Laura Bay

This article is about the bay in the South Australia. For the associated locality, see Laura Bay, South Australia.

Laura Bay
Laura Bay is located in South Australia
Laura Bay
Laura Bay
Location in South Australia
LocationSouth Australia
Coordinates32°14′42″S 133°48′43″E / 32.245°S 133.812°E / -32.245; 133.812[1]
TypeBay
EtymologyLaura, daughter of Bloomfield Douglas[2]
Part ofGreat Australian Bight
Basin countriesAustralia
DesignationNuyts Archipelago Marine Park[3]
Max. lengthabout 1 kilometre (0.62 mi)
(west-east)[4]
Max. widthabout 1 kilometre (0.62 mi)
(north-south)[4]
SettlementsLaura Bay

Laura Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast of Ceduna.[2][1]

Laura Bay is an inlet that opens into the northern end of the larger Smoky Bay, and which is about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) northeast of the headland of Cape D’Estrees. Its depth is less than 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) at chart datum.[4] It is described as:[5]

. . . 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.

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.[2]

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 30 kilometres (19 mi), onto watercraft known as lighters, which then moved it to vessels anchored in deeper water. In 1911, a jetty of about 14.3 metres (47 ft) length was built and was used until 1937, when it was demolished.[2]

Since 2012, the bay has been part of the protected area of Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Search result for "Laura Bay" (BAY) (Record Number SA0038892) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Collins, Neville C (2005), The jetties of South Australia : past and present, Neville Collins, p. 39, ISBN 978-0-9580482-2-4
  3. ^ a b "Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park" (PDF). Government of South Australia. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b c South Australia. Department of Marine and Harbors (DMH) (1985), The Waters of South Australia a series of charts, sailing notes and coastal photographs, Dept. of Marine and Harbors, South Australia, pp. chart 43, ISBN 978-0-7243-7603-2
  5. ^ "Laura Bay (east) (unpatrolled beach)". Beachsafe. Surf Life Saving Australia. Retrieved 22 July 2016.


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