The Early Settlers Cottage, Emu Flats Road, Keith

Keith
Modern service centre on the Dukes Highway
Keith is located 228 km south east of Adelaide and 31 metres above sea level. Like so many of the towns on the Dukes Highway, it owes its existence to the miracle of trace elements which converted the great Ninety Mile Desert from a wasteland into a rich agricultural area.

Prior to European settlement the area around Keith was part of the lands occupied by the Ngarranjeri people who spread from the Ninety Mile Desert down to the Coorong and across to the waters of the Murray River and Lake Alexandrina.

Although the town is relatively modern (the site for the town wasn't surveyed until 1884) Europeans were passing through the area as early as the 1850s. Near the present town there is a memorial to the Gold Escort Route - the famous route which brought gold into South Australia from the Victorian goldfields. The inscription reads: 'Along this track Commissioner Alexander Tolmer led the first of 18 police escorts which under various commanders transported from Mount Alexander, Victoria to Adelaide, South Australia from March, 1852 to December, 1853 528 509 ounces of gold.'

It was around this time that land was taken up in the area but there was no suggestion of the building of a town because the land was marginal and the population was sparse and scattered. In fact for the next fifty years the area was known as Mount Monster after a large granite outcrop near the site of the present town.

It wasn't until 1884 that the town was surveyed, and not until 1889 that the town was officially proclaimed. The town's unusual name is the result of the town being proclaimed at a time when Lord Kintore was the Governor of South Australia. Kintore's home in Aberdeenshire in Scotland was called Keith Hall and he was also known as Lord Keith. There is another version of the origin of the town's name which claims that it was named after the eldest son of a local grazier named Sir Lancelot Stirling but there is not strong evidence to support such a claim whereas the Lord Kintore explanation is backed by both his presence in South Australia at the time and the tendency to honour Governor's by naming towns after them.

In fairness it seems to have been no great honour for the town to be named after the Governor because, although it was proclaimed in 1889 it wasn't until 1894 that the first resident, a Mr McIntyre, built the first house and it wasn't for a decade that the first public building - the Congregational Church - was constructed.

Most of the early development of Keith occurred in the next decade. A general store was opened in 1905 and such was the prosperity of the district that a second general store opened two years later. The Keith Hotel opened for business in 1910 and in 1912 Keith's Provisional School became a full Public School.

The district's prosperity is a result of the CSIRO's discovery, in the 1940s, that with the addition of vital trace elements, the land around Keith was potentially very productive. The AMP Society provided money for the project and over the next two decades Keith became the centre of a productive area where cattle studs, grain crops and lucerne were grown with considerable success.

In 1969 the district's problems were completely solved when a pipeline from Tailem Bend brought water from the Murray River to the town.

Things to see:  

The Old Manse
Located on Heritage Street this building was constructed in 1906. It used to house an interesting collection of old photographs of the area and memorabilia. It is now a private residence and not open to the public.

Congregational Church
Located on Heritage Street this building was constructed in 1910. It is now owned by the National Trust. Of particular interest are the leadlight windows which were constructed as part of the Bicentennial Project. The four windows depict Pioneer Women, Pioneer Men, Keith in 1988 and the National Trust and were constructed by 30 members of the local community under the assistance of the artist Debra Lutze.

The Early Settlers Cottage
The Early Settlers Cottage, Emu Flats Road. Head west on Emu Flats Road which is north of the town centre. The cottage is located about one km out of town. Built in 1894 by William Davis it was built of limestone and has been remarkably well preserved. Today it is owned and operated by the National Trust. Contact (08) 8755 1125 for details or check out http://www.nationaltrustsa.com.au.

Penny Farthing Coffee and Crafts
Open seven days a week from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Penny Farthing Coffee and Crafts has a fine collection of South Australian crafts including pottery, woodwork and glassware. Contact (08) 8755 1061 for details.

Mount Monster Conservation Park
This 93 hectare park is located 10 km south of the town. Follow the road to Naracoorte. There are a number of walks in the park and some excellent picnic and barbecue facilities. The view from the top of Mount Monster (100 metres up) in worth the effort. It is an ideal way to see the richness of the local area. The park is noted for its birdwatching.

Mount Rescue Conservation Park
This large conservation area has been described as 28,000 hectares of mallee scrub. It is located 16 km north of the town and is an extensive sand plain covered with low scrubby heath and gums. It is a reminder of what the area was like before trace elements were added to the soil.

	Motels
	Keith Motor Inn Dukes Hwy P.O. Box 355 Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1500 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Keith Hotel/Motel Makin St Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1122 Facsimile: (08) 8755 1411 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Keith Caravan Park Naracoorte Rd P.O. Box 172 Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1851 Facsimile: (08) 8755 1957 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Keith Caravan Park Naracoorte Rd P.O. Box 172 Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1851 Facsimile: (08) 8755 1957 Rating: ***
	Pendleton Farm Retreat Eckerts Rd P.O. Box 172 Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8756 7042 Facsimile: (08) 8756 7067 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Keith Hotel/Motel Makin St Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1122
	Keith Motor Inn Dukes Hwy P.O. Box 355 Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1500
	Penny Farthing Coffee & Crafts 15 Heritage St Keith SA 5267 Telephone: (08) 8755 1061