Robe, South Australia

. The population of the town is currently 700 [ [http://www.wilmap.com.au/sa/robe.html Wilmap Website - Robe] ] people.

Guichen Bay was named by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin after Admiral De Guichen in 1802, as he was charting the south coast of Australia. Part of it is protected in the Guichen Bay Conservation Park. Robe is one of the oldest towns in South Australia, founded by the colonial government as a seaport, administrative centre and village only ten years after British settlers formally established the Province of South Australia. was built on higher ground in 1973.

During the Victorian gold rushes around 1857, over 16,000 Chinese people landed at Robe to travel overland to the goldfields, as Victoria introduced a landing tax of £10 per person (more than the cost of their voyage) to reduce the number of Chinese immigrants. The immigrants then walked the 200 miles (320 km) to Ballarat and Bendigo.

Robe's importance decreased with the advent of railways which didn't come to the town. It became a local service centre for the surrounding rural areas. It is still home to a fleet of fishing boats. Especially important are the local lobsters.

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.

References

Susan Marsden, A glimpse of golden days, District Council of Robe, 1985.

ee also

*South Australian wine

External links

* [http://www.robe.sa.gov.au/ Robe visitor information]
* [http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/SARobe.shtml Walkabout - Robe]
* [http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/robe.htm South Australian History - Robe]