Baldina is a rural locality in the Mid North region of South Australia, situated within the Regional Council of Goyder local government area. It was formally established as a bounded locality in August 2000, when boundaries were formalised for what had been a long-established local name.
Etymology and history
The name "Baldina" stems from an Aboriginal word referring to a set of springs on Baldina Creek. The name was used for two pastoral runs in the area: the Baldina Run, established by Henry Ayers in 1851, and the Baldina Creek Run, established by Alfred Barker in 1855–1856. The cadastral Hundred of Baldina was proclaimed on 30 December 1875 and covers an area of approximately 240 square kilometres (93 sq mi). The hundred's boundaries also include roughly half of the modern locality of Worlds End and a section of Burra Eastern Districts.
Education and community facilities
Baldina School opened in 1885 and closed in 1930, having been held in a Lutheran chapel. There were at least four former churches within the Hundred of Baldina: the Upper Bright (Baldina) Lutheran Church (1887–1960), the Baldina Plains (St Paul's) Lutheran Church (1878–1913) east of the Burra-Morgan Road, the Baldina Methodist Church, and the Douglas Primitive Methodist Church. A hotel, Midwinter's Hotel, was licensed in 1880 and served as a local meeting place, but it was destroyed by fire in 1887. Baldina also once had its own post office.
Former towns within Baldina
Two former towns lie within the current boundaries of Baldina: Douglas and Kilto. Douglas, located along Eastern Road in the north of Baldina, was surveyed in March 1877 and was declared to have ceased to exist on 18 June 1981. Kilto, in the south of Baldina, was originally named Klaebes but was renamed during World War I, as it was considered to have a Germanic name. The Klaebes Post Office opened in August 1879, closed in December 1910, and reopened around 1913; its final closure date is unknown.
Geography and landmarks
The locality includes the Red Banks Conservation Park, which is claimed to be one of the richest megafauna sites in Australia, as well as the Baldina pastoral station. Baldina Cemetery is now located in Burra Eastern Districts due to changes in local boundary definitions.
Demographics
According to the 2021 Australian Census, Baldina had a population of 12. The median age was 48 years. The median personal income was reported as $699 per week, and the median rent was $23 per week. The locality covers an area of approximately 140.5 km².
Governance
Baldina falls under the state electorate of Stuart and the federal division of Grey. Its postcode is 5417.
Coordinates: 33°41′20″S 139°04′44″E
