Tailem Bend is a town on the Murray River in South Australia. The town was proclaimed in 1887, the year after the main railway came through. The name is a corruption of the aboriginal name thelim which was used for the area. The word means bend and is associated with the sharp bend that the Murray River makes in this location.
It is located about 150 km south-east of Adelaide. It is located on the cliffs above the east (left) bank of the Murray River close to where the river empties into Lake Alexandrina. There is a ferry across the river to Jervois. Major industries in the area include pig farming, dairying, and grain growing.
There are large grain storage silos and bunkers, where branch lines into the Murray Mallee join the main line. The two remaining branches are to Pinnaroo and Loxton via Karoonda (which used to be the junction for more branches). These two lines have been converted to standard gauge to be compatible with the main line (which was also converted from broad gauge), however they remain as light rail and ballast with very low speed limits. They are only used for collection of bulk grain, as the speed limits are too low to be practical for transport of time-sensitive freight. The Pinnaroo line continues (but presently remains broad gauge) into Victoria to Ouyen where it joins the Mildura to Melbourne line.
Roads
Tailem Bend is at the end of the South Eastern Freeway from Adelaide. From Tailem Bend, there is a choice of the Dukes Highway as the direct route to Melbourne, the Princes Highway along the Coorong and coast towards Melbourne, or the Mallee Highway east towards Sydney. Tailem Bend is a common stopping point for truck drivers into and out of Adelaide, as there is no further fuel or food outlets with truck facilities on the freeway.
More on [ Tailem Bend, South Australia ]
Prison stand-off continues Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:09:00 -0000 THIRTY of South Australia's most hardened criminals are refusing to surrender to police after rioting inside a jail. Inmates continue stand-off Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:33:00 -0000 EMERGENCY services remain on stand-by at the prison in South Australia's north where inmates have rioted. Prisoners seize cellblock in protest Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:39:00 -0000 TWO inmates have surrendered to prison officers at Port Augusta Prison in South Australia but up to 40 others have seized control of a cell block and have mounted rooftop protests. Riot at Port Augusta prison Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:04:00 -0000 A RIOT has broken out at Port Augusta prison, with prisoners seizing control of an entire cell block. Thieves leave thousands in the dark Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:59:00 -0000 NEARLY 30,000 homes and businesses lost power in Adelaide's northern suburbs after thieves risked their lives to steal copper wiring from an electrical substation. PM's wife talks tough on domestic violence Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:39:00 -0000 POLICE should not give victims of domestic violence a choice about whether to press charges, the Prime Minister's wife says. Woman shot in crotch for refusing oral sex Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:00 -0000 A MAN shot a woman in the crotch after she refused his demand for oral sex, a court has been told. 30 lesbians impregnated by the same man Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:17:00 -0000 UNREGULATED sperm donation is leading to unusual situations in which the children of lesbians are mixing socially - creating a risk of incest. Food shop infested with rats and pigeons Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:49:00 -0000 AN unregistered food shop in north Adelaide sold food from a site infested with rats, pigeons and moths for nine months until it was discovered and shut down in July. Food price hikes challenge diets Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:01:00 -0000 PARENTS battling "pester power" at the supermarket face a new challenge because sugary treats are more affordable than healthier alternatives, a study has found.