Located 197 kilometres west of Adelaide and 88 metres above sea level, Minlaton is the main service centre for the surrounding rural districts. Offering a variety of facilities for travellers venturing to the ‘bottom end’ of Yorke Peninsula, Minlaton is a picturesque township with wide, welcoming streets.
Make sure you drop into the Yorke Peninsula Visitor Information Centre and Harvest Corner for visitor information, a great array of local produce and quality crafts.
A feature of the town is its memorial to pioneer aviator Captain Harry Butler and his Red Devil monoplane, believed to be the only genuine one of its kind left in the world. The plane 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 to Minlaton. The local National Trust Museum has a room dedicated to Harry Butler and is well worth a visit.
Attractions:
Captain Harry Butler’s Red Devil Monoplane.
Minlaton’s town walking trail, beginning from the visitor centre and meandering through the outskirts of the town and past the bird hide.
Minlaton National Trust Museum.
Minlaton Golf Club.
The town was originally named ‘Gum Flat’ because it is the only area of the Southern Yorke Peninsula where red gums grow naturally. The name was later changed to Minlaton, which is derived from the local Aboriginal word ‘minlacowie’ which means, ‘sweet water’.
The area was settled in the 1870s by farmers who found the conditions ideal for growing wheat, barley and the grazing of sheep. Today, this small township promotes itself as ‘The Barley Capital of the World’ and offers many facilities for locals and tourists alike.