Goolwa, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Goolwa is a historic river port on the lower Murray, about 85 kilometres south of Adelaide, close to where the river finally reaches the sea at the Murray Mouth. Its name is recorded as a Ngarrindjeri word meaning 'elbow', and early settlers knew the spot as The Elbow. In the riverboat era Goolwa thrived as Australia's first inland port, and in 1854 the country's first railway ran from here to nearby Port Elliot. Today the restored paddle steamer Oscar W still works the river, barrages hold the sea back from the Murray, and the bridge to Hindmarsh Island carries visitors towards the river mouth and its wide coastal wetlands.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Goolwa is more socio-economically advantaged than about 10% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 889, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Goolwa at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,558
- Median age
- 67
- Median weekly household income
- $790
- SEIFA score
- 889
- Coordinates
- -35.4891, 138.7681
Goolwa demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Goolwa using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 54%, 24% of homes are rented, and 23% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 187 | 7% |
| Youth (15–24) | 129 | 5% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 251 | 10% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 596 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,393 | 54% |
Share of the 2,556 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 618 | 50% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 205 | 17% |
| Rented | 299 | 24% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,057 | 86% |
| Townhouses & semis | 112 | 9% |
| Flats & apartments | 53 | 4% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,233 occupied private dwellings in Goolwa.
- Median weekly rent
- $250
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,000
- Average household size
- 1.8 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,064
- Median weekly personal income
- $493
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 551 (23%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 76 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 53 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 780 (34%)
- Labour-force participation
- 28.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.8%
- Employed full-time
- 260
- Employed part-time
- 311
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Goolwa
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Goolwa is January (average daytime high around 25.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.6°C). The area receives roughly 443 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.9°C | 16.3°C | 34 mm |
| Feb | 24.7°C | 15.8°C | 25 mm |
| Mar | 23.4°C | 14.8°C | 18 mm |
| Apr | 21.2°C | 12.9°C | 34 mm |
| May | 17.5°C | 10.9°C | 43 mm |
| Jun | 15.2°C | 8.9°C | 37 mm |
| Jul | 14.6°C | 8.3°C | 48 mm |
| Aug | 15.2°C | 8.3°C | 46 mm |
| Sep | 17.7°C | 9.4°C | 42 mm |
| Oct | 20.7°C | 11.1°C | 38 mm |
| Nov | 22.2°C | 12.9°C | 41 mm |
| Dec | 24.4°C | 14.6°C | 37 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Goolwa
Where is Goolwa?
Goolwa is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Goolwa?
At the 2021 Census, Goolwa had a population of about 2,558.
Is Goolwa an advantaged area?
Goolwa has an ABS SEIFA score of 889, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 10 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 10% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Goolwa?
Goolwa has average daytime highs of about 20.2°C and overnight lows of about 12°C, with roughly 443 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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