Port Augusta (Goordnada in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a small coastal city in South Australia about 310 kilometres (190 mi) by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the gulf’s head, comprising the city’s centre and surrounding suburbs, Stirling North, and seaside homes at Commissariat Point, Blanche Harbor and Miranda. The suburb of Port Augusta West is on the western side of the gulf on the Eyre Peninsula. Together, these localities had a population of 13,515 people in the 2021 census.

The city and its surrounds had a population of 13,515 people in the 2021 census. It was therefore the fourth largest urban area outside of Adelaide after Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. 83.4% of residents were born in Australia and 20.8% were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The most prevalent employment was community and personal service workers (17.7%), professionals (14.9%), technicians and trades workers (14.0%), labourers (13.1%), clerical and administrative workers (11.1%), sales workers (9.3%), machinery operators and drivers (9.3%), and managers (8.3%). The unemployment rate was 6.5% (South Australia: 5.4%). The median weekly household income was A$1277 per week.

Port Augusta is at the head of Spencer Gulf, a natural barrier to land transport, leading to the city being considered to be the “crossroads of Australia”, the junction of major road and rail links.