Kingston on Murray (formerly Thurk and Kingston O.M.) is a town on the south bank of the River Murray in the Riverland region of South Australia. Its name is derived from Charles Kingston, who was Premier of South Australia from 1893 to 1899. At the 2021 census, the town had a population of 312. History The town was surveyed in January 1915 and originally proclaimed as Thurk on 21 November 1918. Its declared size was reduced on 19 July 1934 and again on 13 July 1939.
The town's original name was derived from Thurk Homestead; the word Thurk is itself derived from an Aboriginal word, tharko, that means mouth. On 19 September 1940, the name was changed to Kingston O.M. – the initials standing for "on Murray", thereby distinguishing itself from the larger town of Kingston SE in the south-east of the state. "Kingston" derived from Charles Kingston, the Premier of South Australia at the time, after whom the Kingston Village Settlement Area had been named on being established in 1896.
Subsequently, residents requested a name change to expand "O.M." to become Kingston on Murray, and that name was gazetted on 31 March 1994.
Boundaries for the locality, as distinct from the town, of Kingston on Murray, which were promulgated on 28 September 2000, include the town and the sites of the Kingston Ferry shack.
River crossing The Sturt Highway now bypasses the town and crosses the River Murray over a bridge. Before the bridge was opened in 1973, two vehicular cable ferries carried road traffic over the river.
Governance Kingston on Murray is in the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, the state electoral district of Chaffey and the federal Division of Barker.
Landmarks Kingston Estate and Accolade Wines' Banrock Station brand have wineries near Kingston on Murray. The Banrock Station Wetland Complex is listed under the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands.
The ruins of the historically significant Kingston on Murray pump site and feeder tank are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.
See also List of crossings of the River Murray. Notes
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