Yunta, South Australia

Yunta is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's east 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 lies south west of Broken Hill and north east of Peterborough.

Yunta South Australia
The hotel at Yunta
Yunta
Coordinates	32°34′55″S 139°33′41″E[1]
Population	60 (SAL 2021)[2]
Established	13 January 1887 (town) 23 October 2003 (locality)[3][4]
Postcode(s)	5440[5]
Elevation	302 m (991 ft)[6]
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT (UTC+10:30)
Location	275 km (171 mi) NE of Adelaide 81 km (50 mi) NE of Peterborough 150 km (93 mi) SW of Cockburn
LGA(s)	Pastoral Unincorporated Area[1]
Region	Far North[1]
County	Herbert[1]
State electorate(s)	Stuart[7]
Federal division(s)	Grey[8]
Mean max temp[9] Mean min temp[9] Annual rainfall[9] 24.7 °C 76 °F 9.5 °C 49 °F 202.5 mm 8 in
Localities around Yunta: Melton Station Melton Station Winnininnie Winnininnie Waroonee Paratoo Yunta Winnininnie Oulnina Park Netley Gap Paratoo Grampus Manunda Station Netley Gap
Footnotes	Locations[5] Adjoining localities[1]

History

Yanta was an early spelling. In 1866 the district was known as part of the Tattawappa and Yanta Run.^[10] Yunta township was established in 1887 after the discovery of gold at the nearby diggings at Teetulpa and Waukaringa, when more than 5,000 miners made their way through here. In the early 1890s the village was a busy railway town on the Adelaide to Broken Hill line. From 1934 Yunta was the base for the famed outback trucking and mail contractor Harry Ding.^[11]

Today Yunta is a small service centre for travellers and the surrounding properties. Yunta also provides an alternate 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.^[12]

Commercial area

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.^[13]

There was once a RV waste dump located between the railway line and the highway at the western end of town. Recently a commercial potable water dispensing system has been installed nearby. The main annual event is the Yunta Picnic Races and gymkhana held in May.^[14]

Politics

Yunta is located within the federal division of Grey, the state electoral district of Stuart and the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia.^[8][7][1] As of 2018, the community within Yunta received municipal services from a South Australian government agency, the Outback Communities Authority.^[15]

Climate

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)[16]