Transport in South Australia is provided by a mix of road, rail, sea and air transport. The capital city of Adelaide is the centre to transport in the state. With its population of 1.4 million people, it has the majority of the state's 1.7 million inhabitants. Adelaide has the state's major airport and sea port.
Road transport is predominant in the state. Its extensive road network connect the state's regional centres and other towns, few of which have populations greater than 10,000. Private cars are a dominant form of transport throughout.
Adelaide is an isolated city with Melbourne, the nearest city, being 800 km away. This makes air transport important form of travel to other cities.
The state is a land transport hub between the eastern states of Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The town of Port Augusta at the top of the Spencer Gulf is the only railway link, and one of only two sealed road links from the eastern states. Most major surface freight passes through this town.
History
South Australia was settled in 1836, and at this time there were no roads. Colonial trade relied heavily on break bulk shipping on the seas while overland trade relied heavily horses and bullock trains. In the arid north of the state, camel trains were a common form of transport. Horses, bullocks and camels remained as common forms of transport in remote areas until trucks became widely available following the Second World War.
A thriving coastal trade rapidly developed with commodities from rural ports being transported to Adelaide. Initially ships were loaded from the shore, sometimes by beaching a ship at high tide so that it could be loaded direct form carts at low tide and sailed off on the subsequent high tide. With its lack of natural harbours and relatively calm gulf waters, jetties came to play an important role. These jetties are now a distinctive feature of many South Australian towns and the coastline of Adelaide. South Australia came to play an important role in the clipper ship trade collecting bulk goods from South Australia's coastal ports and transporting them to Europe. The state became a last stand of the clipper industry, with the last trade dying out in the 1950s. The coastal trade involving sailing ketches only ended in the early 1980s with the Nelcebee and the Falie being the last two ships to participate in the coastal trade.
As steam technology developed in the mid 19th century. Steam trains and paddle steamers came to play an important role in transport.
The early rail network began in 1854 connecting Port Elliot to Goolwa, a major port on the Murray River steamer route, via a horse-drawn tramway. A second railway was added connecting Adelaide and Port Adelaide in 1856. The railway was extended to Murray Bridge, also on the steamer route. A new bridge at Murray Bridge connected Adelaide to Melbourne in 1886. The rail network rapidly expanded to cover much of the state.
Paddle steamers provided effective bulk transport for agricultural goods on the Murray River giving access to inland regions and into Victoria and New South Wales.
In the mid 20th century, changes in transport technology, especially with respect to roads, road vehicles and cargo handling, saw increasing competition for the traditional railways and ports. Many minor railways were closed down, and Port Adelaide saw its cargo increasingly funnelled into the container port at Outer Harbour.
South Australia now sees much transport development focused on roads transport. Ports also play an important role for bulk goods although this is now concentrated in a handful of ports. Rail transport is important for containerised and bulk transport interstate and continues to play a minor role in public transport within Adelaide.
Road
South Australia has a well developed road network with major highways to Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.
Augusta Highway and Princes Highway from Adelaide to Port Augusta
Eyre Highway from Port Augusta to Perth
Dukes Highway from Tailem Bend to Melbourne
Stuart Highway from Port Augusta to Darwin
Sturt Highway from Gawler to the Riverland
South Eastern Freeway from Adelaide to Tailem Bend
The state also features an extensive network of roads that provide access to all towns in the state. Road management comes under either the State government for major roads and local government for minor roads. Roads in south Australia are generally of a high standard, although most roads in the north of the state are unpaved tracks that are often impassable after rain.
