MUSEUMS
Wallaroo Heritage and Nautical Museum
Something different- a must to visit.
The Wallaroo Heritage and Nautical Museum was originally a post office. The museum features displays of the copper smelting era which spanned from 1861 to 1923 which at one time was reputed to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, postal and telephone history, religious and civic affairs, early pioneering personalities, industry, sport, entertainment, nautical displays and general local history of Wallaroo.
Some of the displays include...
"Wallaroo - through the years" - features early pioneering personalities such as Sir Walter Watson Hughes, founder of copper mining & smelting in the Copper Triangle. Also featured is Caroline Carlton, author of "The Song of Australia" who died in Wallaroo in 1874 and is buried in the local cemetery.
Nautical Complex - which has captured the imagination of maritime history lovers from all over the world. Many Cape Horners have come to visit Wallaroo just to see this exciting display. Featuring the largest pictorial display of Sailing Ships in any museum in South Australia.
History of the Port of Wallaroo is illustrated with maps, charts, photographs, ship models, relics, videos and old record books - over 1,500 exhibits, including a large display "Shipwrecks of Yorke Peninsula" which tells the Story of the 46 shipwrecks scattered along the coastline.
George the Giant Squid - obtained from the stomach of a whale 30 years ago and now preserved in formalin. Its body is five feet long and 28 feet long with its tentacles outstretched, plus a 30 foot racing boat and a water pump used for copper smelting
YP Rail – a large collection of the memorabilia and stories from the Wallaroo to Bute railway line.
Freemasons Exhibition – a new exhibition celebrating the history of the Wallaroo Freemasons.
Wallaroo – the ‘War Years’ – A nostalgic look at the times of world conflict from a Wallaroo perspective.
The former 1877 Tiparra Reef Lighthouse can be seen in Investigator Park in front of the museum.
Tour guides are available for coach visits. Group bookings are welcome in advance. Project sheets can be arranged for school groups. Visitors can contact historian Nick Woods, Museum Research Officer who may be able to trace family connections with Wallaroo. Souvenirs, tourist information and soft drinks are also available.
Adults entrance costs are AUD6.00 and children AUD3.00.
Open every day 10 am to 4 pm, (except Christmas Day and Good Friday).
Farm Shed Museum, Kadina
You will find something for everyone in The Farm Shed Museum. Matta House was the mine manager’s house for Wallaroo Mines, where Copper was discovered in 1859 and mining ceased in 1923, and is in its original location. Over a century of Australian farming history is also on show across half a hectare of undercover exhibition space. The interpretive displays bring together the stories and farming collection to which the Yorke Peninsula is well known. The museum is owned and managed by the Kadina Branch of the National Trust of South Australia. Lays claim to the country’s most comprehensive collection of dryland farming equipment. Visitors can take a self-guided tour through the centre. Guided tours for group bookings are also available.
Matta House - Built in 1863 as a residence for Edward Austin Horn, the manager of Matta Mine. It was home to a succession of families before it became a museum. The historic bungalow with its shingle roof is refurbished to the Late Victorian period when the local copper mining industry was at its peak.
Kadina’s Story - Depicts the social history of the town. From the founding of Kadina in 1861, it traces a century of development using thematic and photographic displays. The life-size model of an underground mine is a spectacular feature.
Her Side of the Story - This display explores the contribution of women on the dryland farms and the social impacts farming had on families.
School room - This 1950’s schoolroom was moved to the museum shortly after the school closed. The school house is furnished as a typical rural schoolroom of the era. It will scare many, how familiar the school room is and intrigue the young with its lack of computer gadgets.
Tour guides are available for coach visits. Group bookings are welcome in advance. Project sheets can be arranged for school groups. Visitors can contact historian Nick Woods, Museum Research Officer who may be able to trace family connections with Wallaroo. Souvenirs, tourist information and soft drinks are also available.
Adults entrance costs are AUD6.00 and children AUD3.00.
Open every day 10 am to 4 pm, (except Christmas Day and Good Friday).
Visit & Discover Copper Coast
Contact the Copper Coast Visitor Information Centre
Freecall: 1800 654 991
50 Mines Road, KADINA SA 5554
Weekdays 9am-5pm, Weekends & Public Holidays 10am-4pm
Ph: (08) 88212333
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