Boats moored at American River on Kangaroo Island. Dinghies on the beach.

Matthew Flinders discovered Pelican Lagoon in 1802, and the adjacent tidal channel was used a year later by American whalers who gave the channel its name: American River. The men built a schooner, Independence, from the local timber thereby being the first to build a ship in what would become South Australia. The first produce shipped from the harbour was sealskins and whale oil. Later salt would become an important export through the harbour, as was gypsum until the mid-1980s. A fish cannery operated briefly in the late 19^th century from nearby Ballast Head and Muston Wharf.

Fishing, including crayfishing have been a mainstay of the area over the years.

Now a popular tourist area, fishing charters operate from the harbour. The pelicans for which the adjacent lagoon is named, frequent the jetty and beaches in anticipation of the fishermen's catch.

Nunn, Jean, This southern land: a social history of Kangaroo Island 1800-1890 Hawthorndene, S. Aust.: Investigator Press, 1989

Cumpston, J. S. KangarooIsland, 1800-1836 [Canberra, The Author, 24 Holmes Crescent, Campbell, A.C.T., 2601, 1970]

Alexander, Sandy, KangarooIsland: a brief chronological history, pre 1800-1997 Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA: S. Alexander, 1997

Postcards: American River Kangaroo Island