Yorke Peninsula

Promontory, southeastern South Australia.

It is located between Spencer Gulf to the west and Gulf Saint Vincent and Investigator Strait to the east and south. It extends southward 160 mi (260 km) and is 20–35 mi (32–56 km) wide. Sighted by the English in 1802, it was named for Charles P. Yorke, first lord of the Admiralty.

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▪ peninsula, South Australia, Australia

      promontory of the south coast of South Australia, between Spencer Gulf to the west and Gulf St. Vincent and Investigator Strait to the east and south. Extending southward for 160 miles (260 km) from Port Pirie to Cape Spencer, it is 20–35 miles (32–56 km) wide, with a gently rolling surface rising to 400 feet (120 m). Sighted in 1802 by Matthew Flinders, it was named after Charles Philip Yorke (later Lord Hardwicke), then first lord of the Admiralty. The peninsula's soils yield grain crops, chiefly barley and wheat. Other resources are salt (by evaporation), limestone, and gypsum. Wallaroo is a major grain-shipping port for the peninsula. A dry, sunny climate has encouraged the growth of coastal resorts.

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