Yunta, South Australia

Yunta
Town
Yunta Hotel, 2017
Yunta Hotel, 2017
Yunta is located in South Australia
Yunta
Yunta
Coordinates: 32°34′55″S 139°33′41″E / 32.581868°S 139.561263°E / -32.581868; 139.561263
CountryAustralia
StateSouth Australia
RegionFar North
LGA
Location
Established13 January 1887 (town)
23 October 2003 (locality)
Government
 • State electorate
 • Federal division
Elevation
302 m (991 ft)
Population
 • Total60 (SAL 2021)
Time zoneUTC+9:30 (ACST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+10:30 (ACDT)
Postcode
5440
CountyHerbert
Mean max temp24.7 °C (76.5 °F)
Mean min temp9.5 °C (49.1 °F)
Annual rainfall202.5 mm (7.97 in)
Localities around Yunta
Melton Station Melton Station
Winnininnie		 Winnininnie
Waroonee
Paratoo		 Yunta Winnininnie
Oulnina Park
Netley Gap
Paratoo Grampus
Manunda Station		 Netley Gap
Locations
Adjoining localities

Yunta is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 275 kilometres (171 mi) north-east of the state capital of Adelaide. It is a service centre, supporting both the local area and travellers passing through on the Barrier Highway. It is south-west of Broken Hill and north-east of Peterborough.

History

An early spelling of the town was Yanta. In 1866 the district was known as part of the Tattawappa and Yanta Run.

Yunta township was established in 1887 after the discovery of gold at the nearby diggings at Teetulpa and Waukaringa, when more than 5000 miners made their way through here. From the early 1890s the village was a small but busy railway town on the 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge line between Cockburn and Port Augusta (Cockburn being the town on the state border to which trains from Broken Hill, New South Wales brought silver-lead-zinc ore concentrates).

From 1934, Yunta was the base for the famed outback trucking and mail contractor Henry Edgar (Harry) Ding.

Today Yunta is a small service centre for travellers and the surrounding properties. Yunta also provides an alternative route to the Flinders Ranges and beyond. The natural gas fields at Gidgealpa and Moomba have resulted in improved access roads to South Australia's arid north-east region.

Facilities

Warning sign at the start of Tea Tree Road to Arkaroola

Village facilities include a hotel offering meals and accommodation, two roadhouses (one with caravan sites), two fuel stations, post office, Rural Transaction Centre offering internet access, police station, air strip and a primary school. Opposite the hotel there is a rest area with public toilets which can be used for free (donation) overnight stays.

The main annual event is the Yunta Picnic Races and gymkhana held in May.

Governance

Yunta is located within the federal division of Grey, the state electoral district of Stuart and the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia. As of 2018, the community within Yunta received municipal services from a South Australian government agency, the Outback Communities Authority.

Climate

Yunta has a cool arid climate (Köppen BWk) bordering upon a hot arid climate (BWh), featuring hot, usually dry summers, and pleasant, dry winters with cold mornings.

Climate data for Yunta Airstrip, elevation 300 m (980 ft), (1998–2025 normals and extremes)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 46.0
(114.8)		 45.5
(113.9)		 41.7
(107.1)		 37.6
(99.7)		 29.1
(84.4)		 26.0
(78.8)		 25.4
(77.7)		 28.7
(83.7)		 35.7
(96.3)		 39.0
(102.2)		 44.6
(112.3)		 45.9
(114.6)		 46.0
(114.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 33.9
(93.0)		 32.4
(90.3)		 29.0
(84.2)		 24.5
(76.1)		 19.3
(66.7)		 15.9
(60.6)		 15.7
(60.3)		 17.8
(64.0)		 22.0
(71.6)		 25.2
(77.4)		 28.5
(83.3)		 31.3
(88.3)		 24.6
(76.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 16.7
(62.1)		 15.7
(60.3)		 13.0
(55.4)		 9.1
(48.4)		 5.6
(42.1)		 3.7
(38.7)		 3.1
(37.6)		 4.1
(39.4)		 6.6
(43.9)		 9.4
(48.9)		 12.5
(54.5)		 14.6
(58.3)		 9.5
(49.1)
Record low °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8)		 6.7
(44.1)		 2.4
(36.3)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −7.5
(18.5)		 −6.6
(20.1)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 1.5
(34.7)		 5.1
(41.2)		 −7.5
(18.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 22.4
(0.88)		 17.0
(0.67)		 12.8
(0.50)		 11.8
(0.46)		 10.9
(0.43)		 16.3
(0.64)		 13.4
(0.53)		 12.7
(0.50)		 16.6
(0.65)		 23.3
(0.92)		 30.9
(1.22)		 16.4
(0.65)		 205.3
(8.08)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 3.7 2.4 4.0 3.6 5.1 7.9 7.2 6.6 5.1 4.9 5.6 4.6 60.7
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 21 26 28 32 42 50 48 39 33 27 27 24 33
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (humidity 1991–2010)

See also

References

Notes
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Search results for 'Yunta, LOCB' with the following datasets selected: 'Suburbs and localities', 'Government Towns', 'Counties', 'SA Government Regions', 'Local Government Areas' and 'Gazetteeer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Yunta SA yunta.com.au Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Murray, David (13 January 1887). "Proclamation (under Crownlands Consolidation Act 1880 re the town of Yunta)" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian government. p. 43. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Geographical Names Act 1991 Notice to assign names and boundaries to places" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 23 October 2003. p. 3859. Retrieved 14 April 2019. Assign the namesYunta, Blinman, Bookabie, Glendambo, Yalata, Kingoonya, Olary, Innamincka, and Manna Hill, to those areas Out of Councils and shown numbered 1 to 9 on Rack Plan 857 (Sheet 3)
  5. 1 2 "District of Stuart Background Profile (2014-2018 boundaries)". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Federal electoral division of Grey" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "Search results for 'Yunta, RSTA' with the following datasets selected: 'Suburbs and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Yunta (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  9. 1 2 "Postcode for Yunta, South Australia". Postcodes Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics YUNTA AIRSTRIP (nearest station)". Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Baillière's South Australian Gazetteer, 1866, page 247.
  12. ↑ Mincham, Hans (1996). "Ding, Henry Edgar (Harry) (1907–1976)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  13. ↑ Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Sydney, NSW: Reader's Digest. 1993. p. 505. ISBN 0-86438-399-1.
  14. ↑ "Yunta Rest Area". HemaX Planner. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Yunta". South Australian Visitor & Travel Centre. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Yunta". Outback Communities Authority. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "YUNTA AIRSTRIP". Climate statistics for Australian locations. 2 March 2025.