Historical Buildings in Port Wakefield

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Posted 2022-10-17 by Audrey ⇒ follow

Next time you're in Port Wakefield, be sure to wander off the highway and roam around town. There are plenty of historical buildings and sites to discover and you won't be disappointed. The township, and its port, was established in 1850 to ship copper ore from nearby Burra. It grew and flourished significantly until the introduction of rail.

The old police station and courthouse still stand today at 2 West Street. Built in 1858, the building included an aboriginal store, police living quarters and stables. Its construction was deemed necessary as the town faced significant problems. A mixed population of sailors, bullock drivers and Spanish-speaking muleteers were living there at that time.

Not far from the old police station and the courthouse is the soldiers memorial hall which officially opened in April 1947 after World War II. The building has an interesting history with it formerly being used as a skating rink, dance hall and bus servicing depot.

Along Burra Street, you'll find the old forester hall, hotel, shops, hospital, institute and church. Wakefield Arms Inn was established before the town was surveyed to cater to the bullock drivers and sailors. Its name then changed to Port Wakefield Hotel. The old shops consisted of a baker, butcher and draper. As for the former hospital, it functioned as a medical institution for just under twenty years. Its two-bungalow building had seven beds and an operating room. Both the 1878 institute and the 1874 church are located further up the road on the other side of Walters Street.

Although not technically a building, I believe the wharf is worth a mention. It played a significant role in the transportation of copper ore to Adelaide. Both time and money were saved by doing so.

The town's tidal pool also fascinated me. It was the location of many swimming carnivals and Dawn Fraser herself even swam here in the early years. Today, a sign has been erected saying "swim at your own risk". Next to the pool, you'll find a monument commemorating Captain Matthew Flinders when he landed at the head of the gulf in 1802. You'd also notice a couple of murals throughout town. These were painted by local artist Steve Semmler in celebration of Encounter 2002, two hundred years since that landing.