Wool Bay is situated on the Yorke Peninsula coast between Stansbury and Coobowie. The town was established in 1876 with the name Pickering. The community lobbied for a jetty in 1879: the people believed that deep water in the bay would provide a safer anchorage than other nearby locations. Eventually in 1882 construction of a jetty was undertaken by Frank George: 155 metres long it provided a depth of 2.1 metres at low tide. The cutting in the cliff down to the jetty can be seen: as originally made it was too narrow to allow wagons to reach the jetty and the wool bales were rolled through the cutting and down to the jetty. When lime burning became an established industry at Wool Bay the jetty was extended by a further 18 metres in anticipation of increased use. However the kilns built were never greatly successful and later Stansbury and subsequently Klein Point would be the major outlets for lime from the district.The town functioned as wool, grain and lime exporting port.

The name was officially changed to Wool Bay in September 1940, although it had been known by this name for many years. Wool Bay still features heritage listed lime kilns, built by Charles Dry originally from Stansbury, which were the first to extract and export lime in the region.

Wool Bay today is a quiet holiday haven with the jetty popular with recreational fishermen. A population of leafy sea dragons can be found in the waters beneath the jetty.

Wilson, J.G. Southern and central Yorke Peninsula: its industries, resources and attractions Adelaide: Sharples Bros., [1909]

Stansbury 1873-1973, 1986 [Stansbury, S. Aust.]: Stansbury Centenary Committee, 1986

Cook, Diana The striding years: a history of the Minlaton District Council area [Minlaton, S. Aust.?: Minlaton District Council?], 1980, t.p. 1975

Wool Bay Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula History and Heritage