Cowirra, South Australia


Cowirra is a locality in the Murraylands region of South Australia. It is on the left bank of the Murray River, opposite Mannum.

Geography

Much of the river frontage is low-lying flats, laid out as long narrow irrigated paddocks stretching between the rising ground and the river. Cowirra includes the eastern landing points of the Mannum ferries and the area known as Mannum East. The higher ground is used for a variety of farming including sheep, grain, beef cattle and potatoes.
Downstream of the ferry landing is a separate locality named Bolto consisting only of shacks near the river bank.

History

The township of Cowirra was laid out and named in 1901. Ten quarter-acre blocks sold for an average of 5 shillings above the reserve price of £2 10/ in April 1907. The locality boundaries formalised in 2003.
The Cowirra Swamp was drained in 1919 to be set out for controlled irrigation. Work had commenced in 1916, but the flood of 1917 had damaged the unfinished embankments leading to fresh inundation. The reclaimed swamps were then available for soldier settlement following World War I.