Mt Gambier is located in the far south-eastern corner of South Australia 430kms from Adelaide and 440kms from the Victorian Capital of Melbourne. It is the most populous city outside of the South Australian capital, being home to 28,000 residents.
The city is the major service centre for the Limestone Coast and is renowned for its famous Blue Lake, and for being an oasis of green, lush gardens, grounds and pastures, with a wonderful combination of rainfall and sunshine throughout the year.
The City of Mount Gambier acknowledges the Boandik People as the traditional custodians of the land and water of the region. The Council describes the city as ‘the ideal balance between the vibrant lifestyle of a big city and comforts of a small town,’ the community plan details the city values and various strategic initiatives that will be implemented to ensure ongoing sustainability and prosperity.
Mount Gambier offers a multitude of adventurous outdoor activities such as, walking trails, cave diving, trekking and exploring opportunities. The Blue Lake turns a cobalt blue in summer, that can be viewed panoramically from the nearby Centenary Tower. The Umpherson Sinkhole contains a lust sunken garden which has to be seen to be believed. The Limestone Coast area is renowned for its fascinating cave sites. Caves can be explored at the Naracoorte Caves and the Princess Margaret Rose Caves located in Glenelg Victoria
Speed enthusiasts can enjoy the Borderline Speedway, which regularly hosts local and national racing events. Racing classes consist of formula 500s, V8, v6 sprints, speed cars, dirt karts and sprint cars. The Legend of the Lakes Hill Climb is an annual event with the Pines Enduro Off-Road Racing held during the year.
Mount Gambier has two golf courses, with the Mount Gambier Gold Club being one of the most highly ranked golf courses in Australia. This Par 71 course is a golf lover’s paradise which features tree-lined fairways which make some holes more challenging.
For people who are interested in diving there are numerous dive sites that accredited divers can explore. Ewens Ponds, Piccaninnie Ponds, Kisby Sinkhole and Hells Hole to name a few.
The showgrounds also host numerous events all year round. These include exhibitions, open markets, shows in the theatre hall, a fully serviced campground as well as the annual Mount Gambier Show.
You can access Mount Gambier via air travel direct from Adelaide. There are multiple flights per day which generally take approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Bus services also run daily, with the driving distance to and from the South Australian Capital being only 5 hours.
The Mount Gambier office employs approximately 48 people. The Limestone Coast office covers a a large geographical area from Lower Glenelg National Park to North of Bordertown (Tatiara District) and across to Kingston South East (Kingston District). As a member of this team, you will work with other professionals to deliver services to assist families who are unable to effectively and safely care for their children, to work towards a safe return to their care and work with children who have entered into the care of the Minister so that their development, stability and security is assured.
The Limestone Coast office is part of a Connected Service Centre comprising of SA Housing Authority, Disability SA and Department for Child Protection (DCP). The DCP office is situated at 9 Elizabeth Street, Mount Gambier. There are excellent cafes, eateries, shops and parks in walking distance.
Although renowned as a popular tourist destination, Mt Gambier is also a great place for families to call home, thanks to its readily available schooling, health and public services.
The University of South Australia and Flinders University both have a Campus situated in Mt Gambier. Tafe SA also has its own facilities located in the city centre.
Mount Gambier offers employment opportunities in a number of industries. Technicians, trades workers and professionals account for the largest proportion with 14.5% of the total population employed within these industries. Labourers and community/personal service workers make up 13% respectively. Administration, retail and machinery operators are also popular kinds of employment. The unemployment rate in the City of Mount Gambier is 4.86% which is considerably lower than the current national unemployment rate.
Mt. Gambier has many community and annual events throughout the year which reflect the diverse cultural interest of the community. Some of these include:
Mount Gambier offers reserves, parks, playgrounds and ovals for the community to use and enjoy. Reserves often facilitate playground equipment, picnic tables, BBQs and shelters. These areas provide ample space for active play, including ball sports.
The Mount Gambier Community is very passionate about competitive sport and recreation; it therefore comes as no surprise that the city boasts many various club sporting facilities. These include:
The Aquatic Centre includes a 25-metre lap pool, learn-to-swim pool, warm water program pool, a children’s splash pad and a 50m outdoor pool. In addition, six multi-purpose courts, change rooms and amenities, a gym and allied services provide ample opportunity to participate in sports and recreation.
Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre is a state-of-the-art multi-purpose sport, aquatic and conference facility that opened in November 2022. It is home to the region's basketball team, The Pioneers.
There are various community groups and religious services across Mount Gambier including:
Photo: Mount Gambier CIty by drone. Image supplied by the City of Mount Gambier.
All of your day to day necessities are available locally including Banks, Shopping and Healthcare.
Most major banks have a branch in town, including NAB, ANZ, Westpac, Commonwealth, Bendigo Bank, BankSA as well as a number of ATM’s
Mount Gambier Central and Mount Gambier Marketplace are the two major shopping malls in the city.
Mount Gambier is home to various stores such as:
Mount Gambier and District Health Services are a part of the Lower South East Health Service. Mount Gambier offers a wide range of services utilising both local and visiting practitioners/specialist
The Mount Gambier Hospital and Health Service provide the following services:
The median house price in Mt Gambier ranges from $383,500 for houses to $269,500 for units The weekly median advertised rent in Mt Gambier is $380 per week for houses and $285 for units. This of course is dependent on the size and location of the property.
The Limestone Coast is considered Inner Regional and may attract the following additional incentives for certain roles:
Return to Working with us in Regional SA page to see benefits available in other regions. To see currently available regional opportunities go to the DCP Jobs Board.