Yorke Peninsula Attractions

The little port of Ardrossan (pop. 1000), situated on a low bluff above the sea, is the most important port for the shipment of grain (particularly wheat and barley) on the east coast of the Yorke Peninsula, with large silos for grain storage.

There is an interesting museum of local history. The 'stump jump' plow (with a spring plowshare which could avoid large stones and other obstacles and made plowing easier) was invented here in the 19th C.

The little township of Edithburgh (pop. 450) is on the cliff-lined south coast of Yorke Peninsula. Thanks to its beautiful situation it is a popular tourist resort. From Edithburgh there are superb views of Gulf St Vincent and the Troubridge Shoals, a chain of tiny islands. There is an interesting local museum. The jetty dates from 1873. There are an idyllic rock swimming pool at the foot of the cliffs, a good bathing beach in Sultana Bay, to the south, and good diving grounds in the coastal waters, including the wreck of the Clan Ranald, which sank in 1934.

90 sq.km.

Innes National Park is a region of mallee and heath vegetation, salt lakes, marshland and sand dunes. This is a place for birdwatchers, with many protected species, including the rare western whipbird. There are good surfing beaches in Pondalowie Bay.

The largest town on the Yorke Peninsula and its commercial center is Kadina (pop. 3700), which lies some 10km inland from the northwest coast. Its history is closely bound up with the 19th C copper boom, and it preserves a number of long-established hotels and inns with verandahs and wrought-iron balcony railings. The Kadina Museum illustrates the history of the Matta Matta copper mine and displays old agricultural machinery.

The three-town triangle of Kadina-Moonta-Wallaroo on the northwest coast of the Yorke Peninsula where the rich deposits of copper were discovered is often called Little Cornwall. The many thousands of Cornish miners who settled here have left a legacy of Cornish tradition, given expression in the festival, Kernewek Lowender, held in May in odd-numbered years.

Maitland (pop. 1100) has an interesting National Trust museum, mainly devoted to the history of agriculture.

Minlaton (800) was the birthplace of the aviation pioneer Harry Butler, whose plane is displayed in the aviation museum which bears his name. Within easy reach of Minlaton are bathing beaches at Port Vincent (25km east), Bluff and Port Rickaby (20km west).

A large deposit of copper was discovered at Moonta (pop. 3000) in 1861 and continued to be worked until the 1920s. Part of the mining installations is a museum of industrial history.

In the days of the windjammers Port Victoria (pop. 250) was an important grain port. Its heyday is recalled in the Maritime Museum. Round the little settlement are a number of sheltered bathing beaches.

In recent decades Wallaroo (pop. 2500) has developed into a busy grain-exporting port. The deposits of copper found near here in 1859 continued to be worked until the price of copper in world markets fell in the 1920s. A number of buildings dating from the period of the copper boom have been preserved, and the former post office houses an interesting National Trust museum of local history.

Tourism also makes a contribution to the economy of Wallaroo, largely because of its relatively safe beaches.

Yorketown (pop. 800), in an extensive grain-growing area, is the supply center for the south end of the peninsula (the heel and toe of the 'boot'). Round the town are a number of salt lakes, some of which have taken on a curious pink coloring. The rugged coastal scenery is highly impressive.

In recent years, thanks to its proximity to Innes National Park, Yorketown has developed into a popular holiday resort.