Forming part of the Copper Coast region, Kadina is a historic town on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. The area was originally home to the Narungga people before the discovery of copper in 1859 and the establishment of the town to house miners. Kadina was nicknamed “Little Cornwall” due to the large number of Cornish miners who arrived here in the 19th century.
Things to do in Kadina
Watching over Victoria Square is the Kadina Town Hall, which was established in 1880 on the designs of John Gaskell. Its lower storey was added in 1898 when council chambers and a library were added, together with the balcony and ornamental gable. Rising above the building is a stone and brick clock tower constructed in 1903.
If you’re travelling with kids, they can let off steam in the Victoria Square playground, which features a spiral slide, swings and a climbing net. It’s also here that you’ll find Kadina’s war memorial and a historic rotunda, plus the climb-aboard locomotive known as the Apex Express. With its shady trees, Victoria Square is the perfect spot for a lunchtime picnic.
On the southern edge of Kadina is the Farm Shed Heritage Museum, which occupies the former manager’s house of the Matta Matta Mine. Learn about the history of farming on the Yorke Peninsula and life here following the discovery of copper in the 19th century. On the other side of town are the 18-hole holes of the Kadina Golf Club.
Getting around Kadina
Kadina is just under a two-hour drive from Adelaide and Adelaide Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Long-distance buses connect to Kadina and the town centre is small enough to explore on foot. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting around the area.