The jetty at Edithburgh

Edithburgh (including Coobowie)
Delightful holiday town which was once an important port.
Edithburgh is located 233 km west of Adelaide via the Princes Highway and 255 km south of Port Pirie, is one of the major holiday destinations on the Yorke Peninsula. It is an ideal fishing, swimming and scuba diving destination and the town is characterised by a substantial number of impressive historic buildings.

The first European to explore the area was Matthew Flinders who sailed along the coast and named the Troubridge Shoal near the present town. By 1847 John Bowden had moved into the area and controlled a large spread of land on which he ran sheep.

The area was first surveyed in 1869. It was named after Lady Edith Fergusson, the daughter of the Governor-General of India and wife of the South Australian governor of the time. After this survey people began buying farming land in the area and Edithburgh began to prosper as a major supplier of salt from the salt pans which lay inland from the town. Ships would arrive at the jetty and be loaded with salt. This industry reached a peak in the late 1920s when up to 24,000 tonnes of salt was being exported every year from the port. It was around this time that the town's population peaked at around 1,000. At this time the town was prosperous and many of the notable historic buildings - the police station, the Troubridge Hotel - were completed at this time.

The Police Station

The Troubridge lighthouse was opened in 1856 but it still did not prevent shipping accidents in the area. Over the years the town has experienced a number of shipwrecks. None have been so devastating as the Clan Ranald which sank off Troubridge Hill with the loss of 40 lives (some of the victims are buried in the town's cemetery).

Things to see:  

Edithburgh Native Flora Park
Two blocks back from the seafront in Anstey Terrace is the 17 hectare Edithburgh Native Flora Park which not only has fine stands of eucalypt, acacia, melaleuca and casuarina but also is home to parrots, larks, quail and honeyeaters. There are 2.1 km of pleasant walks through the park.

Edithburgh Maritime Museum
Located in Edith St this museum has a good collection of material evoking the early maritime history of Edithburgh and the Yorke Peninsula. For more details contact (08) 8852 6214. People interested in the town's maritime history should also go to the caravan park at the end of O'Halloran Parade. Just inside the caravan park is the anchor commemorating the migrant ship Marian, 919 tons gross register, about 200 foot length, sailed from Plymouth England on 24 March 1851. After a voyage lasting four months it was lost on a reef near Troubridge Shoal at 10.00 p.m. on 29 July 1851. No lives were lost. The anchor was recovered by the lighthouse ship in 1977. The reef became known as Marian reef and is a popular haunt for scuba divers.

Troubridge Hill and Lighthouse
To the south of the town is Troubridge Hill which offers excellent views along the coastline. Nearby is the Troubridge Hill lighthouse which dates from 1980 when it replaced the historic Troubridge Shoal lighthouse which had been operating since 1856. Nearby is the anchor from the Clan Ranald.

Troubridge Island Conservation Park
The Troubridge Island Conservation Park is home to penguins, cormorants and a variety of other sea bird life. It is possible to take a guided tour to the island. The island also has a lighthouse For more information contact Chris Johnson, 4 Blanch Street - (08) 8852 6290

Edithburgh Cemetery
The Edithburgh cemetery offers a very interesting insight into the enormous number of Germans who have lived in this area of the Yorke Peninsula. Some of the graves have inscriptions in German. Some of the other graves offer an insight into the harshness of early life on the peninsula.

Coobowie
Coobowie is just a tiny strip development 5 km north along the coast from Edithburgh. It is a good destination for swimming and birdwatching.

	Tourist Information
	Edithburgh Boathouse Tea Rooms & Gallery Edith St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6109
	Motels
	Anchorage Motel 25 O¹Halloran Pde P.O. Box 168 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6262 Facsimile: (08) 8852 6147 Rating: **
	Edithburgh Seaside Motel/Hotel Blanche St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6172 Facsimile: (08) 8852 6047 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Edithburgh Hotel Edith St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6011
	Troubridge Hotel/Motel Blanche St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6013 Facsimile: (08) 8852 6323 Rating: ***
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Edithburgh Guesthouse Edith St P.O. Box 187 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6373 Rating: ***
	Apartments
	Clan Ranald Holiday Apts 1 George St P.O. Box 85 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6247 Rating: **
	Coobowie Courtside Holiday Apts 9 Anstey Tce Coobowie Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 8066
	Coobowie Lodge Holiday Apts 67 Beach Rd Coobowie Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6295
	Ocean View Holiday Apts O¹Halloran Pde Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6029 or (08) 8449 5768 Rating: **
	The Shores Holiday Apts 19 Anstey Tce Coobowie Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8248 1531 or (08) 8341 9282
	Cottages & Cabins
	Coobowie Caravan Park Beach Rd Coobowie Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 8132 Rating: ***
	Edithburgh Caravan Park O¹Halloran Pde P.O. Box 44 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6056 Facsimile: (08) 8852 6056 Rating: ***1/2
	Raiders Den Cottage 6 Park Tce Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8562 2764
	Lodges & Chalets
	Edithburgh Lodge Cottage 24 O'Halloran Pde Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6262
	Caravan Parks
	Coobowie Caravan Park Beach Rd Coobowie Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 8132 Rating: ***
	Edithburgh Caravan Park O¹Halloran Pde P.O. Box 44 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6056 Facsimile: (08) 8852 6056 Rating: ***1/2
	Camping & Other
	Troubridge Island Hideaway Offshore Edithburgh Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6290
	Restaurants
	Edithburgh Boathouse Tea Rooms & Gallery Edith St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6109
	Edithburgh Hotel Edith St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6011
	Faversham's Restaurant Edithburgh Guesthouse P.O. Box 187 Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6373
	Sails Restaurant Troubridge Hotel Blanche St Edithburgh SA 5583 Telephone: (08) 8852 6013