Mount Burr is a small town in the south-east of South Australia, about 12 km east of Millicent and about 50 km north-east of Mount Gambier. At the 2006 census, Mount Burr had a population of 380.
Geography
The town is named after a local mountain called Mount Burr; it measures 240 metres tall (787 ft) and is one of 15 dormant or extinct volcanoes within the Limestone Coast. The mountain of Mount Burr is home to the SES 8 television transmitter, which is responsible for transmitting WIN, Seven SA, Ten SA, SBS and ABC to households across the South East of SA and Western Victoria.
History
Mount Burr was once a thriving country town, which was home to a large timber mill. The mill was the first of its kind in the region, built in 1931. It was considered a turning point for industry on the Limestone Coast. Unfortunately in late 2000 the timber mill closed leaving many employees unemployed.
The mountain was named by Governor George Grey after George Dominicus Burr, a surveyor and Professor of Mathematics at Sandhurst Military College. His son, Thomas Burr, a surveyor, accompanied Governor Grey on the expedition in 1844.
7 May 1844: At about 2pm we made the top of a range, the principal summit of which his Excellency has done me the honour to call after my father. The Mount Burr range is about 1600 feet above the level of the sea...