Travel Guide Whyalla

Located on the west coast of Spencer Gulf, Whyalla is South Australia's third-largest city, after Adelaide and Mount Gambier, with a population of 21,200. It has a university and numerous schools. Founded in 1901 by BHP for the coal industry, the town lost its importance in the 1980s. Today, its industry is dominated by OneSteel (metallurgy: railroad sleepers), Santos (oil) and Pacific Salt Ltd (salt). Australia's most important shipbuilding port before its closure in 1978, Whyalla built a number of ships for the Royal Australian Navy, including the first in 1941, the corvette Whyalla, on display at the Maritime Museum. Whyalla is famous for its dolphins, but above all for the annual migrations of giant cuttlefish(Sepia apama) between May and August near False Bay, Point Lowly and Fitzgerald Bay. These cuttlefish measure up to 60 cm and weigh an average of 5 kg. Diving and glass-bottom boat tours are organized to observe them. You can also visit the OneSteel factory. The Whyalla Visitor Centre, which shares the same premises and runs the ticket office for the maritime museum, will be happy to help you with any queries you may have. The Hummock Hill Lookout offers a wide view of the town and its surroundings. And as for events, every year at Easter the Australian Snapper Championship takes place.