Whyalla was established on the edge of an arid environment without the benefit of permanent fresh water. It began as Hummock’s Hill in 1901 and was renamed Whyalla in 1914. Fresh water arrived by pipeline in 1944. Whyalla has become a major regional town as well as a hub of mining, steel-making and shipbuilding. The locals really love their fishing, and Whyalla is renowned for its catches of big, red snapper. Ecotourism is also gathering pace: the shallow waters off Port Lowly, 5km east of here, are the only place on the planet where up to 100,000 giant cuttlefish breed each year between June and August. Jump in the water to check it out!

FAST FACTS!

• Whyalla got its name from the Aboriginal Barngarla word ‘kayalla’ which means ‘north western country’
• The first permanent white settlement started at Hummock Hill near the foreshore. This very old hill was formed 1600 million years ago!
• Edward John Eyre found ironstone in the Middleback Ranges in the 1840s. We call it iron ore and the area is still being mined today
• HMAS Whyalla, next to the visitor centre, was the first Warship to be built in South Australia in 1941. It’s a Corvette class and served in waters off New Guinea and Japan
• To secure a mate, the male giant Australian cuttlefish can change colour and shape and even impersonate a female