Fowlers Bay, formerly Yalata, is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about north-west of the state capital, Adelaide. Situated on the Nullarbor Plain, it was once an active port and a gateway to the western reaches of the continent, but fell into decline in the 1960s. At the 2016 census, the localities of Fowlers Bay and Coorabie shared a population of 51.
History
European exploration
The coastline around Fowlers Bay was first mapped in 1627 by François Thijssen, a Dutch sea captain. His ship was the Golden Seahorse. Fowlers Bay was named on 28 January 1802 by Matthew Flinders after his first lieutenant, Robert Fowler. Edward John Eyre set up base camp here in 1840 during his epic journeys across the Nullarbor Plain. By this time the area was well-known to American and French whaling ships; Eyre documents seeing whalers in the area.
Settlement
In the 1860s, the first pastoral leases were established by William Swan and Robert Barr Smith, forming Yalata station, a farming property whose boundaries extended from the Head of the Bight in the west to Streaky Bay in the east. The town was surveyed in March 1890 and proclaimed as the Town of Yalata on 10 July 1890. Its name was changed to Fowler's Bay on 19 September 1940 to agree with the bay and to prevent dual naming. The town is on Port Eyre at the western end of the larger Fowlers Bay. Yalata now refers to a nearby township. Boundaries for the locality of Fowlers Bay which include the town were created on 8 February 2001.
Today Fowlers Bay is located in the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia . The town does not receive reticulated power or water. It is currently a popular overnight destination between Nundroo and Penong, and its fishing facilities, beaches and surrounding historical ruins gives the town some interest for tourists and sightseers. There are no sealed roads to Fowlers Bay and visitors should seek advice before driving across the saltwater bog behind the town. Visually the town is dominated by a large sand dune that protects the town from the Southern Ocean. Southern right whales have recolonised into the area in recent years, with the bay providing a small but ideal sanctuary. Bottlenose dolphins and Australian sea lions may also be found. The ruins of the homestead of the Yalata station can be found several kilometres from the town. There is a small cemetery on the outskirts of the town.
Fowlers Bay has a cool semi-arid climate, with moderating influences from the Great Australian Bight. Summers are typically warm to very warm and almost rainless, although when hot northerly winds from the interior occur extreme heat may result. Winters are pleasant, although often windy, and damp though not wet. Three-fifths of the meagre annual rainfall of around typically occurs between May and August, but only three months have ever exceeded : June 1890 with, August 1915 with and May 1956 with. The wettest year has been 1890 with and the driest 1959 with. The highest recorded temperature was and the lowest.
