Blanchetown (34°21′S 139°36′E, postcode 5357) is a town in South Australia, on the right (West) bank of the Murray River 130 km northeast of Adelaide. The Blanchetown Bridge is the westernmost (and furthest downstream) of the four times that the Sturt Highway crosses the Murray River. It is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland. It was originally surveyed in October 1855 as Blanche Town. It was named after Lady Blanche MacDonnell, the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Richard MacDonnell. The Governor selected the site personally, to replace an earlier settlement of Murrundi (or Moorundee) - 5 km downstream - which was subject to flooding. Murrundi had been chosen as the base of the Protector of Aborigines by Edward John Eyre since 1841. Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Murray River is Australias second-longest river in its own right (the longest being its tributary the Darling). ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a population of almost 1. ... The Sturt Highway, outside of Gawler, South Australia. ... The Murray River has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. ... The Riverland is a tourism and wine region in South Australia. ... See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... Sir Richard MacDonnell Sir Richard Graves Macdonnell , KCMG C.B. (Chinese Translated Name 麥當奴) (3 September 1814 – 5 February 1881) was a British colonial governor who became the 6th Governor of Hong Kong. ... Edward John Eyre (5 August 1815 - 30 November 1901). ...

There had been a ferry crossing at Blanchetown since 1869 (private before 1879, then Government-run). A bridge was constructed in 1963. It was the first major prestressed concrete highway bridge in South Australia. In the 1990s it was found to not be structurally sound enough to safely carry B-double trucks. Until a new bridge could be built, these were diverted from near Monash via Morgan and Eudunda to rejoin the highway at Gawler, thus travelling further but avoiding the Kingston and Blanchetown bridges. The replacement bridge was completed in November 1998. The Pride of Burgundy, a P&O Ferries car ferry on the Dover-Calais route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... semi-trailer truck with sleeper behind the cab. ... Monash (34°14′ S 140°33′ E) is a small town in the Riverland area of South Australia. ... Morgan is a town in South Australia on the right bank of the Murray River, just downstream of where it turns from flowing roughly westwards to roughly southwards. ... Gawler is a town in the state of South Australia. ... Kingston-On-Murray (34°13′ S 140°20′ E) is a town on the south bank of the Murray River in the Riverland region of South Australia. ...

Blanchetown is north of Goyder's Line, and so the land around it is unsuitable for farming unless it is irrigated using water drawn from the Murray. Upstream of Blanchetown, land above the cliffs on the west bank is mostly used for sheep grazing, while land on the east bank is irrigated for citrus orchards. A map showing the location of Goyders Line An original map of Goyders Line Goyders Line is an imaginary line across South Australia indicating the edge of the area suitable for agriculture. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia - Key lime Citrus x aurantium Citrus x hystrix - Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis - Ichang Lemon Citrus x limetta Citrus x limon - Lemon Citrus x limonia - Rangpur Citrus x paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus... An orchard is an intentional planting of trees maintained for food production. ...

Lock 1 on the Murray River is at Blanchetown. It was the first of the 13 locks and weirs built on the Murray, and was completed in 1922. The lock chamber is approximately 56 feet by 275 feet (17 by 83 metres). The original purpose was to facilitate navigaion for trade along the Murray, but by the time the weirs had been built, trade was declining. The primary purposes now are for recreational boating and to maintain water levels for irrigation. The pool upstream of the weir is 3.6 metres above sea level. It is 274 km from the Murray Mouth. Canal locks in England. ... Murray Mouth (35°33′ S 138°53′ E) - the point at which Australias River Murray meets the Indian Ocean (Southern Ocean according to Australian maps). ...

Blanchetown is in the Mid Murray Council local government area, the South Australian House of Assembly electoral district of Stuart and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Barker. Mid Murray Council was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of the former District Councils of Mannum, Morgan, Ridley-Truro and part of the District Council of Mount Pleasant. ... Local Government Area (abbreviated LGA) is a term used in Australia (and especially by the Australian Bureau of Statistics) to refer to areas controlled by each individual Local Government. ... The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of South Australia. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... The Division of Barker is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. ...

External links

• Place Names Online
• Murray Darling Basin Commission - locks and weirs
• Manning Index of South Australian History
• Walkabout