Towitta is a locality in the Murray Mallee region of South Australia at the foot of the eastern side of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is a rural community dominated by growing cereal grain crops. Its name is taken from Tewitty, the native name of a permanent spring nearby.[3] The town was surveyed by H.C. Talbot in March 1876, and the Towitta public school was open from 1880 to 1942.[4]
The murder of Bertha Schippan in January 1902 occurred on a farm to the north of the township of Towitta. Her sister Mary was later acquitted in Adelaide of the murder, which has never been officially solved.[5] In 1984, the ABC produced a television film titled The Schippan Mystery covering the case.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Towitta (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Musgrave Jnr., A. (1 June 1876). "Untitled proclamation re the Town of Towitta" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 1048. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Placename Details: Towitta (LOCB)". Property Location Browser Report. Government of South Australia. 4 March 2010. SA0010046. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "School = Towitta - Teachers listed by year". Teachers. University of South Australia. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ Royal, Simon (19 February 2017). "'Sensational' Towitta murder mystery of 1902 keeping residents guessing to this day". Retrieved 25 September 2018.
