882 by G. H. Ayliffe under the name of 'Bligh', after Captain William Bligh, although locals resisted the name change, continually referring to the town as 'Arno Bay' until the official name change.<ref name = "b">{{Citation | last = Sydney Morning Herald Travel | title = Arno Bay | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Arno-Bay/2005/02/17/1108500204136.html | accessdate = 27 June 2007 | work= Sydney Morning Herald }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92394828 |title=NEW TOWN NAMES APPROVED |newspaper=The Chronicle |volume=LXXXIII |issue=4,728 |location=South Australia |date=1 August 1940 |accessdate=31 August 2016 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

The town was expected to become a port and a jetty was built in 1880 in anticipation of this. The port was not huge, but nonetheless continued importing fertilisers and exporting cereal crops that were being grown in the district.<ref name="c">{{Citation | last = Tourism Eyre Peninsula | title = Arno Bay | url = http://www.tep.com.au/region/arno_bay.htm | accessdate = 27 June 2007 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070616061021/http://www.tep.com.au/region/arno_bay.htm | archivedate = 16 June 2007 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> By 1911, the town had grown substantially, with a school, post office, hotel and new hall established in this period.<ref name = "a" />

The town continued to grow as a port until the point where it was exporting 11,000 tonnes of grain in 1940. In the same year, the decision was finally made to alter the town's official name to 'Arno Bay', named after a sandhill well and not the Italian 'Arno River' as had been suggested.<ref name = "a" /> The period of high export came to an abrupt end in 1963 when the storage silos were built, and ocean shipping became redundant to the large trucks that were now the main mechanism of transport.<ref name = "b" />

This signalled the end of Arno Bay as a port, causing the population to drop slowly, eventually leading to its current position as a tourist fishing town.

==Geography== Arno bay lies on the eastern Eyre Peninsula, and sits on the Spencer Gulf, a body of water that stretches up to Port Augusta in the north. The town itself lies on the bay of the same name, which is dominated by a mixture of white, sandy beaches, cliffs, and mangrove systems. Of particular note is 'Redbanks', a sedimentary cliff structure which is designated a geological monument by the Geological Society of Australia.<ref name="kio">{{Citation |last=Arno Bay Tourism Site |title=Fishing |url=http://www.arnobay.com/fishing.htm |accessdate=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930041008/http://www.arnobay.com/fishing.htm |archivedate=30 September 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref>

The climate is much like that of Port Lincoln, which is only 118 km to South. The Mediterranean-like climate, with its hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters is typical for most of the Eyre Peninsula.<ref name = "kho">{{Citation | publisher = Bureau of Meteorology | title = North Shields | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_018192.shtml | accessdate = 27 June 2007 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070610070312/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_018192.shtml| archivedate= 10 June 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>

==Economy== The town still retains it position as a minor service centre for the surrounding agricultural communities, but in nowhere near the capacity of the mid-1900s. Cereal crops and sheep are still the major produce of the inland area, as well as minor amounts of other produce.<ref name="d">{{Citation |last=District Council of Cleve |title=General Information |url=http://www.cleve.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=131 |accessdate=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829112019/http://www.cleve.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=131 |archivedate=29 August 2007 }}</ref>

Fishing has been a minor part of the economy in the past, and recently, aquaculture has come to prominence in the bay, with Yellowtail Kingfish, mulloway and tuna held in large cages. These are farmed on 7 licenses covering 130 hectares in the bay. The aquaculture in the bay is still in development, and further expansions are expected in the future.<ref name = "e">{{Citation | last = PIRSA | title = Arno Bay Aquaculture Management Program | url = http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/pages/aquaculture/policy/arno_bay_final.pdf | accessdate = 27 June 2007 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Tourism is now one of the largest components of the town's economy, with tourists typically drawn by the areas fishing, water sport and seaside atmosphere. A boat ramp is located in the town, with whiting, snapper, tommy ruff, garfish, salmon and may other popular species caught in the bay, with most of these also available off the town jetty and beach. For boat anglers, the 'Redbanks' region has been known to produce large Mulloway and Snapper, as well as offering scenery in the form of the imposing cliffs. The local aquaculture industry also promotes tourism, with tours through facilities where finfish are raised.<ref name = "f">{{Citation | last = Travelmate | title = Arno Bay | url = http://www.travelmate.com.au/Places/Places.asp?TownName=Arno+Bay_%5C_SA | accessdate = 27 June 2007 }}</ref>

==Community==

===Facilities=== For tourist facilities, Arno Bay has a beachfront caravan park, hotel, general stores, post office, playground and motor garage outlet, however no fuel station. An all-weather boat ramp, with floating pontoon and a refurbished town jetty launching facilities for boat based fishermen.<ref name = "d" />

A number of sporting venues and clubs include a dried-up swamp that serves as a golf course, bowling green, oval, tennis, netball, and squash courts, dirt circuit and in summer yacht racing each Sunday.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.tep.com.au/region/arno_bay.htm Eyre Peninsula Site] * [http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Arno-Bay/2005/02/17/1108500204136.html Sydney Morning Herald Travel website] * [http://www.cleve.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm Cleve District Council Site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626163957/http://www.cleve.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm |date=26 June 2007 }}

Category:Coastal towns in South Australia Category:Eyre Peninsula Category:Spencer Gulf Category:Bays of South Australia Category:Fishing communities in Australia