199 kms from Adelaide

Minlaton is a picturesque township with wide, welcoming streets, serving the rich agricultural district as well as nearby coastal communities. There is a skate board park, playground, toilets and a picnic area, making a great place to stop for a break.  The town has a variety of shops in the Main Street, and it's an ideal place to stop and restock if you are travelling further south.  Parking for caravans and motorhomes is available in Fourth Street.

Minlaton was originally called Gum Flat, but the word Minlaton was derived from the Narungga word Minlacowie meaning 'sweet water', in reference to the aboriginal wells near Gum Flat homestead and the old English 'ton' meaning town. The area was settled in the 1870s when pastoral leases were relinquished and surveying of the region took place.

Minlaton's town walking trail meanders through the outskirts of the town past a number of historically and environmentally significant land marks.  Pause at the Fauna Park and see the emus and wallabies in their natural environment. The Gum Flat area east of the town is home to the only naturally occurring stand of river red gums on Yorke Peninsula.

Captain Harry Butler and his Red Devil

A feature of the town is its memorial to pioneer aviator Captain Harry Butler and his Red Devil Bristol M1C monoplane.  

Believed to be the only genuine one of its kind left in the world, Harry's Red Devil is on display on the edge of town at the Harry Butler Memorial. In 1919, Harry flew his World War I Bristol Monoplane on the first special mail delivery across the sea from Adelaide to Minlaton.

The local National Trust Museum has a room dedicated to Harry Butler and is well worth a visit. More information about Captain Harry Butler can be found here.

Minlaton Chocolaterie

A multi award winning shop, Minlaton Chocolaterie specialises in using the tastes of the region to flavour their hand made chocolates. Located in a cropping region where bees are kept in strategic locations on farms to increase pollination and improve crop yields, the chocolates are made with the honey harvested from the bees, adding a delicious sweetness.

With a mission to make and serve only the most delicious products, Minlaton Chocolaterie is a must stop on your visit. Take the time to enjoy a coffee made with the shop's own roasted beans, or spoil yourself with a heavenly hot chocolate made with molten Belgian chocolate – delicious!

SYP Show Society

Held annually on the first Wednesday after the long weekend in October, the Southern Yorke Peninsula Agricultural Show is a great day out for all the family. There's a carnival atmosphere with heaps of food, stalls and interesting exhibits in various competition sections in the pavilion. On show also are products from the agricultural industry and a selection of the best in poultry, sheep and cattle.

The show features Freestyle Motocross Championships, the Minlaton Motor Muster, as well as rides, shearing demonstrations, horses in action, gardening, cooking and art competitions in the pavilion, poultry, sheep and cattle, trade exhibits, gardening seminars and much more. There are plenty of activities for the children including magic shows, kids' music concert, and face painting.

The Bluff

Just 13 kms west of Minlaton is Bluff Beach, a small settlement located on a sheltered sandy bay. On the rocky point at the southern end of the village are the remnants of a boat winching system or 'davits'. The manual winching method for raising and lowering boats from cliff to water was introduced by George Parsons and Fred Schwarz in the 1920s to raise and store fishing boats away from potential storm damage.

Ironically, in 1954 a storm destroyed several of the structures and three of the boats they were holding. The davits were repaired but by the 1980s they were no longer in use and subsequent storms have washed most of the wooden frames away. Today the fibreglass boat has replaced the clinker or wooden boat and trailers have replaced the winching system.