Lime kilns built into a cliff at Wool Bay in South Australia

Wool Bay is situated on the Yorke Peninsula coast between Stansbury and Coobowie. The town was established in 1876 with the name Pickering but this was changed to Wool Bay in 1940. In 1882 a jetty was built for the export of wool. Lime kilns were built to take advantage of the local limestone removed from paddocks by farmers.  Charles Dry from Stansbury travelled to England to study the newest mathods of lime processing in the early 20th century and on his return he built a large wood burning kiln on foreshore. It was however not a great success having problems with its draught. This kiln still stands today and is heritage listed.

A lime kiln is a kiln used to produce quicklime by the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate). This reaction takes place at 900°C or up to 1000°C. Lime has been used in building for hundreds of years to aid the setting of mortar and plaster. It is also used in sewage treatment, for burial of bodies in open graves to aid in decomposition and in forensic science to reveal fingerprints.

Searcy, Alfred, 1854-1925

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

Dancaster, E.A. Limes and cements  their nature, manufacture and use London, 1916

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

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