The Big Lobster

Kingston South East
Substantial fishing and lobster port on the South Coast.
Located 297 km south east of Adelaide, Kingston South East is a substantial port famous for its lobsters. It also happens to be the home of the Big Lobster, one of those wonderfully quirky 'bigs' which Australians seem to love to build.

Before the arrival of Europeans this whole area was settled by the Ngarranjeri Aborigines who lived along the Coorong and extended across the Murray River to the present day site of Goolwa.

The first European to make contact with this stretch of coastline (except for the itinerant sealers who drifted along the coast from earliest times) was the French explorer Nicolas Baudin who discovered Lacepede Bay in 1802.

The district was the subject of a much publicised tragedy in 1840 when the Maria was wrecked off the coast. The Maria left Adelaide bound for Hobart on 7 June, 1840. About 28 June it was wrecked off the coast near Lacepede Bay but the crew and passengers managed to get to shore. It appears that the sailors began trying to take advantage of the local Aboriginal women. As a form of reprisal 25 of the 26 survivors were killed. One young girl survived and was looked after by the Ngarranjeri people until eventually handed over to Europeans.

The town of Kingston (it only became Kingston South East to distinguish it from Kingston-on-Murray) was established Archibald and James Cooke took up land near Maria Creek in 1856. The town was named after the government surveyor, George Strickland Kingston, by the Governor of South Australia, Governor McDonnell, in 1858.

The Cooke brothers saw the potential of the area and duly sublet some of their land and built the first jetty. They were largely responsible for the wool stores which were built in the town. It was formally proclaimed a port in 1866 and it was in that year that the town got both a police station and a post office.

Today Kingston South East is a charming coastal town which is an ideal holiday destination for people seeking somewhere which is quiet and peaceful.

Things to see:  

The Big Lobster
Standing 18.2 metres high and made out of fibreglass this is a seriously big object which can be justified by the fact that Kingston SE is one of Australia's best lobster/crayfish fishing areas. There is a restaurant and gift shop underneath the lobster.

The stone sea lion and sundial on the outskirts of the town

Sundail of Human Involvement and Sculptures on Maria Creek Island.
The sun dial of Human Involvement is located at Maria Creek adjacent to Apex Park. It was, when it was completed, one of only eight in the world. There is a detailed brochure on the sun dial which explains the way it works.

The sculpture which surrounds it was created by the town's sculpture in residence, a South Australian artist named Silvio Apponyi. No matter which direction you approach Kingston SE you cannot miss the sculptures and the sun dial. There is an elephant seal and cub, a blue-tongued lizard, a Japanese crab all carved from large granite rocks. The aim was to involve local citizens in the sculpture. Each day people would bring fish, crabs, frogs, lizards, seaweed, shells and even dead birds to Silvio and suggest that he sculpt them. There is also a wonderful feeling of the sculptures being living creatures because some of them seem to have crept away from the island in Maria Creek. There is a shingle-back lizard behind the Wood Hut craft shop, a mulloway in the town's Lions Park and a kangaroo is near the Aboriginal burial ground at the north-western corner of the town.

The island also has a memorial to Queen Ethel the area's last full blood Aboriginal who died as recently as 1954.

Historic Houses
Self Guided Walk
There is a useful sheet of paper titled Kingston Historical Walk which is available around the town. It lists 22 buildings and locations of historic interest in the town. Included are Otter House, 82 Cooke St (1856) (privately owned); Vine Cottage, 67 Cooke St (1870) (privately owned); Goode's House, 61 Cooke St (privately owned); Whisson's, 59 Cooke St (privately owned) and Henstridge's, 14 & 16 Cooke St built in the late 1800's (privately owned).

Museum
Located at 23 Cooke St this interesting building was originally a timber mill. It was built in 1872 and is now owned by the National Trust. The museum contains the usual collection of memorabilia with a strong emphasis on nautical objects and some well preserved old gowns.

Gaol and Police Station
Now Justin's Antiques located at 1 Cooke St (1864) this historic building once served the town as a police station, courthouse and gaol until 1961 when a more modern building was constructed in Hanson Street.

Post Office
Located at 1 Hanson Street it was built in 1866 and opened in 1867. The design was from the Colonial Architect's Office and the builders were Hodson & Johns. It achieved a brief moment of glory in 1982 when it was chosen to appear on a special Commonwealth stamp issue.

Old Court House
Located at 2 Hanson St and completed in 1869-70 the Old Court House is characterised by high ceilings, some very unusually shaped doors and particularly attractive windows. It is no longer used.

Engine House
During the Bicentennial year the community restored the old Power Engine which had historically provided Kingston SE with its electricity needs from 1947 to 1974. It is now located in Lions Park.

Jetty (1878)
Amazingly the jetty, which is now over 100 years old, is still being used. Safcol, the fish processing company, still use the railway line to bring fish to their factory from the end of the jetty. The jetty's history is one of trying to juggle a very shallow coastal range with the problems of the southern ocean. The first jetty was built in 1864-65 and was 511 feet long but it ended in water which was only a little over 1 metre deep. In 1876 a second jetty - 4000 feet long - was built and it ended up in water which was 5 metres deep. Unfortunately it was wrecked in 1923, rebuilt and then wrecked again in 1956. The current jetty is a remnant of that original 1876 jetty.

Cape Jaffa
If you are interested in seeing the lobster fleet return with their daily catches of crayfish make the trip down the coast to Cape Jaffa. Each day, at approximately 1.00 p.m., the fishermen return with their crayfish. Around the point at are the ruins of the original Lighthouse Cottages.

The National Trust Cape Jaffa lighthouse

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse
The Cape Jaffa lighthouse was built in 1868-1872 on Margaret Brock Reef, 8 km from shore and 19 km south from here and rebuilt on this site 1975-76. It is open 2.00 p.m. - 4.30 p.m. on holidays. It is an unusual wood and iron construction which was built between 1868-72 by G. Wells and W.F. King. The lighthouse, which has an unusual steel frame, also included an eight bedroom house. One of the magnifying lens weighs 2 tonnes. It was the first lighthouse on the Australian coast to be dismantled and brought to the mainland.

Mt. Benson Wine Region
Located 28 km south of Kingston SE off the main road to Robe (turn at Wrights Bay Road) this vineyard takes advantage of the area's fine red (terra rossa) soils. It offers a range of red wines. Contact (08) 8768 6251 for opening times. Recently it was open from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. daily.

Cape Jaffa Wines
Located on Salt Well Road (drive 16 km south of Kingston SE and turn towards Cape Jaffa), Cape Jaffa Wines exploits the local terra rossa soils. The vineyard currently grows cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, petite verdot, cabernet franc, chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc. For cellar door opening times and more information contact Derek Hooper on (08) 8768 5053.

Mount Scott Conservation Park
This park, located 20 km east of Kingston SE on the road to Keith, is a former coastal dune. It is ideal for bushwalking with the stringy bark forest being an ideal home for sugar gliders, wombats and mallee fowl.

Butcher's Gap Conservation Park
Located 6km south of Kingston this park contains wetlands and dense coastal vegetation. Both are ideal for birds. There is a walking trail at the northern end of the park.

Long Beach
Lying to the north of Kingston SE is Long Beach. It is approximately 100 km long and is the southern end of The Coorong. It is known to fishermen as one of the best surf fishing destinations in Australia. It is the destination for an Annual Surf Fishing competition which is held each January long weekend. The winners usually have caught something pretty spectacular.

	Tourist Information
	Kingston S.E. Tourist Information Centre Wood Hut Craft Shop Agnes St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2151
	Motels
	Comfort Inn Kingston Princes Hwy Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2322 Rating: ***
	Lacepede Bay Motel Cnr Hanson St & Marine Pde Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2444 Email: lacepede@hotmail.com Rating: ***
	Mobil 190 Mile Motel Princes Hwy Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2419 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Crown Inn Hotel Agnes St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2005
	Royal Mail Hotel Hanson St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2002
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Albertine Cottage B&B 11 Holland St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: 0417 829 977 Email: bookings@albertinecottage.com.au
	Cottages & Cabins
	Albertine Cottage B&B 11 Holland St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: 0417 829 977 Email: bookings@albertinecottage.com.au
	Cape Jaffa Caravan Park 18 King Dve Cape Jaffa Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8768 5056 Facsimile: (08) 8768 5056 Rating: **1/2
	Caravan Parks
	Cape Jaffa Caravan Park 18 King Dve Cape Jaffa Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8768 5056 Facsimile: (08) 8768 5056 Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Big Lobster Princes Hwy Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2555
	Cottage Coffee Shop Agnes St Kingston S.E. SA 5275 Telephone: (08) 8767 2133