Waikerie, South Australia
Waikerie ( ) is a rural town in the Riverland region of South Australia on the south bank of the Murray River. At the , Waikerie had a population of 2,684. The Sturt Highway passes to the south of the town at the top of the cliffs. There is a cable ferry crossing the river to provide vehicle access from the north side of the river. Waikerie is known for citrus growing, along with stone fruit and grapes. Background The Ngawait people have inhabited the area for millennia. The river and surrounding land provided everything they needed - fish, shellfish, birds, kangaroos, and native fruits. The town of Waikerie derives its name from Weikari, which is claimed to mean 'the rising'. However some linguistic anthropologists argue that the name refers to the spider creator god from local creation myths. These myths may originate in the emergence of many ghost moths (especially the giant swift moth Trictena argentata : Hepialidae) from the ground among the river red gums Eucalyptus camaldulensis after heavy rain. Waikerie is in the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, the South Australian House of Assembly electoral district of Chaffey and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Barker.