{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Milang | state = sa | image = Milang - panoramio (1).jpg | caption = Milang | coordinates = {{coord|35.406168|S|138.971311|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coord_ref = <ref name="LMV">{{cite web |title=Search result for "Milang, LOCB" with the following datasets selected – "Suburbs and Localities", "Counties", "Government Towns", "Local Government Areas", "SA Government Regions" and "Gazetteer" |url=http://location.sa.gov.au/viewer/?map=roads&x=138.97613&y=-35.40062&z=12&uids=19,2,115,11,20,105&pinx=138.972680&piny=-35.404710&pinTitle=Location&pinText=Milang,+Locb |website=Location SA Map Viewer|publisher=South Australian government|accessdate=17 September 2018}}</ref> | pop = <!--leave blank to draw the latest automatically from Wikidata--> | pushpin_label_position=left | established = 1853 | established_footnotes = | abolished = | gazetted = | postcode = 5256<ref name=postcode>{{cite web|title= Postcode for Milang, South Australia |url= https://postcodes-australia.com/areas/sa/adelaide/milang|publisher= postcodes-australia.com |accessdate=17 September 2018}}</ref> | elevation = | elevation_footnotes = | area = | area_footnotes = | timezone = ACST | utc = +9:30 | timezone-dst= ACDT | utc-dst = +10.30 | dist1 = 63 | dir1 = SE | location1 = Adelaide | dist2 = 20 | dir2 = NE | location2 = Goolwa | lga = Alexandrina Council<ref name="LMV"/> | region = Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island<ref>{{cite web|title= Fleurieu Kangaroo Island SA Government region |url= http://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/21612/Fleurieu_Kangaroo_Island_SA_Government_region.pdf |publisher=The Government of South Australia|accessdate=17 April 2017}}</ref> | county = | stategov = Finniss | fedgov = Mayo | maxtemp = | maxtemp_footnotes = | mintemp = | mintemp_footnotes = | rainfall = | rainfall_footnotes = | near-n = Angas Plains | near-ne = Lake Plains | near-e = Lake Plains<br/>Lake Alexandrina | near-se = Point Sturt | near-s = Clayton Bay | near-sw = Clayton Bay | near-w = Nurragi<br/>Finniss | near-nw = Angas Plains<br/>Nurragi | near = Milang | footnotes = Locations<ref name="LMV"/><ref name=postcode/><br/>Adjoining localities<ref name="LMV"/> }} '''Milang''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|l|æ|ŋ}} {{respell|m(ə)|LANG}}) is a town and locality located in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of Lake Alexandrina about {{convert|71|km}} south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about {{convert|20|km}} north-east of the municipal seat of Goolwa.<ref name="LMV"/><ref name=postcode/>
==History== The town was surveyed in December 1853;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.placenames.sa.gov.au/pno/pnores.phtml?recno=SA0044731 |title=Milang, South Australia |work=Place Names Online |publisher = Government of South Australia Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure |accessdate=2008-08-02}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> it became a significant port on the River Murray system between 1860 and 1880.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milang.org.au/History/Jetty.htm |title=Milang: The Jetty |accessdate=2008-08-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719104042/http://www.milang.org.au/History/Jetty.htm |archivedate=19 July 2008 }}</ref> Between December 1884 and June 1970, a branch line off the Mount Barker–Victor Harbor railway ran 13.1 km (8.1 mi) from a junction at Sandergrove to Milang, mainly for freight traffic but also as a minor passenger service. The line was dismantled after its closure in 1970.<ref>{{cite book|title=Railways in the Adelaide Hills, 1st edition |publisher=Openbook Publishers, Adelaide |author=Sallis, Roger |year=1998 |isbn=0-646-35473-6}}</ref>
Milang played an historic role as host to the first South Australian Boy Scout camp in the summer of 1909–1910;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164688143# |title=Scouts under canvas |newspaper=Observer (Adelaide) |location=Adelaide, SA |date=1 January 1910 |accessdate=3 June 2019 |page=35 |via=Trove}}</ref> a bronze plaque marks the location.
Milang Football Club, the Milang Panthers, compete in the Hills Football League C Grade competition.<ref>{{cite web | title=Ladder for Men C Grade | website=GameDay | url=https://websites.mygameday.app/comp_info.cgi?c=0-6621-0-608121-0&pool=1001&a=LADDER | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Home | website=MILANG PANTHERS FC | url=https://milangpanthersfc.weebly.com/ | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
==Heritage listings== Milang has many 19th century buildings, and some heritage-listed sites, including: * Coxe Street: 1867 Royal Salute cannon, Soldiers Memorial Park<ref>{{cite web | url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=14965 | title=Cannon that fired royal salute in 1867, Soldiers Memorial Park | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> * 46-50 Coxe Street: Milang School<ref>{{cite web | url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=14966 | title= Milang School | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> * 22-23 Daranda Terrace: Milang Butter Factory<ref name=mbfheritage>{{cite web | url=https://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=14975 | title=Former Milang Butter Factory | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref> * Lake front: Milang jetty and hand crane<ref>{{cite web | url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=14967 | title=Milang Jetty and Hand Crane | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> * 5-7 Markland Street: Dwelling with pressed iron facade<ref>{{cite web | url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=14964 | title=Dwelling with pressed iron facade | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref>
===Butter Factory=== The Milang Lakeside Butter Factory, whose original buildings date from 1893, made butter from the milk brought to the jetty from surrounding small farms. Much of the butter was sent to the Western Australian Goldfields. In 1919, it was bought by Farmers Union, who added and a manager's cottage. However operations ceased in the 1960s.<ref name=horn2024>{{cite web | last=Horn | first=Caroline | title=Heritage-listed Milang Lakeside Butter Factory restored to life by volunteers after 10 years' work |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia | date=10 February 2024 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-10/milang-community-restores-butter-factory-regional-sa/103420646 | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
Parts of the factory were used during the filming of the television series ''Shadows of the Heart'' in 1990, but it remained intact and closed.<ref name=horn2024/> The factory was added to the SA Heritage Register on 11 June 1998.<ref name=mbfheritage/>
After the factory and manager's cottage came up for sale in 2014, a group of residents of the small town got together and lobbied the council to buy the property, and then proceeded to apply for a series of grants to restore the buildings. The council donated {{AUD|350,000}} towards the purchase of the factory, and various other organisations gave grants to cover the cost of engineering and preserving works. Members of the community held many fundraisers put in many hours of work over 10 years, until, by February 2024, just a few jobs were left to complete the restoration.<ref name=horn2024/>
==Location and governance== Milang is situated at the west coast of Lake Alexandrina, around {{convert|71|km}} south-east of Adelaide and {{convert|20|km}} north-east of the municipal seat of Goolwa.<ref name="LMV"/><ref name=postcode/>
It lies within the federal division of Mayo, the state electoral district of Hammond and the local government area of the Alexandrina Council.<ref name=AEC>{{cite web|title=Federal electoral division of Mayo, boundary gazetted 16 December 2011|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/sa/files/2011/2011-aec-a4-map-sa-mayo.pdf |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|accessdate=25 January 2018}}</ref><ref name= LMV/><ref name=EDBC>{{cite map |url=https://edbc.sa.gov.au/redistributions/2016/2016-electoral-district-maps/hammond-map-2016-pdf/download.html|title=Hammond |publisher=Electoral District Boundaries Commission |date=2016 |accessdate=17 September 2018}}</ref>
In the 2021 Australian census, there were 831 people in the locality of Milang.<ref>{{cite web | title=Milang (L), 2021 Census | publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics | url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/UCL421025 | access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
==Tourist attractions== Milang tourist attractions include fishing from the state heritage-listed jetty, the Milang Historical Society museum, the Milang Historical Walk, and boating and swimming on Lake Alexandrina.
The Milang Historical Railway Museum, opened in 1992 and located in the station building of the now-closed Milang railway line, features many old photos and railway memorabilia from the era when Milang was a significant port for the River Murray shipping trade. It has become one of Milang's major attractions with its displays of the railway-era history of the town and surrounding districts, its locomotive and carriages and, in the locomotive, a computer operated driving simulator that visitors over the age of 10 can operate.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.weekendnotes.com/port-milang-historic-railway-museum/ |title= Port Milang Historic Railway Museum |last= Walsh |first= Dave |date= 12 December 2016 |website= Weekend notes |publisher= Oat Labs, Sydney |access-date= 3 June 2019 }}</ref><ref name="SALRC">{{cite web |url= https://www.weekendnotes.com/south-australian-light-railway-centre-opening/ |title= South Australian Light Railway Centre opening |last= Walsh |first= Dave |date= 14 December 2016 |website= Weekend notes |publisher= Oat Labs, Sydney |access-date= 3 June 2019 }}</ref>
Another railway-themed attraction is the South Australian Light Railway Centre, on the museum site,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://milangrailway.org.au/milangwebsite_006.htm|title = Milang Easter Fair}}</ref> which tells the story of about 700 light railways that once operated in the state in mines, forests, wineries, munitions factories and quarries, and at jetties to transport goods from ships. It includes three historic locomotives and two section cars, displays, rolling stock models, and a model light railway that visitors can drive.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://milangrailway.org.au/milangwebsite_006.htm |title= The new South Australian Light Railway Centre <!--author not stated--> |date= 2019 |website= The Port Milang Historic Railway Museum |publisher= Milang Historical Railway Museum Inc |access-date= 3 June 2019 }}</ref><ref name="SALRC"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Alexandria Council suburbs}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Towns in South Australia