View of the cove and jetty at Wool Bay, April 1937

Wool Bay is situated on the Yorke Peninsula coast between Stansbury and Coobowie. A jarrah jetty was built in 1882 155 metres long and with a depth of 2.1 metres at low tide. The cutting in the cliff behind was originally too narrow for wagons and wool bales were rolled by hand down the jetty to waiting shipping. Limestone from the paddocks of local farmers was burnt in kilns erected on the shore and on the cliffs above producing lime which could be used in plaster and the building trades. In the early 20th century Charles Dry studied the latest methods of lime processing in England and on his return built a large updraft kiln on the foreshore, but this never functionned successfully. At the time Dry built his kiln the jetty was extended to 173 metres. It has since been reduced to 170 metres, and the waters around it provide a home for many leafy seadragons.

Wool Bay jetty continued to serve the local community for many years after the lime kilns closed with the export of wool and grain. The last grain was loaded from the jetty in February 1968 with the bulk handling facilities at Port Giles taking over the role of grain shipments.

Boyle, Leonard Stanley

Draffin, J.O. Brief history of lime, cement, concrete, and reinforced concrete Urbana, 1943

Gee, Lionel C. E. and Brown, H. Y. L. Record of the Mines of South Australia, 4^th edtion, Adelaide, 1908

Collins, Neville C The jetties of South Australia: past and present Woodside, S.A.: Neville Collins, 2005

Wool Bay Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula History and Heritage