Stirling North, South Australia
Stirling North is a town located east of Port Augusta in South Australia. The obsolete Leigh Creek coal rail line which runs between Port Augusta and Stirling North is the official border line separating the two towns. It acts primarily as a satellite town to Port Augusta with the town's railway station lying at a major rail junction linking the Port Augusta power station and the main east-west rail link to the coal rail link to Leigh Creek. It also lies on the junction of the Augusta Highway and the Flinders Ranges Way. At the, Stirling North had a population of 2,673.History
The town of Stirling North was surveyed in 1859 as "Stirling North" after Edward Stirling Snr, but was renamed 'Catninga' after a nearby creek. In 1916 however, this decision was overturned and the name was reverted to 'Stirling North'.
In 1871, a prison was established near the town; the Port Augusta Prison is still in operation today.
On 17 February 1994, suburban boundaries were assigned.
The town has existed mainly to service the railways, with Leigh Creek coal freighted down to Port Augusta for use in the power station. The historic Pichi Richi Railway runs through Stirling North, between Port Augusta and Quorn, one of the only tourist attractions within the town.
The town's historic Davenport Reservoir and Storage Tank is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.Facilities
Stirling North is not normally a tourist destination, but is commonly used as a service stop by travellers who do not want to travel the extra 7 km into Port Augusta. The town is situated at the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges, and is often used by people travelling north.
The town has a number of services including accommodation in the form of hotels, a public bar, a number of food shops, fuel outlets, a post office and public telephones.
Only two sporting venues are present in the town, a tennis court, bike track, park, public school which has a large oval and a golf course.
