Wudinna, South Australia

Wudinna is a town in South Australia. The area was first settled by Europeans in 1861 when Robert George Standley lodged a claim for 10 sqmi of land surrounding Weedna Hill ('weedna' later became changed to Wudinna which may be an Aboriginal word meaning 'the granite hill'). It was proclaimed a town in 1916. It is on the Eyre Highway across the centre of Eyre Peninsula. It is the seat of the Wudinna District Council.

Geography
The region is known as The granite country for its deposits of granite in the area, with tourists able to travel the granite trail to explore local landmarks. Quarrying of granite has occurred in the local area since the 1990s. Some granite blocks quarried at the Desert Rose Quarry near Mount Wudinna can be up to 8 cubic metres in volume and weigh 20 tonnes, before being cut into smaller blocks for shipping around Australia, or for export to Asian and European markets. This granite was employed in the construction of The Australian Farmer, an 8-metre (26 ft) high statue that was carved in the town as a community project to commemorate the early settlers and provide something memorable for tourists.

Mount Wudinna is thought to be Australia's second largest monolith after Uluru in the Northern Territory. It is located 12 km north-east of the township. The site is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.

Wudinna is part of the Barngarla Aboriginal country and its Barngarla name is Woodina.

Climate
Wudinna experiences a cold semi-arid climate, bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk/BSh, Trewartha: BSal); with hot, dry summers; mild to warm, dry springs and autumns; and mild, relatively dry winters.

Notable people

 * Harrison Petty
 * Hannah Petty