Laura Bay

{{about|the bay in the South Australia|the associated locality|Laura Bay, South Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Laura Bay | image = | caption = | pushpin_map = Australia South Australia | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[South Australia]] | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | location = [[South Australia]] | coords = {{coord|32.245|S|133.812|E|type:waterbody_region:AU_region:AU-SA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}<ref name=PLB>{{cite web |title= Search result for "Laura Bay" (BAY) (Record Number SA0038892) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)" |url= http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/# |publisher= Government of South Australia |accessdate= 21 July 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | type = [[Bay]] | etymology = Laura, daughter of [[Bloomfield Douglas]]<ref name=collins39>{{Citation | author1=Collins, Neville C | title=The jetties of South Australia : past and present | publication-date=2005 | publisher=Neville Collins|page = 39 | isbn=978-0-9580482-2-4 }}</ref> | part_of = [[Great Australian Bight]] | inflow = | outflow = | catchment = | basin_countries = [[Australia]] | designation = [[Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park]]<ref name=marinepark/> | length = about {{convert|1|km}}<br>(west-east)<ref name=chart43>{{Citation | author1=South Australia. Department of Marine and Harbors (DMH)| title=The Waters of South Australia a series of charts, sailing notes and coastal photographs | publication-date=1985 | publisher=Dept. of Marine and Harbors, South Australia | pages=chart 43 |isbn=978-0-7243-7603-2}}</ref> | width = about {{convert|1|km}}<br>(north-south)<ref name=chart43/> | area = | depth = | max-depth = | volume = | residence_time = | salinity = | shore = | frozen = | islands = | trenches = | benches = | cities = [[Laura Bay, South Australia|Laura Bay]] }}

'''Laura Bay''' is a [[bay]] in the Australian state of [[South Australia]] on the west coast of [[Eyre Peninsula]], about {{Convert|15|km|mi}} southeast of [[Ceduna, South Australia|Ceduna]].<ref name=collins39/><ref name=PLB/>

Laura Bay is an inlet that opens into the northern end of the larger [[Smoky Bay]], and which is about {{convert|4.5|km}} northeast of the headland of [[Cape D'Estrees]]. Its depth is less than {{convert|2|m}} at chart datum.<ref name=chart43/> It is described as:<ref name=SLSA>{{cite web|title= Laura Bay (east) (unpatrolled beach) |url= https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/sa1248 |work=Beachsafe |publisher=Surf Life Saving Australia |accessdate=22 July 2016}}</ref><blockquote>. . . a small semicircular south facing bay, 1 km wide at the mouth, widening to 2 km inside. It is very protected from ocean waves and usually calm conditions prevail at the three shelly beaches, each fronted by a few hundred metres wide sand and tidal flats, and bordered and backed by stands of low mangroves.</blockquote>

The bay was reportedly named for Laura Douglas, the daughter of [[William Bloomfield Douglas]] who surveyed the bay for the [[Government of South Australia]] in 1858.<ref name=collins39/>

Laura Bay was used as a port facility from at least 1894 to at least 1937. Farm produce was delivered there from as far away as {{convert|30|km}}, onto watercraft known as [[Lighter (barge)|lighter]]s, which then moved it to vessels anchored in deeper water. In 1911, a jetty of about {{convert|14.3|m}} length was built and was used until 1937, when it was demolished.<ref name=collins39/>

Since 2012, the bay has been part of the [[protected area]] of [[Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park]].<ref name=marinepark>{{cite web|title= Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park |url= http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/marine_parks/final_maps/marine-park-02-nuyts-archipelago-map.pdf |work= |publisher=Government of South Australia|accessdate=22 July 2016}}</ref>

==See also== *[[Laura (disambiguation)]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://cedunaonline.com.au Ceduna Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923053807/https://cedunaonline.com.au/ |date=23 September 2020 }}

[[Category:Bays of South Australia]] [[Category:Eyre Peninsula]] [[Category:Great Australian Bight]]