Robe, South Australia


Robe is a town and fishing port located in the Limestone Coast region in the south-eastern part of South Australia. The town's distinctive combination of historical buildings, ocean, fishing fleets, lakes and dense bush attracts many tourists. Robe lies on the southern shore of Guichen Bay, just off the Princes Highway. At the, Robe had a population of 1252. Robe is the main town in the District Council of Robe local government area. It is in the state electorate of MacKillop and the federal Division of Barker.

History

Early history

Robe is situated on the ancestral lands of the Buandig and Ngarrindjeri peoples.
Europeans founded the town of Robe on 19 March 1846, ten years after the Province of South Australia was established, as a seaport, administrative centre, and township.
Robe was named after the fourth Governor of South Australia, Major Frederick Robe, who chose the site as a port in 1845. The town was proclaimed as a port in 1847. It became South Australia's second-busiest international port, after Port Adelaide, in the 1850s. Robe's trade was drawn from a large hinterland that extended into western Victoria, and many roadside inns were built to cater for the bullock teamsters bringing down the wool, including the Bush Inn, still standing on the outskirts of Robe. Exports included horses, sheep skins, and wool.
The Customs House has been listed on the South Australian Heritage Register since 1980.

"Robe Walk"

During the Victorian gold rushes after the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851, the government of the colony of Victoria introduced a landing tax of £10 per person to deter Chinese immigrants – more than the cost of their voyage. To bypass the tax, more than 16,000 Chinese people landed at Robe to walk overland for to the goldfields, mainly at Ballarat and Bendigo. The walk became known as the "Robe Walk".

Shipwrecks

There have been a number of shipwrecks along the coast, with many occurring in the mid-19th century. They include: Phaeton – 2 February 1857Sultana – 27 April 1857Alma 15 December 1861Livingstone – 16 December 1861SS Admella – 6 August 1859Koning Willem II – 30 June 1857, on Long Beach around east of Robe
A stone obelisk was built on Cape Dombey in 1852 to help ships navigate safely into the bay, and an automatic lighthouse was built on higher ground in 1973.

Decline in economic importance

Robe's importance decreased with the building of railways in the 19th century to Kingston and Beachport, about respectively to its north and south.

Heritage listings

Robe has many heritage-listed places, including:
  • Burr Street: Robe Cemetery
  • Cape Dombey: Cape Dombey Obelisk
  • 1A Hagen Street: Robe House
  • 2 Hagen Street: The Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Chapel and Schoolroom
  • 7 Karatta Road: Karatta House
  • Main Road: Lakeside
  • Main Road: Lakeside Stables and Coach House
  • Main South Eastern Road: Richmond Park Homestead
  • Millicent Road: Bush Inn
  • 2 Mundy Terrace: Robe Post Office and Telegraph Station
  • Nora Creina Road: The Hermitage
  • Nora Creina Road: CSIRO Field Research Station
  • Nora Creina Road: Dingley Dell (dwelling)
  • Nora Creina Road: Bellevue Homestead
  • Obelisk Road: Robe Gaol Ruins
  • Royal Circus: Royal Circus and Slipwall
  • 1 Royal Circus: Robe Customs House
  • Smillie Street: Robe Institute
  • Smillie Street: Criterion Hotel
  • 8 Smillie Street: Robe Courthouse, Police Station, Old Cells and Stables
  • 10 Smillie Street: Ormerod Cottages
  • 24 Smillie Street: Bank of South Australia Building
  • 26 Smillie Street: Campbell's Shop
  • 32 Smillie Street: Davison's Shop and Residence
  • 38 Smillie Street: Graymasts
  • 4-8 Sturt Street: Moorakyne House
  • 15 Sturt Street: Granny Banks' Cottage
  • 1 Victoria Street: Caledonian Inn
  • 5 Victoria Street: Wilson's Saddlery
  • 18 Victoria Street: Attic House

Economy and facilities

Robe continues as a service centre for the surrounding rural areas and home to a fishing fleet; especially important in the local economy is the rocklobster fishery.

Attractions and tourism

Robe has always been a popular holiday destination for South Australians, but since Victorian tourists have discovered it, it has become the most popular coastal town in the state.
There are several beaches along the Robe and Guichen Bay coast. Long Beach, east of Robe and stretching up the eastern side of the bay, is long. During summer, the sand is very firm, and cars are allowed on the beach. It is Robe's main surfing beach, and beach fishing is also a popular recreation along this stretch. There is a surf school during summer months and a surf shop. The largest surf is found past the third ramp.
Other beaches include the Outlet, known for its birdlife; Fox's Beach, with a rocky reef off it; and Town Beach, which has a pontoon for swimming to.

Demographics and governance

At the, the town of Robe had a population of 1252.
Robe is the main town in the District Council of Robe local government area. It is in the state electorate of MacKillop and the federal Division of Barker. It lies within the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.
The County of Robe is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia, proclaimed by Governor Frederick Robe in 1846.

Climate

Robe has a warm-summer mediterranean climate, with mild, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Average maxima range from in January and February to in July, and average minima from in January to in July. The mean annual rainfall is spread on 165 days. The town has 56 clear days and 163 cloudy days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on 14 February 1981 to on 19 July 1982.
Climate data is also available for Robe Airport, located SE of the town. The inland weather station has a greater diurnal and seasonal range, and experiences slightly less rainfall.

Notable people

Notable people associated with Robe include: